Fix: Settings Dialog Won’t Open in Windows 10

With the arrival of Windows 10, Microsoft started pushing out the Windows Settings app. It gives extensive control to the user over the various functions of the system. We can update Windows, uninstall installed applications, disable or enable any Windows function, use the troubleshooter to fix several problems, and much more. Yes, some of the functions of the Windows settings application are available in the Control Panel too, but Microsoft is phasing that program out and promoting the Windows settings application more. They are slowly taking away the complete control that the Control Panel in Windows once had.

So having the Windows Settings application function well all the time becomes critical to using the operating system daily. But recently, some Windows users have encountered an issue with this application. Whenever they try to launch the Windows Settings application, it won’t launch or crash immediately after launching. It is basically taking all the functionality of the Settings app away from the Windows user, and that can be an issue for many. So here in this article, we will look at all the possible solutions that have solved this problem for many Windows users. If you are also struggling with this issue on your Windows computer, this article will help you out. So without any further ado, let’s get into it.

How to fix Settings Dialog Won’t Open in Windows 10?

The Settings application in WIndows gives the user complete control over the entire operating system. And with this application crashing, not launching, or disappearing from the Start menu, a serious problem can occur.

Here, we have mentioned every possible solution for this problem, and one of these will be enough to fix your issue. Different systems show this abnormality for different reasons, and these solutions are a guide for all the known problems. So try all the solutions mentioned here, one after the other, until you find the one that solves your problem.

Re-register the Settings App in Windows 10:

Since the problem is with the Settings App, the first thing you should try is re-registering this application on your Windows computer again. If there is an issue with the files for launching the application on your Windows computer, then this solution should fix it right away.

• Press Windows key + X and then choose “Windows PowerShell” from the list of options that show up.
• The PowerShell window will now open up. Wait a while till it loads up completely, and then enter the following command in the PowerShell window.

Get-AppXPackage -Name Windows.Immersivecontrolpanel | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

• Press the Enter key on your keyboard.
• Let the process complete, and then close the PowerShell window.

Now try opening up the Settings Dialog. If it crashes or does not launch again, try the next solution mentioned below.

Re-install and Re-register All Windows Apps:

Re-registering all Windows Apps sometimes can fix the issue with the Settings Dialog too.

• Press Windows key + X and then choose “Windows PowerShell(Admin)” from the list of options that show up.
• Choose Yes when the UAC window pops up.
• The PowerShell window will now open up. Wait a while till it loads up completely, and then enter the following command in the PowerShell window.

Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

• Press the Enter key on your keyboard.
• Let the process complete, and then close the PowerShell window.
• Finally, restart your computer.

Now try reopening up the Settings Dialog. If it crashes or does not launch again, try the next solution mentioned below.

Run the System File Checker:

System File Checker or SFC is a Windows utility tool built into the OS used to fix any possible issue with the system files. If the settings dialog is acting abnormally due to a system file issue, then the SFC should fix it.

• Press Windows key + R to open up the Run dialog box.
• Enter “cmd” in the dialog box and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
• Choose Yes when the UAC window pops up.
• The command prompt window will open up on your screen. Enter the following command in the command prompt window and press Enter.

sfc /scannow

• Let the process complete, and then close the command prompt window.
• Finally, restart your computer.

If the Settings Dialog still crashes or does not open when you try to launch it, try the next solution mentioned below.

Run Deployment Image Servicing and Management Tool:

Deployment Image Servicing and Management or DISM is another built-in Windows utility tool used to fix any possible system file corruption in a Windows computer. So give this a try, too, if System File Checker did not do you any good.

• Press Windows key + R to open up the Run dialog box.
• Enter “cmd” in the dialog box and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
• Choose Yes when the UAC window pops up.
• The command prompt window will open up on your screen. Enter the following command in the command prompt window and press Enter.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

• If this command reveals any issues with your system, then enter the following commands one after the other and press Enter for each one of them.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

• The final command might take a while to complete on your system. Once the process is complete, close the command prompt window and restart your computer.

Now try reopening the Settings Dialog. If it still crashes or does not open when you try to launch it, try the next solution mentioned below.

Uninstall OneKey Theater:

Onekey Theater application on Windows can sometimes be the cause behind the issue with the Settings Dialog as it might prevent the windows app from launching or functioning properly. So it would be best if you uninstalled it from your computer.

• Click on the Windows search bar and look for “Control Panel.”
• Once it shows up in the results, click on Open.
• Click on Programs.
• Then choose to Uninstall a Program.
• A list of all installed application will show up on your screen. Find Onekey Theater in this list, click on it and then click on the Uninstall button at the top.
• Then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
• Once that is done, restart your computer.

Now try reopening the Settings Dialog. If it still crashes or does not open when you try to launch it, try the next solution mentioned below.

Update Windows 10 Using Windows PowerShell:

Microsoft pushes out an update every once in a while to fix every possible bug that Windows users face with their systems. So even this issue with the Settings Dialog is something they have witnessed, and in one of their updates, they have provided the fix for it. So if you have the latest version of Windows 10 running on your system, you should not encounter the Windows Settings Dialog crashing or not launching issue.

To update Windows, we generally use the Windows Settings menu. But since the Settings itself is not working, we will use Powershell to perform the update.

• Press Windows key + X and then choose “Windows PowerShell(Admin)” from the list of options that show up.
• Choose Yes when the UAC window pops up.
• The PowerShell window will now open up. Wait a while till it loads up completely, and then enter the following command in the PowerShell window.

Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate

• This will install the module needed to update the operating system. Now type “Get-WindowsUpdate” and press Enter again. This will bring out the list of all the available updates.
• Enter “Install-WindowsUpdate” to install all the available updates on your computer.
• After the update is successfully installed on your computer, close the PowerShell window and restart your computer.

Now try reopening the Settings Dialog. If it still crashes or does not open when you try to launch it, try the next solution mentioned below.

Run Windows Troubleshooters via Control Panel:

Windows has a built-in utility, the troubleshooter, that can scan your system for any possible error and then fix it if it finds one. The troubleshooter is easily accessible in the Settings window. But since it is a problem at hand, we will have to use the troubleshooter via the Windows Control Panel.

• Click on the Windows search bar and look for “Control Panel.”
• Once it shows up in the results, click on Open.
• Set the “view by” in the upper right corner as Large icons.
• Click on Troubleshooting and then choose the “View all” option in the left corner of the window.
• You will see a list of all the built-in troubleshooters on your system. Select the “Windows Store Apps” troubleshooter tool and then click on Next.
• Then follow the on-screen instructions to run the troubleshooter on your computer. The troubleshooter will resolve any issue that it detects on your system.

Once this is done, try reopening the Settings Dialog. If it still crashes or does not open when you try to launch it, try the next solution mentioned below.

Scan Windows 10 for Malware:

Sometimes a malware infection can cause the System Dialog to crash when you try to open it up. To fix that, you need to scan your entire system for any possible infection. Since Windows now has a built-in antivirus program, you can use that to scan your entire computer.

• Click on the Windows Security icon on the system tray.
• Select Virus and Threat protection.
• Click on the Full scan option and then choose “Scan Now.”
• Let the scan complete, and if it finds an infection, then the Windows program will fix it for you.

If you feel that the Windows antivirus program is not good enough for you, then you can even use a third-party antivirus program that you trust and use that to scan your computer.

If you are still stuck with the Settings Dialog crashing or not launching, go for the next solution mentioned below.

Use System Restore to Revert Windows 10:

System restore is a Windows feature that lets the user boot the computer back to a point where the system was working normally. So it would be best if you tried restoring your computer to a point when you were not having any problems with the System Dialog.

• Press Windows key + R to open up the Run dialog box.
• Enter “sysdm.cpl” in the dialog box and press Enter.
• Go to the “System Protection” tab and click on “System Restore.”
• The System Restore wizard will show up on your screen now. Click on Next here, and then you will see a list of all the restore points on your computer.
• Select the one that takes your system back to the point when it was working fine and click on Next.
• Then follow the on-screen instruction to complete the system restore process. Finally, restart your computer after that.

If you are still stuck with the Settings Dialog crashing or not launching, go for the next solution mentioned below.

Create a New Windows 10 User Account:

The Settings Dialog not working or functioning properly can be specific to your particular user account too. This happens when the user profile is corrupted. So you should open up a new Windows 10 User account to fix this.

• Press Windows key + X and then choose “Windows PowerShell(Admin)” from the list of options that show up.
• Choose Yes when the UAC window pops up.
• The PowerShell window will now open up. Wait a while till it loads up completely, and then enter the following command in the PowerShell window.

$Password = Read-Host -AsSecureString

• Press the Enter button and then enter the password you want to set up for this new user account. Once you are done setting up the password, press the Enter key again.
• Now, enter another command in the Powershell window to set up the user account information. Just replace the User_Name, Full_User_Name, and Account_Description with what you want to set up for this new account.

New-LocalUser “User_Name” -Password $Password -FullName “Full_User_Name” -Description “Account_Description”

• Finish setting up this new account by using the following admin command. Just replace User_Name according to what you have already set up.

Add-LocalGroupMember -Group “Administrators” -Member “User_Name”

• Now restart your computer and when it boots up, log in to your newly created Windows 10 account.

If you are still stuck with the Settings Dialog crashing or not launching on this new account, go for the next solution mentioned below.

Reset Windows 10 To Factory Defaults:

If none of the above solutions worked for you, you need to go for a Windows reset.

• Click on the Start button and choose Power > Restart while pressing the Shift key. This will boot up your computer in Recovery mode once it restarts.
• In the recovery menu, go to Troubleshoot > Reset This PC.
• Select the “keep my files” option and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restart process. If you want a complete reset and want to erase everything from your computer, you can choose the “Remove everything” option.
• Once the Windows reset is complete, restart your computer and try opening the Settings Dialog again.

If you are still stuck with the Settings Dialog crashing or not launching, go for the next solution mentioned below.

Reinstall Windows:

If none of the solutions mentioned above worked for you, you are dealing with a Windows file corruption issue due to which you are missing some essential system files. In this scenario, the only you have is to reinstall Windows on your computer all over again.

Just download the latest Windows 10 installation files from Microsoft’s official website and copy those files onto a bootable CD or USB device. You should use an application like Rufus if you are unaware of how you can create a bootable Window media device. Once you have a bootable Windows device, insert it into your computer and restart your system. When the computer is booting, press the function key required to access the Boot menu on your computer and set the bootable Windows device as the default booting option.

Now your computer should load up the Windows installation wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the Windows reinstallation on your computer.

It would be best to keep a backup of everything essential to you on your computer before performing the Windows reinstallation. You can back up the data on an external storage device or a cloud storage service.

After the Windows reinstallation, you will not face any issues with the Windows Settings Dialog.

These are all the possible solutions to fix the Windows Settings Dialog not opening in Windows 10. If you have any questions or queries about this article, then comment down below, and we will get back to you. Also, be sure to check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more useful information.