Issue: Cannot open settings app in Windows 10 - corrupt ImmersiveControlPanel repair/rebuild:
What fixed my settings app incase of "TL-DR":
Folder Location: C:WindowsImmersiveControlPanel
Running cmd as admin:
From C:cd Windows
rename ImmersiveControlPanel ImmersiveControlPanel.old
SFC /scannow
SFC will rebuild ImmersiveControlPanel.
Settings was working immediately after.
Hello everyone,
My Windows 10 install was suffering from this issue for some time. I finally decided to try and work out a fix since it's a public holiday and I have time. This issue was annoying but since It only really affected the settings app I left it in the "I'll get to it later" basket, A typical self employed tech with no time for their own computers. Other functions like apps, appstore and start menu in Windows were unaffected.
Being a computer tech it frustrated me not being able to find any info on what fixed this in the end for me. I am sure this info is out there somewhere but I could not find it. I've decided to post this here so it can benefit someone just like me when trying to find a solution to this obscure problem.
The only persistent Windows 10 issue I've come across where I couldn't justify a fresh install was on my own computer. No firm idea on what caused it, But I suspect it likely would have cropped up about the time when I had a few random graphics driver crashes and BSOD (nvidia fixed this in the next driver). That was a few months ago (october-november) and that was when I last remembered my settings app was working fine.
My symptoms:
- Cannot open Settings from Start Menu (Will flash on screen then close - No useful info in event manager)
- Cannot open Settings from shortcut (If manually created)
- When opening other functions to do with settings would get errors refering to ms-settings for example on display settings:
"ms-settting:display This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel"
- No issue with start menu or the opening of other apps (not related to settings) including app store
- Could browse and install/open new apps
- While this issue persisted Windows updates were not able to download or install
- Windows was stuck on build 10240 - Could not install 1511 update
Any other function that relied on the Settings app would not work - for exampleisplay settings
- Personalisation settings
- Lockscreen settings
- Windows update (for me)
- etc
Fixes that I have tried:
- CHKDSK /F and /R from within Windows and Live CDs (Only minor issues found)
- SFC /Scannow (Before my fix in the end it did not fix anything)
- System Restore
- Tried the powershellGet-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"} fix
- Tried the DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth fix
- Create a new user
- Could not upgrade with 1511 Windows disc
The fixes that did not fix my issue above may still have enabled my fix to be successful later however.
Anyway, If anyone has an issue similar hopefully this is helpful for them in some way. Hopefully this issue will become searchable now. I'm sure that I am not the only person to have had this although I have only ever seen this on my own computer. Perhaps I am the only one?
Cheers
