c# WPF application UI really slow on other computers

Question

I don't know how vague this may sound, so if you require more information, please let me know!

I've finished my program, and I've attempted to try running it on other machines, I have not used any installers to deploy this, I just have been using the debug/release programName.exe after compiling it.

My question is that is there reason why my program is running incredibly slow when it's not running on the system it was compiled on? the entire UI lags, as in it takes several sections just to switch to another tab, while running on its native computer, it runs perfectly smooth.

I've tried the publish wizard, so I don't think that'll help. I was wondering if it has to do with any the my xaml, the DLLs, or the program's dependencies? At the moment, I don't have any sort of pictures or resources that it's relying on.

Any advice on any changes that I can make to get this running more smoothly would be greatly appreciated.

Here's my mainWindow Xaml:

       <Window
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
    xmlns:custom="clr-namespace:RemotePatch"
    x:Class="RemotePatch.MainWindow"
    mc:Ignorable="d"
    Title="Remote Patch" Height="350" Width="525" AllowsTransparency="True" WindowStyle="None" ResizeMode="CanResizeWithGrip" Loaded="Window_Loaded_1" Closed="Window_Closed">

<Window.Effect>
    <DropShadowEffect BlurRadius="0" ShadowDepth="0" Direction="0" Opacity="0"/>
</Window.Effect>
<Grid RenderTransformOrigin="0.497,0.518">

    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
        <RowDefinition Height="32" />
        <RowDefinition/>
        <RowDefinition Height="317*"/>

    </Grid.RowDefinitions>


    <Grid.Background>
        <RadialGradientBrush Center="0.5,0.6">
            <GradientStop Color="#FF1A8BA2"/>
            <GradientStop Color="#FF293855" Offset="1"/>
            <GradientStop Color="#FF1799AE" Offset="0.043"/>
        </RadialGradientBrush>
    </Grid.Background>
    <Rectangle Fill="#FFF4F4F5" Height="29" Stroke="Black" VerticalAlignment="Top" Opacity="0" MouseLeftButtonDown="Rectangle_MouseLeftButtonDown"/>
    <TabControl x:Name="tabControl" Margin="0,5,0,16" Grid.Row="2" >
        <TabControl.Resources>
            <Style TargetType="{x:Type TabItem}">
                <Setter Property="Template">
                    <Setter.Value>
                        <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type TabItem}">
                            <Border x:Name="Border" BorderThickness="1,1,1,0" BorderBrush="Gainsboro" CornerRadius="4,4,4,4" Margin="2,0">
                                <ContentPresenter x:Name="ContentSite"
                                    VerticalAlignment="Center"
                                    HorizontalAlignment="Center"
                                    ContentSource="Header"
                                    Margin="10,2"/>
                            </Border>
                            <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                                <Trigger Property="IsSelected" Value="True">
                                    <Setter TargetName="Border" Property="Background" Value="LightSkyBlue" />
                                </Trigger>
                                <Trigger Property="IsSelected" Value="False">
                                    <Setter TargetName="Border" Property="Background" Value="White" />
                                </Trigger>
                            </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                        </ControlTemplate>
                    </Setter.Value>
                </Setter>
            </Style>
        </TabControl.Resources>
        <TabControl.Foreground>
            <ImageBrush/>
        </TabControl.Foreground>

        <TabControl.BorderBrush>
            <ImageBrush/>
        </TabControl.BorderBrush>
        <TabControl.Background>
            <ImageBrush/>
        </TabControl.Background>
        <TabItem Header="General" Margin="0,7,0,-7">
            <TabItem.Background>
                <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                    <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0"/>
                    <GradientStop Color="#FF040101" Offset="1"/>
                </LinearGradientBrush>
            </TabItem.Background>


            <Grid>
                <ListBox x:Name="listBox1" Margin="4,154,358,0" Foreground="White" Background="#FF14142E"/>
                <TextBox x:Name="txtFile" Height="18" Margin="79,80,264,0" TextWrapping="Wrap" VerticalAlignment="Top" Background="#FF14142E" Foreground="White" MinWidth="56"/>
                <TextBox x:Name="txtPSexec" Height="18" Margin="79,47,264,0" TextWrapping="Wrap" VerticalAlignment="Top" Background="#FF14142E" Foreground="White" MinWidth="56" />
                <TextBox x:Name="txtGroups" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="18" Margin="79,119,0,0" TextWrapping="Wrap" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="65" Background="#FF14142E" Foreground="White"/>
                <Button x:Name="buttonLoad" Content="Load File" Margin="4,78,0,0" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" Height="20" VerticalAlignment="Top" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="56" Click="Load_Clicked">
                    <Button.Background>
                        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                            <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                            <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
                        </LinearGradientBrush>
                    </Button.Background>
                </Button>
                <Button x:Name="buttonSplit" Content="Split" Margin="4,117,0,0" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" Height="20" VerticalAlignment="Top" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="56" Click="Split_Clicked">
                    <Button.Background>
                        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                            <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                            <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
                        </LinearGradientBrush>
                    </Button.Background>
                </Button>
                <Button x:Name="buttonValidate" Content="✔" Foreground="White" Height="15" VerticalAlignment="Top" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="15" Click="Validate_Clicked" FontSize="10.667" RenderTransformOrigin="0.062,0" Margin="0,154,358,0" FontWeight="Bold" >
                    <Button.Background>
                        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                            <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.413"/>
                            <GradientStop Color="#FF6C6C6C" Offset="1"/>
                        </LinearGradientBrush>
                    </Button.Background>
                </Button>
                <Button x:Name="buttonPsExec" Content="PsExec" Margin="4,46,0,0" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" Height="20" VerticalAlignment="Top" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="58" Click="Psexec_Click">
                    <Button.Background>
                        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                            <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                            <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
                        </LinearGradientBrush>
                    </Button.Background>
                </Button>
                <Button x:Name="buttonLoginMain" Content="Login" Margin="452,6,0,0" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" Height="20" VerticalAlignment="Top" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="58" Click="Login_Clicked">
                    <Button.Background>
                        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                            <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                            <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
                        </LinearGradientBrush>
                    </Button.Background>
                </Button>
            </Grid>


