In many ways, the Settings app is starting to replace Windows' Control Panel for years. Still, it's not that bad. Settings is now a single app that includes a wide range of security features, network settings, update management, and more. But sometimes, the Settings app refuses to open. It could be a technical issue, or it could just be that it doesn't want to play. Fortunately, there are some quick fixes you can use to regain access to the Settings app.
5 Fixes to Can't Open Windows Settings
1. Try to open the settings in other ways
Sometimes glitches may not completely lock you out of the Settings panel. As confusing as it may be, you might just have to open the Settings app using another method to access it.
You can try opening the Settings app from the Start menu. Click the Start menu, then click the Settings icon. During this process, also try right-clicking the settings icon and selecting More > App Settings to see if the Settings app opens.
Another way to open the Settings app is to right-click the Start menu and select Settings.
If this opens the Settings app, be sure to scroll down the window and click the Reset button to restore the app to its original state.
You can also use Run to open the Settings app. Press Win+R, type ms-settings:, and press Enter. Alternatively, you can use Command Prompt. Enter cmd in the start menu, press Enter, and run the following command:
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start ms-settings: |
You can also ask Cortana to open Settings.
If none of these work for you, you may need to fix the problem.
2. Run the SFC tool
System File Checker (SFC) is a built-in utility that can repair corrupt Windows system files with a single command. So it's a good idea to see if SFC finds any system integrity issues before you tackle more invasive fixes.
If so, the utility will fix them automatically so you don't have to jump through any hoops.
Press Win+R, type cmd, and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to launch an elevated Command Prompt. Execute the following command:
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sfc /scannow |
Let the process complete. If it found and fixed the violation, you'll see a message saying so. Try restarting your PC and see if you can now launch the Settings application.
3. Reinstall the Settings app
The Settings app is one of the preloaded apps on Windows 10. You can reinstall Setup (or any other preloaded application) via PowerShell.
Press Win + R, type powershell, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to start PowerShell as an administrator. Execute the following command:
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powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRoot\ImmersiveControlPanel\AppxManifest.xml |
Once the process is complete, restart your PC and see if the Settings application works.
4. Install any pending Windows updates
Microsoft often releases patches to fix a range of issues caused by previous updates or pre-existing bugs. If you can't open the Settings app due to a bug or buggy update, installing the latest update might help.
Since you can't open the Settings app, you may need to use PowerShell to perform the update. There are no pre-installed modules for updating Windows, so your first step is to install the Windows Update module.
Press Win + R, type powershell, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to launch elevated PowerShell. Then, execute the following command to install the Windows Update module:
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Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate |
After installing the module, run the following commands to check for and install updates:
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Get-WindowsUpdate |
This should download all the latest updates for your system. Reboot and see if you can now open the Settings app. If not, try the next fix.
However, if your problem started after installing an update, you can roll back that update to fix the problem. Launch Control Panel and navigate to Programs > Programs and Features. Click View installed updates in the left pane. You will now see a list of updates installed on your system.
Look at the "Date Installed" column to identify any updates that were installed on the date the problem started. Right-click on these updates and select Uninstall.
Restart your PC and check that the Settings application is now open.
5. Create a user account
If the files in your user account are corrupted, it can cause you trouble when you try to open the Settings app. If this is the case, there is an easy workaround - just create a new user account.
Make sure you create a new user account with all administrative privileges so that in case it works, you can move your personal files and data from the old account to the new one.
Start by launching an elevated Command Prompt. To do this, press Win+R, type cmd, and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter. Execute the following command:
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net user /add username password |
Make sure to replace username and password with the actual username-password combination you want to use. After creating the user account, grant it administrative privileges with the following command:
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net localgroup administrators username /add |
Also, replace the word username with the username of the user account you just created.
Once done, log out of the current user account and log in to the new user account. If you can open the Settings app now, just copy your personal files and data from your previous user account to the new one.
Navigate to C:\Users\OldUsername and click View in the top ribbon. Check the hidden items box and copy all folders. Navigate to C:\Users\NewUsername and paste the file there.
Can you open the Settings app now?
Hopefully one of these fixes worked, and you're now good to go with the Settings app open. Not being able to open the Settings app can be annoying because you don't have easy access to some core components of the operating system.
You can always use alternatives to do what the Settings app does, but it's hardly practical. Once you've fixed the Settings app, you might even want to consider restricting other users' access to the app so they don't mess with the settings.