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m17 R2, WPF apps distorted, disappearing window contents
All applications using WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) suddenly show distorted window content and it won't refresh. Whenever the mouse pointer moves into or over such a window, the content (text, pictures, buttons, checkboxes) become distorted, blurred and/or simply are vanishing completely.
NahimicOSD.dll is causing the problem. It inhibits the orderly rendering of WPF applications. Therefore this seems to be a Dell/Alienware specific problem.
Workarounds:
Locate the nahimic blacklist (BlackApps.dat - path example below)...
C:\ProgramData\A-Volute\DellInc.AlienwareSoundCenter\Modules\ScheduledModules\Configurator\BlackApps.dat
and insert the name(s) (xyz.exe) of your affected application(s) into that list to avoid further affection by nahimic for this program(s). It's just a textfile - open, edit and save it with the texteditor (run texteditor as administrator).
In my case these applications are divelog.exe, NUP.exe (norton utilities)
The alternative solution is to switch off hardware acceleration for all WPF applications completely (in the registry):
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics]
"DisableHWAcceleration"=dword:00000001
By default, hardware acceleration is enabled for WPF applications.
The disable hardware acceleration option is a DWORD value that is either 0 or 1. A value of 1 disables hardware acceleration. A value of 0 or the (by default) missing "DisableHWAcceleration" key enables hardware acceleration.
Just to share that with you as it took a while to find out the cause.
This was also posted...if it helps...
Hello Roman
Tobii looked the same on my m17 R2.
That mght be the same problem I struggled with after having done the October update of AWCC. Tobii and other software applications using WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) seem to be affected negatively by AWCC's sound module (C:\ProgramData\A-Volute\DellInc.AlienwareSoundCenter).
But there is an exclude list: C:\ProgramData\A-Volute\DellInc.AlienwareSoundCenter\Modules\ScheduledModules\Configurator\BlackApps.dat
After having put "Tobii.EyeTracking.Portal.WPF.exe" (and some other affected SW applications) in that list, everything looks as it should again. BlackApps.dat is just a textfile and contains already 398 exclusions by default (goes from firefox.exe, chrome.exe to MyDell.exe and MyAlienware.exe).
You might try that - this is how: https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware/m17-R2-WPF-apps-distorted-disappearing-window-contents/m-p/...
Best regards
Max
Yes, RomanM89 seemed to face the same problem as Tobii Experience is a WPF application too - so I suggested to try whether this temporary solution works for him as well - it did: https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware/Area-51m-R2-blurred-text-and-images-in-some-apps/m-p/8073108/highlight/true#M47622
In the meantime, I stumble across new software every day that also no longer works without the workaround. Besides "Tobii Experience" also "WinZip" and "Sonos Controller".
Best regards
Max
I'm a WPF developer and meet such an issue early this month. I've posted the issue on my blog and append some answers on GitHub:
* https://blog.walterlv.com/post/wpf-renders-wrong-because-of-nahimicosd-en.html
* https://github.com/dotnet/wpf/issues/707The NahimicOSD.dll is injected into every app and breaks WPF app rendering. More and more users of our app report the blurring UI to us so that we can't wait for fo DELL Alienware software developers to fix this issue immediately.
Robertalien
1 Message
1986
0
Posted January 3rd, 2022 22:00
I had a support request on Dec 31, 2021 with a Dell tech regarding this very issue. He couldn't solve it. Advised me to wipe and reinstall. I did, lost alot of work. Still the same problem. Was very frustrating. Thanks for posting this. I was able to fix in 2 minutes. Dell needs to step up with a permanent fix.
microvisioneer
1 Message
2706
1
Posted November 15th, 2021 06:00
I am the developer of a WPF application and I see very similar behavior.
As I couldn't reproduce it with one of my computers and I troubleshooted for hours until I found out that all affected customers had Dell gaming computers (G5 5090 and G3 3500 for example).
I had to buy one of these systems myself for experiments.
When I uninstalled the Alienware Command Center, the WPF graphics errors disappeared and everything is back to normal.
Seems to have started with an update in early November 2021.
I wanted to document this for DELL as it was very difficult to find out what's going on and will probably affect a lot of DELL customers in the next weeks.