        </TabItem>

        <TabItem Header="Log" Margin="-3,7,3,-7">
            <Grid>
                <Grid.Background>
                    <ImageBrush/>
                </Grid.Background>
                <RichTextBox x:Name="richTextBox1" Margin="0,6,0,5" Background="Black" Foreground="White" TextChanged="richTextBox1_TextChanged" IsReadOnly="True">
                    <FlowDocument>
                        <Paragraph>
                            <Run Text="Remote Patch v2.0"/>
                        </Paragraph>
                    </FlowDocument>
                </RichTextBox>
            </Grid>
        </TabItem>
        <TabItem Header="Patch" Margin="-3,7,3,-7">
            <Grid Margin="0,5,0.333,-5.333">
                <Grid.Background>
                    <ImageBrush/>
                </Grid.Background>

                <Button x:Name="buttonLogin" Content="Login" Margin="0,10,1,0" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" Grid.Row="2" Height="20" VerticalAlignment="Top" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="47" Click="Login_Clicked">
                    <Button.Background>
                        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                            <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                            <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
                        </LinearGradientBrush>
                    </Button.Background>
                </Button>
                <GroupBox x:Name="groupBox" Header="Predefined Patches&#xA;" Margin="27,56,87,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Height="55" Foreground="White">
                    <Button x:Name="buttonPredefined" Content="Run" Margin="9,-7,0,0" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" Height="20" VerticalAlignment="Top" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="51" Click="buttonPredefined_Click">
                        <Button.Background>
                            <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                                <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                                <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
                            </LinearGradientBrush>
                        </Button.Background>
                    </Button>
                </GroupBox>
                <ComboBox x:Name="comboBox" Margin="132,81,102,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Background="#FF0F0F59"  SelectionChanged="comboBox_SelectionChanged" Foreground="Black" />

                <GroupBox x:Name="groupBox_Copy" Header="Batch File&#xA;" Margin="27,143,82,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Height="55" Foreground="White">
                    <Button x:Name="buttonBatch" Content="Run" Margin="0,40,0,-43" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" Height="20" VerticalAlignment="Top" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="51" Click="Batch_Clicked" Visibility="Hidden">
                        <Button.Background>
                            <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                                <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                                <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
                            </LinearGradientBrush>
                        </Button.Background>
                    </Button>
                </GroupBox>
                <TextBox x:Name="txtBatchFile" Height="23" Margin="127,168,102,0" TextWrapping="Wrap" VerticalAlignment="Top" Background="#FF14142E" Foreground="White"/>
                <Button x:Name="ButtonRunBatch" Content="Run" Margin="42,168,0,0" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" Height="20" VerticalAlignment="Top" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="51" Click="loopBatch_Clicked">
                    <Button.Background>
                        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                            <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                            <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
                        </LinearGradientBrush>
                    </Button.Background>
                </Button>
                <Button x:Name="buttonAddFile" Content="+" Margin="0,168,47,0" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" Height="20" VerticalAlignment="Top" Click="Add_Clicked" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="30">
                    <Button.Background>
                        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                            <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                            <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
                        </LinearGradientBrush>
                    </Button.Background>
                </Button>
                <Grid HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="35" Margin="182,198,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="106">
                    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="40" Margin="25,5,-13,-10" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="94">
                        <TextBox x:Name="numerical" TextWrapping="Wrap" Width="34" Margin="0,10,0,9.667" Background="#FF14142E" Foreground="White" TextChanged="textBox_TextChanged"/>
                        <Button x:Name="button1" Content="-" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="14" Height="19" Margin="0,10,0,0" Background="#FFFFEFEF" FontSize="10.667" FontWeight="Bold" Click="button1_Click"/>
                        <Button x:Name="button" Content="+" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="14" Height="19" Margin="0,10,0,0" FontSize="10.667" FontWeight="Bold" Click="addNumValue"/>
                    </StackPanel>
                </Grid>
                <Label x:Name="label2" Content="Groups" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" Margin="209,231,0,0" Foreground="White"/>

