Windows 10 settings not opening

This article will help you fix Settings Not opening in Windows 10 Error. If your settings Apps won’t open, don’t worry. We have listed 5 simple ways to fix all errors related to Windows 10 Settings App. 

Windows runs in over 90% of the computers all around the world, this over the chart success is mainly attributed to simple, easy to User Interface (UI). In Windows 10, Settings was introduced which is very simple to work with. As compared to Settings, its predecessor- Control Panel is available in the prior versions of Windows( say Windows XP, 7,  8, etc) and was not very user-friendly.

How to Fix Settings Won’t App in Windows 10 Issue

After some users reported about Settings not opening in windows at all or Settings menu freezes/ hang after opening,  Microsoft has provided some patch to the problem in the latest update, but some users (regardless of updated or not) still experience this hell!

Settings provide an easy way to personalize and control all the features and critical operations like Updates, Privacy, Accounts, Networks, and many more! So this means that you may not be able to update Windows if Settings stopped opening, Scary right! Don’t worry, we have provided with 5 methods to fix this issue, choose what suits your need.

Standard Operating Procedure

Settings not opening is generally experienced by the users who have migrated from Windows 8, 8.1, 7 to Windows 10 version, thus some new system files may clash with old files creating a ruckus. Windows 10 users can work around this issue by using these two alternatives- Control Panel and Command Prompt( Windows Powershell).

The Control Panel, less attractive version of Settings, has been present in Windows from a long time and exhibits even more features and operations that are present in Settings. The Command Prompt can also be looked as an alternative to the Settings in Windows 10, although it is the most user unfriendly application there is on Windows.

Still, if you are determined to bring back the Settings the way it is used to then follow this guide, but before you jump to the solutions first follow this non-standard operating procedure :

A. Sometimes a simple restart can do wonders so, restart your Windows.

B. Many windows users do not know this fact that Settings can be disabled, so to view Settings again enable it using Registry. The modification of the Registry is an advanced method, you could skip this if you are not sure, and also create a system restore point as a precaution before moving to the steps.

i. Open Registry by searching  ” regedit.exe ” in the taskbar ( Cortana) and click on the first result or press ” Windows + R ” and enter ” regedit “, then press enter.

ii. Registry Editor window will we open. On the left-hand side, a long list of folders will be present, locate the folder mentioned and click on it to expand- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Policies\ Explorer.

iii. After reaching the Explorer folder, Check on the right side if NoControlPanel file exists then right-click on the empty part as shown in the image below, then select New and click on DWORD(32-bit) Value. Enter the value name as ” NoControlPanel “.

iv. A new NoControlPanel file will be created, double-click on it and set the Value data to ” 0 ” to enable the Settings/ Control Panel and ” 1 ” to disable them. Click on OK. After exiting, Press ” Windows + I “, if the setting is still not opening proceed to the guide.

Install Updates to Fix Settings App

Although windows keep rolling updates more than once a month, it could be irritating at times, but one must not stall updates as it may have patches to your problem. In this fix, we will check for any pending updates and install them. You will be wondering, how are we going to install updates if a setting is not working, we will use the alternatives mentioned above:

Command Prompt: Open command prompt in elevated mode (refer Reinstall windows Apps method for assistance). Type ”
wuauclt.exe /updatenow  ” and press Enter. Try it more than once if nothing happens otherwise, you may not have any updates to install.

Control Panel: This is another way of doing the same thing, open Control Panel by searching the same in the taskbar. Search “updates” in the top right corner and then click on ” View installed updates ” install any pending updates if available.

Use Windows Troubleshooter to Fix Settings Not Working Error

If you have used troubleshooter provided by windows then you may think it as very inefficient and might skip this method. Well, windows troubleshoot has improved a lot in recent years and is better not just in detecting problem but also fixing it. To start troubleshooting, we need to open the Control Panel.

In Control Panel, search for ” troubleshooting ” and click on the first result. Under Program section, click on it to run the troubleshoot. Also, check under System and Security.

 Fix Using SFC/Scannow

Every windows problem can be solved through Command prompt. Here, we are going to scan for issues in windows ( like corrupted files/application). Use the command ” sfc /scannow“, this will replace all the corrupted files with cached files.

1. Open “Command Prompt” either by searching the same in the taskbar or press ‘Windows key + R’  and search “cmd”. ** Note: For this command to work, open Command prompt in Administrator mode. **

2.  Type or copy and paste ” sfc /scannow” in command prompt. wait for the scan to finish. Open the Settings app to confirm if your issue is resolved otherwise, continue.

Reinstall Windows Apps

In this method, we will reinstall the Settings application but the catch is the command to be used works in a way that will reinstall all the windows applications, you will not lose any critical data in this process. To accomplish this we will use Command Prompt/ Windows Powershell.

1. Open Command Prompt in Administrator mode, either by searching the same in the taskbar and right-click on the first result, then click on Run as Administrator or simply, right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt(Admin).

2. Command Prompt window should be opened. Copy and paste this command in the window ”  Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml”}   “, all at once minus the quotes.Press Enter to start the installation. Restart your computer after the completion and if the setting is still not working proceed to the next method.

Conclusion

There are other methods to solve this issue like System Reset, Creating a new admin account but both methods are quite extensive as well as advanced and could cause loss of data, that’s why it has been left out. The above-mentioned solutions should definitely solve setting not opening in windows. We also have left out 3rd party applications as they are unnecessary.

