Of course—you can still use 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
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.
2. Re-install and Re-register All Windows Apps
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.
3. Run the System File Checker
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 the System File Checker command-line utility to help you with that.
4. Run Deployment Image Servicing and Management Tool
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.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealthDISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
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
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.
6. Run Windows Troubleshooters via Control Panel
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.
7. Scan Windows 10 for Malware
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 can initiate an anti-malware scan with Windows Security.
8. Use System Restore to Revert Windows 10
8. Use System Restore to Revert Windows 10
If you’ve previously set 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.
9. Create New Windows 10 User Account
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.
10. Reset Windows 10 to Factory Defaults
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 recommend creating a Windows 10 backup before you go ahead.
