Windows 7 Control Panel Issues

[Josechung68]

Hello all. I am hopeful to find a fix for this issue. Has anyone else found that Control Panel is no longer working? When I attempt to open the Control Panel, the window opens blank, pauses with no response and then closes. Is anyone else seeing this issue? If you have....can you tell me how to resolve the issue? Thank you in advance.

 

[Naegea]

No I don't have this problem. The Control Panel takes a while to load but it does. Does this happen to you all the time? If it does, it may be a problem with your installation of Windows 7.

 

[Josechung68]

Control Panel Issue

It happens all the time. It never opens now. It did work at one point. But I am not sure at what point it stopped working. Maybe if i roll back my updates that may resolve the issue.

 

[hammydown]

Were there any third party icons added to the control panel? I have seen this cause the control panel to crash. An example is the adobe version cue cpl icon that comes up. It causes a COm_Surrogate error and sometimes doesnt allow the control panel to open.

 

[ejaedesign]

Same problem with Control Panels no longer working

Same thing happens to me - fresh install, installed Office 2007 and Adobe CS4, and something must have happened. None of the control panel options open.

If anyone has a workaround I'd really appreciate it!

Edit - ah, just noticed the Version Cue cpl from the post above. I'll try to uninstall it and see what happens.

 

[reghakr]

It very well could be a third-party problem, but I find the fastest way to bring up control panel is simply going to Start > Run, and type control.

Give it a try, mine pops up instantly

 

[ejaedesign]

Thanks - but actually doesn't do the trick (Run > Control)

Nothing happens although I see the drive spin for a second. Also clean uninstalled all instances of Version Cue but still no go.

 

[reghakr]

Try a search on your C:\Windows\system32 folder for *.cpl. Don't bother with subfolders.

On a normal install, you should have a total of 20. Double-click on each one and see if it brings up the applet.

If you locate one that doesn't load, that might be your problem applet.

 

[ejaedesign]

Thanks reghakr - I'll try that and report back here. Hopefully there'll be good news...

 

[hammydown]

It is more than likely adobe cs4. Especially if you have version cue which will add a control panel icon. You need to go in and change the name of the .cpl extension to something else and then your control panel should open fine.

 

[ejaedesign]

iroken22, I am looking at windows/System32, and don't see any .cpl file(s) that might be a Version Cue cpl. I am running 64 bit version - should I look somewhere else?

 

[davehc]

I am incined to agree with Irokens idea. But, just in case you misunderstand (as I did - but I have a fast shrinking brain!) He means go into Adobe and unhook the default extensions that it is aloowed to open. I do not use Adobe, so have no idea how you would do that, but it is not normally very difficult.
Perhaps another way would be to open the Default programs, in the Start menu, and then "Associate a file type or protocol...".
Scroll down to .CPL and double click and reassociate it with Windows Control Panel.

By the way, you should be looking for Control.exe in system32., if you want to try the Control Panel direct, but as reghakr says, the CPL files will test the idividual items. Otherwise it is an associate problem. If you cannot see the .cpl files, it might be a big problem! BUT. Open the Tools - Folder options - View, in Windows explorer. Scroll down and make sure you have UNchecked "Hide extensions..." and "hide protetced operating system". If you still cannot see thos .cpl's, then you have a problem which can only be fixed with a reinstall.

 

[ejaedesign]

Thanks davehc - now I noticed that many of the cpls simply won't open. Not sure if I follow you regarding going into Adobe to reassociate the cpl, but I'll try - now if you don't mind, which file (exactly) should I reassociate the control panel with? And what file is the control panel itself? It seems like each cpl file controls different parts of the cp "suite"

 

[hammydown]

Sorry i see i was very unspecific about it. Here are more details.

Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe Version Cue CS4\Server\bin and rename VersionCueCS4.cpl to something else. do not change extension just rename it.

Then try and open up the control panel again and see if you get a different result.

 

[davehc]

Sorry ejaedesign. I was still writing when you posted. Read my post again for the system32 problem

 

[ejaedesign]

Thanks davehc - unfortunately no go. I went to:

Program Files (x86) > Common Files > Adobe > Adobe Version Cue CS4 > Server > bin

And renamed:

• VersionCueCS4Tray.exe > VersionCueCS4Tray_old.exe
• VersionCueCS4.cpl > VersionCueCS4.cpl
• VersionCueCS4.cpl.manifest > VersionCueCS4_old.cpl.manifest

Also tried restarting after making the changes too - I wish at least the Program Uninstall cpl would open just to get rid of VersionCue altogether (the CS4 installer won't do uninstalls).

 

[davehc]

Did you try my other suggestions?

 

[hammydown]

you didnt rename versioncuecs4.cpl?

 

[ejaedesign]

K - this is what I see

• I am using Directory Opus, and can see all the hidden files
• I see about 21 .cpl files (none are VersionCue cpl, but now I realize that's in the Commons folder)
• Clicking on the Control.exe didn't open the panel

Ah - yes I DID rename that VersionCueCS4.cpl to VersionCueCS4_old.cpl

 

[davehc]

Wow, M8 You really are getting deep into a problem !
I presume your other .exe's open??