Settings Dialog Won’t Open in Windows 10? 10 Ways to Fix

Very important to take care of right away

The Settings app is crucial to configuring and managing the various aspects of Windows 10. You need it for everything from uninstalling apps, tweaking device-related settings, to installing operating system updates.

Of course—you can stilluse the Control Panel in Windows 10. But Microsoft keeps phasing the program out in favor of the Settings app, so it doesn’t provide complete control over your PC anymore.

So if the Settings app won’t open on your Windows 10 computer or crashes quickly, you must fix it right away. The list of troubleshooting tips below should help you with that.

1. Re-register the Settings App in Windows 10

If the Settings dialog fails to open or disappears from view immediately after launching, you must re-register it by running a specific command via Windows PowerShell.

  1. PressWindows+Xto open the Power User Menu. Then, typeWindows PowerShell.

  2. Copy and paste the following command into the Windows PowerShell console:

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

  1. PressEnter.

  2. Exit Windows PowerShell.

  3. Restart your computer. Then, attempt to open the Settings app.

2. Re-install and Re-register All Windows Apps

Supposing that re-registering the Settings app didn’t work, your next course of action should be to re-register all stock Windows apps on your PC. That requires running another command, but through a Windows PowerShell console with administrative privileges.

  1. Open the Power User Menu and selectWindows PowerShell (Admin).

  2. Copy and paste the following command:

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

  1. PressEnter.

  2. Wait until Windows PowerShell finishes re-registering each stock app. That should take around 5-10 minutes.

  3. Exit the Windows PowerShell console and restart your computer.

3. Run the System File Checker

If the Settings app still refuses to open or quits automatically upon launch, you must check for and fix corrupted system files in Windows 10. You can use theSystem File Checker command-line utilityto help you with that.

  1. Open an elevated Windows PowerShell console.

  2. Type in the following command:

sfc /scannow

  1. PressEnter.

If the System File Checker fails to detect or fix issues, run the tool repeatedly for a total of three times before moving on.

4. Run Deployment Image Servicing and Management Tool

The DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) command-line tool helps diagnose and resolve stability issues with the operating system. You must run it regardless of whether the System File Checker manages to repair any errors or not.

  1. Open an elevated Windows PowerShell console.

  2. Type the following command and pressEnter:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

  1. If the command above revealed issues with the operating system, run the two commands below in the order they appear:

The final command in the DISM tool can potentially take up to an hour to complete. If the progress indicator appears to get stuck, do be patient.

5. Update Windows 10 Using Windows PowerShell

The latest Windows 10 updates come with numerous bug fixes that help resolve persistent issues with the operating system. If the Settings app won’t open in Windows 10, you must update the operating system immediately. You can rely on the following Windows PowerShell-based workaround for that.

1.Open an elevated Windows PowerShell console.

  1. Type in the following command and pressEnter:

Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate

  1. Wait until Windows PowerShell finishes installing the module needed to update the operating system.

  2. TypeGet-WindowsUpdateand pressEnterto scan for available updates, along with the relevant KB (Knowledge Base) identifiers.

  3. Run the following command to install all available updates:

Install-WindowsUpdate

You can also use an alternative command to install specific updates. SubstituteKB_Identifieras needed:

Get-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID “KB_Identifier” -Install

After Windows PowerShell finishes updating Windows 10, restart your computer and check if the Settings app works correctly.

6. Run Windows Troubleshooters via Control Panel

If you still have issues opening the Settings dialog on your computer, try running the built-in Windows Store Apps and Windows Update troubleshooters.

  1. PressWindows+Sto open Windows Search. Then, typecontrol paneland selectOpen.

  2. SetView bytoLarge icons.

  3. SelectTroubleshooting.

  4. Select theView alloption to the top-left of the window. That should bring up a list of built-in troubleshooters in Windows 10.

  5. Select theWindows Store Appstroubleshooter to the bottom of the list. Then, select next and follow all on-screen instructions to resolve any issues that it detects.

If you couldn’t update the operating system using Windows PowerShell earlier, run theWindows Updatetroubleshooter.

7. Scan Windows 10 for Malware

Malicious software can hijack Windows 10 and prevent essential applications—such as the Settings app—from working correctly. You caninitiate an anti-malware scan with Windows Security.

  1. Select theWindows Securityicon on the system tray.

  2. SelectVirus & threat protection>Scan options.

  3. Pick theQuick scanoption and selectScan now.

If Windows Security fails to find an issue, you should follow by running aFull scanand aMicrosoft Defender Offline scan. Or, use adedicated malware removal toolsuch asMalwarebytesfor a more intensive and thorough scan of your entire computer. For more information, learn how toremove stubborn forms of malware in Windows 10.

8. Use System Restore to Revert Windows 10

If you’ve previouslyset up System Restore in Windows 10, you have the option to revert the operating system to a time when the Settings app worked without issues.

  1. PressWindows+Rto open the Run box. Then, typesysdm.cpland selectOK.

  2. Switch to theSystem Protectiontab and selectSystem Restore.

  3. On the System Restore wizard that shows up, selectNext.

  4. Pick a restore point and selectNext.

  5. Follow the remaining on-screen instruction to restore Windows 10 to an earlier state.

9. Create New Windows 10 User Account

A severely corrupted user profile is another reason the Settings app won’t open or function correctly. The solution—create a new user account.

However, you can’t use the Settings app to set up or manage accounts, so you must rely on several Windows PowerShell commands to deal with that.

  1. Open an elevated PowerShell console.

  2. Type$Password = Read-Host -AsSecureStringand pressEnter. Then, type the password you want to add to the account you’re about to create and pressEnteragain.

  3. Execute the following command string after making the necessary changes toUser_Name,Full_User_Name, andAccount_Description:

New-LocalUser “User_Name” -Password $Password -FullName “Full_User_Name” -Description “Account_Description”

  1. Finish setting up the account as an administrator by running the following command. SubstituteUser_Nameaccordingly:

Add-LocalGroupMember -Group “Administrators” -Member “User_Name”

  1. Open theStartmenu, select your profile portrait, and switch to the newly created user account. Follow by signing into it.

Attempt to open the Settings app. If you can, you should move your data to the new user account. To do that, open File Explorer and go toLocal Disk (C:)>Users. Then, copy and paste the contents from your old user account folder into the new account folder.

You can also head intoSettings>Accountsto sign in with your Microsoft Account should you want.

10. Reset Windows 10 to Factory Defaults

If none of the fixes above worked, you’re likely dealing with a severe underlying issue in the Settings app that only a Windows 10 factory reset can fix. It’s possible to keep personal data intact despite erasing everything else, but we recommendcreating a Windows 10 backupbefore you go ahead.

  1. Open the Start menu. Then, selectPower>Restartwhile holding down theShiftkey to reboot your computer into the Windows Recovery Environment.

  2. SelectTroubleshoot>Reset This PC.

  3. SelectKeep my filesand follow all on-screen instructions to complete the reset procedure.

For comprehensive step-by-step instructions, check out this guide toreset Windows 10 to factory defaults.

After the factory reset procedure, the Settings dialog should open and normally work in Windows 10 again.

Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn’t hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube.Read Dilum’s Full Bio

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