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What to Do When Windows 10 Settings Are Not Working

A troubleshooting guide for a malfunctioning Settings app in Windows 10

By Karen Marcus Karen Marcus Writer University of Colorado at Denver Colorado State University Karen Marcus is a former Lifewire writer who has also written for companies like HP, Intel, IBM, Samsung, and others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on January 28, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide When Windows 10 settings aren't working, it may manifest in one of several different ways: Settings won't open.Settings won’t work after opening.Clicking the Settings icon opens the Store app instead of Settings. This problem often occurs after a Windows update. This problem applies only to Windows 10.

Cause of Windows Settings Not Working

If your Windows 10 has recently updated, an update bug, corrupted system files, or corrupted user account files could be causing the problem. Westend61/Getty Images

How to Get Windows 10 Settings to Work

If you're having issues with your Windows settings not working, there are a few things you can try that might bring them back to life. Before you do anything else, restart your computer. This step often corrects errors with the operating system. Try different ways to open Settings. First, select the Start Menu in the lower-left part of your screen and choose Settings, and the Settings app should open. If that doesn’t work, try right-clicking the Start Menu and selecting Settings from the menu. The keyboard shortcut to the Settings app is Win+I. Select the Action Center icon on the taskbar and select All Settings at the bottom of the Action Center. If any of these methods works, within Windows Settings, choose Update & Security > Troubleshoot. Continue with any of the listed problems that match the problem you’re experiencing. If none of these methods works, try the solutions below. To scan for missing or corrupted system files, run a system file check as an administrator. Within the Command Prompt, execute sfc/scannow. After the system file check completes, restart your computer and check to see if Settings is working. Command Prompt: What It Is and How to Use It Download and run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. After you run the tool, restart your computer and check to see if Settings is now working correctly. Update Troubleshooter for Windows 10 You may need administrator permissions to run the troubleshooter. Upgrade an account to administrator status if needed. Reinstall the Settings app. You'll need to do this in PowerShell as an administrator. Press the Windows key + X and then select Windows Powershell (Admin). Then execute the following command: Get-AppXPackage Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
When you use this method, you will actually be re-registering and reinstalling all Windows 10 apps. Restart Windows and check to see if the Settings app works. Log on to your computer using another user’s login credentials. Make sure the user has administrator rights. If that account doesn't encounter problems, create a new account for yourself and delete your original account. To create the new account, click Search and type cmd. Right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. At the command prompt, type net user newusername newpassword /add. (Replace newusername and newuserpassword with the actual user name and password you intend.) Next, type the following command to make the new user an administrator: net localgroup administrators Admin /add. Then, sign out of the active account and log in to the new one. As a last resort, you may need to reinstall Windows 10. This method erases everything on your hard drive and installs a new copy of Windows. Only use this option if you know your hard drive is working properly and you've exhausted all the troubleshooting tips above. If, after all that, you’re still having problems, consider consulting with a professional to get your computer fixed. Correction 1/28/2022: Corrected Step 5 to include information about opening PowerShell as an administrator. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Fix It When Windows Spotlight Is Not Working on Windows 10 Scan and Fix Your Hard Drive: Windows System Files How to Fix a Frozen Windows 10 Taskbar Windows 10 Start Menu Not Working? Try These Fixes How to Fix Corrupted Files in Windows 11 What Is the Windows Terminal & How Does It Work? How to Fix It When Copy and Paste Isn't Working in Windows 10/11 Switch Command Prompt and PowerShell on the Win+X Menu What to Do When Windows 11 Can't Connect to a Network How to Reinstall Windows Defender in Windows 11 How to Enable or Disable the Administrator Account in Windows Windows 11 Search Not Working? Try These Fixes How to Fix Broken Registry Items in Windows 11 Error Code 0xc00000e9: What It Means and How to Fix It 16 Ways to Fix It When Windows 11 Folder Thumbnails Aren't Showing Up How to Change the User Folder Name in Windows 10 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies