Windows 10 control panel opens but items inside it do not open

[nichosi]

Laptop with w8.1, control panel opens but when you select an item, i.e. Network & sharing it does not open but hangs for hrs.

 

[Neemobeer]

See if you can open any of them directly. They are in C:\Windows and C:\Windows\SysWOW64. They are .cpl files. I would also try running a repair from an elevated command prompt type sfc /scannow If it fixes anything reboot and test.

 

[nichosi]

See if you can open any of them directly. They are in C:\Windows and C:\Windows\SysWOW64. They are .cpl files. I would also try running a repair from an elevated command prompt type sfc /scannow If it fixes anything reboot and test.

Nothing in SysWOW64, & nothing obvious in the scan

 

[Neemobeer]

Has anything changed on your system? New installs, AV changed? CPL files are run using the rundll32.exe process. Try running one of them manually like this from a command line
"C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe" C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL C:\Windows\System32\inetcpl.cpl

Then open task manager, go to the details tab. Find and right click rundll32.exe, select 'Analyze Wait chain' see if Windows is waiting for some resource.

 

[nichosi]

anything I tried locks up, decided to install w10 out of the usb stick which is taking a long time 45mts to get to 25%. On my PC it was very fast & both are 2.4 GHZ. Maybe because the PC is 4 core.

Will report again tomorrow if w 10 finishes then.

 

[Neemobeer]

If it doesn't finish or you can boot into safe mode and try opening control panel items

 

[nichosi]

Could install w10 for "safe-OS" reason ??? and restarted on w8.1 & Control panel hangs again.

In safe mode will I be able to change CTRL.Panel settings?

I started to network the two using this instraction "How To Setup Two Computers Via LAN In Windows For Sharing? - DESKDECODE.COM", I carried it out on my PC but when I went on the Laptop I found the CTRL.Panel hang.

Is there an easier way to network the two?

 

[Neemobeer]

Depends what you're trying to share.

 

[nichosi]

Firstly I'll correct my mistake in post #7 above, it should read "could NOT install w10".

Trying to share files & photos with my wife's laptop positioned in another room. My home PC has W10 & the laptop W8.1.

 

[nichosi]

Yes win is waiting for these recourses, I hope I was not too hasty but, I ticked the all 3 & clicked "end proses"

I,ll see if it makes any deferens

EDIT: Unfortunately it is the same, CTRL panel opens but Network sharing centre does not & hangs there causing the CTRL panel to lock.

 

[Neemobeer]

You'll want to see what services are running in that bottom svchost.exe. Do the same steps to get the wait chain and get the PID for the bottom svchost as these will change between reboots. Then run Process Explorer and find the svchost.exe process with the same PID. You may need to go to View > Select Columns and select PID if it isn't showing. Then expand the svchost and post what is running underneath it.

 

[nichosi]

Sorry for delaying to answer, too much to fathom but, I managed some, except the "Process Explorer" I cannot locate "svchost" in it.

I attached the four with unticked squares & a couple of others.

Please explain how to proceed ...........thanx

 

[Neemobeer]

You'll want to run one of the control panel items and locate the Rundll32 process in task manager. Go to details tab and look at the wait change like you did in post #10. In that chain make a note of the PID of the bottom svchost.exe process. Then find the svchost with that PID in process explorer and click the + next to it so we can see which services are running.

 

[nichosi]

I run 2-3 items in ctrl.panel but, Rundll32 did not appear in task mangr details. What next?

 

[Neemobeer]

Looks like some of the CPL file are loaded internally from explorer as well. This may not be solvable without some really advanced debugging such as attaching Windbg to the explorer process and looking through assembly instructions. This isn't something easy to explain. I'd say your best bet at this point maybe to just backup and re-image. If you're not able to access control panel items in safe mode then it's something corrupted in Windows or in the registry. If they do load in safe mode then it could be malware preventing them from loading.

 

[nichosi]

A few of other items I tried in ctrl panel open OK but, the main one I need now is the "Network & sharing centre" to try & get the PC/Laptop exchange files & photos.

If tit works in safe mode will any changes I will need to make stick & work in full mode?

I have scanned the pc with two free programs & they cleared anything found suspicious.

The backup/reimage is the best thing. Will I be able to reinstall w8.1 from clean HD or even W10 which failed recently yo upgrade to because of an error? & how do I go about to get a clean install? ....thanx again

 

[nichosi]

In safe mode the Ctrl Panel has no "Network & sharing centre" the one I need, what others it has they open OK.

 

[helpifIcan]

Make sure when you select safe mode you also tick network box, should show then, I hope mine shows.