On one Windows 8 system, there is an icon that shows on the taskbar. If I hover the mouse over it, it says "DWM notification window". If I close it (only other option), the screen goes black and I have to reboot. Any idea why it got there and how to remove it?

Grard

can you please make a screenshot?

I also have this issue. Screenshot below, prevents the computer from turning off the screen and makes going straight to the desktop screen by pressing enter impossible. Happens about 50% of the time I turn on the computer.

imgur.com/ZoZ4P

I've never seen this. Update the graphic card drivers, please.

I have also same issue and i couldn't solve it... :(

ok, I asked MS and the answer is that a 3rd party tool makes this hidden Window visable.

Use the clean boot approach to see which program causes it.

How to perform a clean boot to troubleshoot a problem in Windows 8

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135/en-us

On one Windows 8 system, there is an icon that shows on the taskbar. If I hover the mouse over it, it says "DWM notification window". If I close it (only other option), the screen goes black and I have to reboot. Any idea why it got there and how to remove it?

Grard

Happens to me too. I want to know how to fix it  /:

This has happened to me also. I have a Acer Notebook with Windows 8. DWM notification window came up and I closed it. Then my laptop screen went black. I rebooted it but it doesn't load up the desktop anymore. The screen stays black after boot and the normal access window where I input my password fails to come up. Without that I have no access to the computer at all. There is just the mouse on the black screen and no C:/ or run command prompt or anything. Can anybody advise me please? If you can suggest anything I would be most grateful. I see this DWM is a common problem. Good luck to the others.

I had that same impression, that the system wouldn't come back after a reboot.  It turned out that I hadn't actually shut down; I only went into sleep mode.  To get my Lenovo ThinkPad laptop to shut down I had to hold down the power key for 20 seconds.  After I really rebooted everything was fine again.

Got the same thing, done by pressing enter on audio input confirmation window in Realtek HD audio manger