Repeated Daily Crashes of Desktop Window Manager in Reliability Monitor When Using Pen

Hello,

We are also experiencing the issue.  Important to note, enterprise environment, uses SCCM/MECM for updates.   

We enable updates directly from Microsoft adn apply the latest drivers and firmware and most of these issues have gone away - although, some of our machine which are using docks needed additional firmware (see this link - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4023478/surface-update-your-surface-dock)

Having said this, we have seen issues with upgrades - which show successful, however, are problematic if the drivers and firmware are not updated to a compatible version of the target OS version (in our current case 20H2).   

Hope this helps.

Yes I am the original poster, and I am still having issues eight months later. I am fully up-to-date on 21H1.

Here's the error code information for a DWM crash just yesterday.

Source

Desktop Window Manager

Summary

Stopped working

Date

‎6/‎9/‎2021 7:54 PM

Status

Report sent

Description

Faulting Application Path: C:\Windows\System32\dwm.exe

Problem signature

Problem Event Name: BEX64

Application Name: dwm.exe

Application Version: 10.0.19041.746

Application Timestamp: 6be51595

Fault Module Name: HeatCore.dll

Fault Module Version: 0.0.0.0

Fault Module Timestamp: 54ab4a1a

Exception Offset: 0000000000035b5d

Exception Code: c0000409

Exception Data: 0000000000000002

OS Version: 10.0.19043.2.0.0.768.101

Locale ID: 1033

Additional Information 1: b111

Additional Information 2: b111fda7573a1e10441015376b653053

Additional Information 3: f2cb

Additional Information 4: f2cb04e9d7bee3b9ba950fa6b38410fa

Extra information about the problem

Bucket ID: 3af1b524c9df8794d117428742533340 (1231526171809887040)

UPDATE: I did a session today over zoom using OBS and it crashed repeatedly (6 times in 15 minutes) while using the pen with MS Whiteboard. It's barely usable in this state. This is on a brand new Surface with fully updated Windows. So no, this has not been fixed. I'm monitoring the temp and it gets hot but not super hot. About 61C.

Thank you all for reporting this issue so detailled. I´m from germany and I am in contact here with the Support. I found out, what makes the screen blink and so told the support. In first step the HeatCore.dll in dwm.exe crashes, which then makes the "dwinit" (desktop window manager) of Iris Plus crash. HeatCore happens something to be, which makes the Pen commuincate to the Surface. Also there is a crash of the TconDriver, which is even a part of that Surface to Pen communication. We will see, if my reports will be taken serious or they are ignored. But very great, that you all shared this information over time.

After updates, even 21H1 it continues to have the issue, so I can also agree on that point. Furthermore yesterday evening my pen also had like 6-10 times the black screen in 15 minutes, so it was very heavy.

As you said, in this condition the Surface is barely usable...and not worth 1000€. Having that high price in mind, its a shame.

Hopefully MS will wake up and do soemthing, but momently they are riding the hype wave with Sun Valley update, so lets see how long it will take. Please do continue wrinting about the problem, that makes MS see, that its still a thing and needs to be solved.

UPDATE: I did a session today over zoom using OBS and it crashed repeatedly (6 times in 15 minutes) while using the pen with MS Whiteboard. It's barely usable in this state. This is on a brand new Surface with fully updated Windows. So no, this has not been fixed. I'm monitoring the temp and it gets hot but not super hot. About 61C.

Unfortunately black screens are still there even after update 21H1.

positive point is that they have become less frequent for me. I think keeping the device cool

prevents some of these crashes.