Aero Window Manager is a configuration utility for modifying the metrics of objects drawn by DWM frames on Windows 10. The currently supported versions are 1809 (build 17763), 1903/09 (builds 18362 and 18363), as well as 2004-22H2 (builds 19041-19045).
MSVC runtime 2019 or later is required to run AWM. If the application doesn't launch after performing the steps below, please try installing that first.
- Download the appropriate zip file for your version of Windows (If you're
running Windows 10 Version 22H2, that would be the file labeled
2004-22H2.zip). Unzip the contents of the file you downloaded toC:\awm. This should make the path ofawmdll.dllbeC:\awm\awmdll.dll. NOTE: You can name the root folder differently, but it has to be in the root of the C:\ drive to ensure the application functions properly. - Open a
cmdprocess as administrator and execute the commandregsvr32 c:\awm\msdia140_awm.dll. A message should pop up telling you that the operation has succeeded.
NOTE: Steps 3 and 4 can be bypassed by using Task Scheduler or any other way to launch an executable as SYSTEM.
- Download PsTools.
- In a
cmdprocess running as administrator, navigate to the folder that you unzipped PsTools into (for examplec:\pstools) and run the following command:psexec64 -s -i cmd.exe. This should open a new Command Prompt window running as SYSTEM. - In this new Command Prompt window, type
cd c:\awm(or the folder you installed AWM to), followed byinjector. The awmdll.dll process will download symbols from Microsoft's servers (saved toC:\awm\symbols), after which it will hook into different functions within DWM, modifying their behavior. Then, clicking on any window should update its appearance to match that produced by AWM.
You need CMake and the v142 / VS 2019 toolset (use the VS installer to make sure) to compile; this assumes CMake uses MSVC 2022 by default.
To compile for Release|x64, open Developer Command Prompt (x64) and type these commands:
cd libraries/funchook
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -T v142 ..
cmake --build . --config release
cd ../../..
msbuild -p:configuration=release -p:platform=x64 awm.slnNow the output directory should appear, and you should be able to copy its
contents to c:/awm.
awmdll, the DLL loaded into DWM, uses Win32's Event Objects
to update its settings from HKLM/Software/AWM. The event name is
"awmsettingschanged."
Example C code to update the settings (won't work if AWM isn't already running):
#include <windows.h>
int main(){
HANDLE hEvent = NULL;
hEvent = OpenEvent( EVENT_MODIFY_STATE, FALSE, TEXT("awmsettingschanged") );
if(hEvent == NULL) return GetLastError();
SetEvent(hEvent);
return GetLastError();
}These reside in HKLM/Software/AWM.
| Key Name | Value Range | Default Value |
|---|---|---|
| Window_CornerRadiusX | (0-inf) | 0 |
| Window_CornerRadiusY | (0-inf) | 0 |
| TB_ButtonAlign | (0-4) (top, center, tbcenter, bottom, full) | full |
| TB_ButtonAlignPal | (0-4) (top, center, tbcenter, bottom, full) | top |
| TB_TargetHeight | (0-inf) | 22 |
| TB_TargetHeightPal | (0-inf) | 22 |
| TB_XBtnHeight | (0-inf) | 30 |
| TB_XBtnHeightLone | (0-inf) | 30 |
| TB_XBtnHeightPal | (0-inf) | 20 |
| TB_MidBtnHeight | (0-inf) | 30 |
| TB_EdgeBtnHeight | (0-inf) | 30 |
| TB_XBtnWidth | (0-inf) | 47 |
| TB_XBtnWidthLone | (0-inf) | 34 |
| TB_XBtnWidthPal | (0-inf) | 20 |
| TB_MidBtnWidth | (0-inf) | 46 |
| TB_EdgeBtnWidth | (0-inf) | 47 |
| TB_XBtnInsTop | (-inf-inf) | 1 |
| TB_XBtnInsTopLone | (-inf-inf) | 1 |
| TB_MidBtnInsTop | (-inf-inf) | 1 |
| TB_EdgeBtnInsTop | (-inf-inf) | 1 |
| TB_XBtnInsTopMax | (-inf-inf) | 0 |
| TB_XBtnInsTopLoneMax | (-inf-inf) | 0 |
| TB_MidBtnInsTopMax | (-inf-inf) | 0 |
| TB_EdgeBtnInsTopMax | (-inf-inf) | 0 |
| TB_XBtnOffset | (-inf-inf) | -1 |
| TB_XBtnOffsetMax | (-inf-inf) | 1 |
| TB_XBtnOffsetPal | (-inf-inf) | 1 |
| TB_XBtnAfter | (0-inf) | 0 |
| TB_MidBtnAfter | (0-inf) | 0 |
| TB_EdgeBtnAfter | (0-inf) | 0 |
| TB_InsetLeftAdd | (0-inf) | 0 |
| TB_InsetLeftMul | (0-inf) | 2 |
| TB_InsetLeftAddMax | (0-inf) | 2 |
| TB_InsetLeftMulMax | (0-inf) | 1 |
| TB_TextInset | (0-inf) | 5 |
| TB_BtnInactiveOpacity | (0-100) | 40 |
| UseTransparency | (0-1) | 0 |
| AccentPolicy | (0-4) | 0 |
| Window_ColorRActive | (0-255) | 255 |
| Window_ColorGActive | (0-255) | 255 |
| Window_ColorBActive | (0-255) | 255 |
| Window_ColorRInactive | (0-255) | 255 |
| Window_ColorGInactive | (0-255) | 255 |
| Window_ColorBInactive | (0-255) | 255 |
| Window_ColorBalanceActive | (0-100) | 100 |
| Window_ColorBalanceInactive | (0-100) | 100 |
| Text_ColorRActive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ColorGActive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ColorBActive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ColorAActive | (0-255) | 255 |
| Text_ColorRInactive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ColorGInactive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ColorBInactive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ColorAInactive | (0-255) | 102 |
| Text_ShadowColorRActive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ShadowColorGActive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ShadowColorBActive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ShadowColorAActive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ShadowColorRInactive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ShadowColorGInactive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ShadowColorBInactive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ShadowColorAInactive | (0-255) | 0 |
| Text_ShadowOffsetX | (-inf-inf) | 0 |
| Text_ShadowOffsetY | (-inf-inf) | 0 |
| Text_Alignment | (0-4) | left |
| TB_IconTextVertAlign | (0-1) | center |
| Text_GlowOpacityActive | (0-100) | 0 |
| Text_GlowOpacityInactive | (0-100) | 0 |
| Text_AntiAlias | (0-3) (default, cleartype, grayscale, aliased) | 0 |
Dulappy: AWM
Valinet: libvalinet
Neptune: Temporary GUI
Wily Coyote: Text antialiasing and repo cleanup
Microsoft: msdia140.dll
I might be forgetting minor contributors. If you think you've contributed to anything in the project, please let me know.