            </Grid>
        </TabItem>
    </TabControl>

    <Button x:Name="button2" Content="-" Margin="0,2,53,10" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="21" Click="Minimize_Click">
        <Button.Background>
            <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
            </LinearGradientBrush>
        </Button.Background>
    </Button>
    <Button x:Name="button2_Copy" Margin="0,2,27,10" Foreground="White" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="21" Click="Maximize_Click">
        <Button.Background>

            <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
            </LinearGradientBrush>
        </Button.Background>
        <Canvas>
            <Rectangle Height="9" Width="9"  Stroke="White" Canvas.Top="-2" Canvas.Left="-4"/>
            <Rectangle  Height="10" Width="10"  Stroke="White" Canvas.Left="-2" Canvas.Top="-7" RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5">
                <Rectangle.RenderTransform>
                    <TransformGroup>
                        <ScaleTransform/>
                        <SkewTransform/>
                        <RotateTransform Angle="-0.715"/>
                        <TranslateTransform/>
                    </TransformGroup>
                </Rectangle.RenderTransform>
            </Rectangle>
        </Canvas>
    </Button>
    <Button x:Name="button2_Copy1" Content="X" Margin="0,2,0,10" Foreground="White" FontWeight="Bold" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="22" Click="button2_Copy1_Click">

        <Button.Background>
            <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.27"/>
                <GradientStop Color="#FF4F4F4F" Offset="1"/>
            </LinearGradientBrush>
        </Button.Background>
    </Button>
    <Label x:Name="label" Content="Remote Patch" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="10,0,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="108" Foreground="White" FontSize="16" IsHitTestVisible="False"/>


    <Rectangle Grid.Row="2" Height="20" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Fill="Transparent" Margin="-1,0,0,0"/>
    <Label x:Name="label1" Content="Authenticated" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Grid.Row="2" Width="84" RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5" Foreground="White" Height="23" VerticalAlignment="Bottom">
        <Label.RenderTransform>
            <TransformGroup>
                <ScaleTransform/>
                <SkewTransform AngleY="-0.718"/>
                <RotateTransform/>
                <TranslateTransform Y="-0.294"/>
            </TransformGroup>
        </Label.RenderTransform>
    </Label>
    <Ellipse x:Name="authColor" Fill="Red" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="83,0,0,4" Grid.Row="2" Stroke="Black" Width="13" Height="13" VerticalAlignment="Bottom"/>
    <Label x:Name="labelSettings" Content="Settings" Margin="0,-1,84,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Foreground="#FF595555" FontWeight="Bold" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="56" MouseLeftButtonDown="labelSettings_MouseLeftButtonDown"/>
    <Rectangle x:Name="rectangleNotification" Fill="#FFDDFF03" Grid.Row="2" Stroke="Black" Height="25" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Opacity="0" Margin="0,0,1,0"/>
    <Rectangle Height="2" Margin="30,31,30,0" Stroke="#FF444444" VerticalAlignment="Top" Grid.RowSpan="2" Opacity="0.5"/>

</Grid>
</Window>

Answer 1

You have a DropShadowEffect applied to your Window.

This is a problem because the DropShadowEffect uses all descendant objects to calculate the shape of the shadow. That means every single object contained in your Window is being inspected by this effect while rendering -- this takes a really long time.

Your shadow effect has 0 opacity anyway so you could just remove it. Alternatively, you should apply the effect to a child of the Window, but make sure that child has no descendants.

The trick I use to apply the shadow to a window without destroying performance is to surround the contents of my window in a grid, place a border (or similar object) at the top of said grid (remember to assign a background to the border otherwise you won't get a shadow) and then apply the effect to the border instead of your window.

Before:

<Window x:Class="MyProject.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Height="300" Width="400"
        WindowStyle="None" AllowsTransparency="True" Background="Transparent">

    <Window.Effect>
        <DropShadowEffect BlurRadius="10" ShadowDepth="0"/>
    </Window.Effect>

    <StackPanel Margin="8" Background="White">
        <Button Margin="4">Test</Button>
        <Button Margin="4">Test</Button>
        <Button Margin="4">Test</Button>
    </StackPanel>

</Window>

After:

<Window x:Class="MyProject.MainWindow"
            xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
            xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
            Height="300" Width="400"
            WindowStyle="None" AllowsTransparency="True" Background="Transparent">

    <Grid Margin="8">
        <Border Background="White">
            <Border.Effect>
                <DropShadowEffect BlurRadius="10" ShadowDepth="0"/>
            </Border.Effect>
        </Border>
        <StackPanel>
            <Button Margin="4">Test</Button>
            <Button Margin="4">Test</Button>
            <Button Margin="4">Test</Button>
        </StackPanel>
    </Grid>

</Window>

This provides the exact same appearance, but with better performance because:

• The buttons are no longer involved in the calculation of the shadow
• The border has no descendants, so the effect is only using the layout of the border in the calculation

General rule of thumb... Only apply the drop shadow effect to objects whose ancestors are intended to be affected by the effect.