If the problem still persists, don’t be shy in contacting windows customer support. Don’t forget to bookmark us! as we provide daily updates on fishes related to Windows.

Windows 10 settings app may get corrupt due to a Windows update, conflicting programs, or incorrectly uninstalled apps, and it refuses to open at all. Settings not opening on Windows 10 is a common issue reported by thousands of users.

This error occurs irrespective of the Windows 10 Version. It can happen with older versions or even with newer versions like 1903, 1909, 2004, 20H2, or the latest 22H2 version.

This is really annoying when you can’t open the Settings App to go through different features, apps, settings, security, personalization, and many more.

You can’t ignore the problem and keep working on the PC since one needs to access settings frequently.

In this article, you will see different options to fix the corrupt setting app on your Windows 10.

Fix Corrupt Settings App on Windows 10

Since you don’t know the reason behind this issue, you have to try multiple options one by one. Try and test each of them in the given order. The easiest method is mentioned first.

1. Restart The PC – A restart might fix the problem instantly if it is happening due to non-responsive programs, suspended Windows services, or laggy Windows 10. try to restart first before you proceed to the next method.

2. Reset Windows 10 Settings App

If the restart does not fix the issue, then it means the settings app is corrupt, and you need to reset or rebuild it. Resetting the Settings won’t delete any files, or change your customization and security settings.

Follow these Steps –

1. Go to the Start button and right-click on it. Or press the Win+X keys together.

2. Search for “Powershell” then click on “Windows PowerShell(Admin).

3. Now, you need to type the following command or just copy and paste it to Powershell.

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name windows.immersivecontrolpanel | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose}

Copy and paste the exact command and hit Enter on your keyboard.

You will get this output – Operation completed for: C:Windows\ImmersiveControlPanel\AppXMenifest.xml

It means you have successfully reset the Windows 10 Settings app. Immersive Control Panel is the settings app in Windows 10.

Now check if the settings app is working or not, you may need to restart the PC.

3. Rebuild All Apps to Fix Windows 10 Settings not Opening Issue

The second method will work in most cases, but if it is still not working, then you can try to rebuild all Windows 10 apps. If another app is conflicting with the Settings app, just resetting the Settings won’t help.

In this case, you should rebuild every app installed in Windows 10. Again, it won’t delete your personal files, but customization may reset to the default options.

Follow the steps given below –

1. Right Click on the Start button.

2. Select “Windows PowerShell(Admin).

3. Copy and paste the below command on Powershell.

Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

Hit enter on your keyboard.

4. Restart Windows 10.

This should fix issues with Windows 10 apps, including Settings.

4. Fix Corrupt Windows Files to Repair Windows 10 Settings

If the above commands don’t work, then there are some corrupt Windows 10 files. Manually you can’t find which file is corrupt or missing, so you have to use the inbuilt system file checker.

1. Go to Start and search for “cmd“.

2. Right-click on cmd and choose “Run as Administrator“.

3. Type sfc /scannow and hit enter on the keyboard.

This scan will take time, and try to find corrupt or missing files. After that, it will fix the corrupt files by using the Windows 10 image stored in the C drive. (Windows keep an image file of OS; you don’t have to supply it additionally).

Let the command run and fix the found issues.

Restart your PC and check if the settings are working or not.

5. Create A New User Account & Update Windows 10

A Windows update can download and install the latest feature and security updates from the Microsoft server. If windows 10 settings not opening then there is no chance of updating the Windows.

In this case, you can create a new user account as an admin. Then log in to the new user account and update the Windows 10.

Follow these steps –

1. Select “Start” and search for “cmd.”

2. Right-click on cmd and choose “Run as Administrator.”

3. Type the following commands –

net user user_name password /add (Replace user_name and password with desired user name and password).

net localgroup administrators user_name /add (Replace the user_name with the user name you entered in above command)

This command will create a user account with administrative privileges.

Now log out from the current user account and login into the newly created account.

4. Go to Settings and Update and Security options. (You will be able to open “Settings” in the new user account”

5. Find the Windows Update option and “Check for the updates available.” Let it download and install the updates once done, restart the PC, and login back into the original account.

And check if the settings app is opening or not. In 99% of cases, it will work without any further issues.

If you are really unlucky, then it may not work.

Now you have only 2 options left –

1. Reset Windows 10 (Not recommended you will lose all the installed apps, settings, and customization).
2. Transfer files from the older account to the new user account.

In case you are getting an error “Some settings are managed by your organization,” then you can easily fix it.

Transfer Files From One User Account To Another

If you decide to switch to the new user account, then you just have to transfer personal files from your old user account. All other files in different drives will be there and accessible from the new account.

1. Once you are logged in to the newly created account, then browse to C:\Users\” OldUserName” open the folder and copy all other files and folders.

2. Paste them to C:\Users\”NewUserName” folder.

3. You will get a prompt, “The folder already exists,” then choose the Overwrite option.

In the new user account, everything would work fine, you can access your files and installed apps, and of course, you won’t face the Settings not opening issue in this user account.

Conclusion

Windows 10 can refuse to open Settings or other inbuilt apps. The 2nd method works in most cases. And the 3rd method will rebuild all the apps. If you are facing some issues with other inbuilt apps, then it will fix them too.

The system file checker would take time and may not work if the Windows 10 image is also corrupt. The last method will allow you to update Windows 10, which should fix Windows 10 settings not responding problem. Lastly, you can escape from the problem with a new user account.

Also Read – 

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