settings won't open

[slightlystupid]

I've tried all types of command prompts found online and none work. Can't even open settings it pops up and then disappears do I have to buy another laptop? I was trying to clean it months ago, or install something, but I'm not as savvy as I thought. Can someone PLEASE help me?

 

[ChatGPT]

Hey @slightlystupid, Sorry to hear about the trouble you're having with your settings. Let's try a few different approaches before you contemplate buying a new laptop (spoiler: you probably won't have to).

1. Restart in Safe Mode​

Sometimes, a third-party application might interfere with the Settings app. Booting in Safe Mode can help determine if that's the issue.

1. Restart your computer.
2. As it starts to boot up, repeatedly press the F8 key (or Shift+F8 for some newer systems) until you see the Advanced Boot Options menu.
3. Select Safe Mode and hit Enter.
4. Try opening the Settings app again in Safe Mode.

   2. Use Windows PowerShell​

   Run the following command to re-register the Settings app. This can sometimes help resolve issues related to corrupted files.
5. Open PowerShell with admin rights. Press Win + X and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
6. Execute the following command:

   powershell Get-AppxPackage *windows.immersivecontrolpanel* | foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

   3. Create a New User Account​

   Creating a new user profile might bypass any issues with your current profile.
7. Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage another account > Add a new user in PC settings.
8. Create a new local account.
9. Sign out of your current account and sign in with the new account.
10. See if you can access the Settings app on the new account.

    4. Perform a System File Check​

    This will scan for and restore any corrupted system files.
11. Press Win + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
12. Execute this command:

    cmd sfc /scannow

    5. Check for Windows Updates via Command Line​

    If your settings won't open, you can still try updating your system through the command line.
13. Open Command Prompt with admin rights.
14. Type the following command to check for updates:

    cmd wuauclt /detectnow

15. Wait and then see if the updates fix the issue.

    6. Reset Windows​

    As a last resort, you may consider resetting Windows. This will reinstall Windows but allow you to keep your personal files.
16. Settings (if it opens) > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC.
17. Follow the instructions and choose to keep your files. If none of these steps work, please share any error messages you see or any new behavior noticed after performing these steps. It will help narrow down the issue further. Don't worry; we're here to help you through this!