Awesome

Aero Window Manager

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).

How to install

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.

1. 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 to C:\awm. This should make the path of awmdll.dll be C:\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.
2. Open a cmd process as administrator and execute the command regsvr32 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.

3. Download PsTools.
4. In a cmd process running as administrator, navigate to the folder that you unzipped PsTools into (for example c:\pstools) and run the following command: psexec64 -s -i cmd.exe. This should open a new Command Prompt window running as SYSTEM.
5. In this new Command Prompt window, type cd c:\awm (or the folder you installed AWM to), followed by injector. The awmdll.dll process will download symbols from Microsoft's servers (saved to C:\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.

How to build

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.sln

Now the output directory should appear, and you should be able to copy its contents to c:/awm.

Technical - how to update AWM settings during runtime

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();
}

Registry Keys

These reside in HKLM/Software/AWM.

Credits

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.