Windows 8 Desktop Windows Composition and Windows 8.1 Pro x64

[Sigridur Logisdottir]

Hi, I'm Jenn, also new to these forums.
I stumbled upon a problem when switching from Windows 7 x64 to Windows 8.1 Pro x64.
I have the EXACT same setup, same laptop, same hardware, same programs, same configuration, everything.
Windows 7 never did anything like the problem I now have in Win 8.1. Here's the problem;

Whenever I run more than 1 3D application, after 1-5 minutes the screen blinks, and hangs the graphics of one, some or all the programs (randomly). It doesn't hang the actual program (or game), it just stops rendering the graphics -- I can still hear the software's sound and if I click around, I can hear myself interacting with it.
I have ALL the latest drivers for the computer, motherboard, ALL devices including graphics cards etc. Also ALL Windows Updates installed, nothing more to install.

All of the programs I use is specifically set to use only the nVidia adapter, forcibly through the nVidia Control Panel, so it's not a switching graphics problem because it's a laptop. Also, never was a problem in Windows 7 either.

Here's what I gathered from event viewer right when it happened;

A logon was attempted using explicit credentials.
Subject:
Security ID: SYSTEM
Account Name: PIXIELIGHT$
Account Domain: HYPERUNKNOWN
Logon ID: 0x3E7
Logon GUID: {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
Account Whose Credentials Were Used:
Account Name: DWM-1
Account Domain: Window Manager
Logon GUID: {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}

An account was successfully logged on.
Subject:
Security ID: SYSTEM
Account Name: PIXIELIGHT$
Account Domain: HYPERUNKNOWN
Logon ID: 0x3E7
Logon Type: 2
Impersonation Level: Impersonation
New Logon:
Security ID: Window Manager\DWM-1
Account Name: DWM-1
Account Domain: Window Manager
Logon ID: 0x412659B
Logon GUID: {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
Process Information:
Process ID: 0x304
Process Name: C:\Windows\System32\winlogon.exe

Special privileges assigned to new logon.
Subject:
Security ID: Window Manager\DWM-1
Account Name: DWM-1
Account Domain: Window Manager
Logon ID: 0x412659B
Privileges: SeAssignPrimaryTokenPrivilege
SeAuditPrivilege
SeImpersonatePrivilege

An account was logged off.
Subject:
Security ID: Window Manager\DWM-1
Account Name: DWM-1
Account Domain: Window Manager
Logon ID: 0x3E3290A
Logon Type: 2

So as you can see, DWM is logging in and out some account that can be all the way up to DWM-7 from what I've seen so far. It just logs in, sets some parameters and the directly logs out.
This is a ONE-user system, Only my user account is on it, and remote login has been disabled.
In Windows 7, at least DWM could be disabled - not that I ever had to, because it worked with all my stuff, but seeing as DWM is screwing up totally in Win8, I thought I'd just disable the server, but it's nowhere to be found.
Also, it seems Microsoft changed how it works, the system has been redesigned to generate an OK even if it's still on, like this example below:

DwmEnableComposition( DWM_EC_DISABLECOMPOSITION ) does not work on Windows 8, even though it returns S_OK. Confirmation is by calling DwmIsCompositionEnabled(), which shows the former function had no effect.

There's only 1 dwm.exe running:

There's only 1 user logged in (me):

Here's the complete user list of the system:

And here's the system information from my computer itself:
System:

Devices:

Running only 1 of the softwares at a time is not an option for me, either for work or for home use, so how can I fix this?
// Jenn

 

[Jimbo22]

Well according to Dell, which is the maker of Alienware, officially doesn't support windows 8/8.1. That being the case for this model, this is probably the cause of your issue.

I don't know of a work around other than reverting back to windows 7 and saving your copy of windows 8.1 Pro for a system that officially supports that version.

You could check with the software company and see if it works with windows 8.1 Pro.

 

[Sigridur Logisdottir]

I downloaded the Windows 8.1 x64 drivers specifically for the m17x R5 from their drivers page, specifically under the Windows 8.1 x64-drivers tab, all drivers worked, are up to date, no errors during install or after, so it sounds weird what you say there

EDIT:
Should probably add that the computer came with Windows 8.1 Pro x64 pre-installed, with the authenticity sticker underneath with the cdkey and everything :>