How to repair or reset the Settings app in Windows 10 and 11

Solution 1: Repair or reset via App settings (easiest)

If the Settings app opens but runs slowly, freezes, or crashes on certain pages, use the built-in Repair and Reset buttons.

1. Click the Start button (Windows logo) on the taskbar, or press the Windows key on your keyboard.
2. Type settings into the search bar.
3. Right-click Settings and select App settings.
4. Scroll down to the Reset section.
5. Click Repair first to fix the app without losing settings.
6. If the app is still glitching, click Reset, then click Reset again to confirm.

Windows will reset the Settings app and close the window automatically when finished.

Solution 2: Re-register Settings app via PowerShell (if settings won't open)

If the Settings app won't open or closes right after you click it, you can't reach the Repair button. Re-registering the app in PowerShell re-installs its core files.

1. Right-click the Start button (Windows logo) on the taskbar.
2. Click Terminal (Admin) in Windows 11 or Windows PowerShell (Admin) in Windows 10.
3. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes.
4. Copy and paste the following command into PowerShell:

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

5. Press Enter to run the command.
6. Restart your computer once the execution completes.

After restarting, click the Start button and open Settings to confirm it opens properly.

Solution 3: Reset Settings app via PowerShell (if Settings won't open)

If the Settings app won't open or closes right after you click it, you can reset it in PowerShell instead.

1. Right-click the Start button (Windows logo) on the taskbar.
2. Click Terminal (Admin) in Windows 11 or Windows PowerShell (Admin) in Windows 10.
3. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes.
4. Copy and paste the following command into PowerShell:

   Get-AppxPackage *windows.immersivecontrolpanel* | Reset-AppxPackage

5. Press Enter to run the command.
6. Restart your computer once the execution completes.

After restarting, open Settings from the Start menu to confirm it loads.

Solution 4: Repair corrupted system files (DISM & SFC)

If the fixes above did not work, Windows system files may be damaged. The built-in tools DISM and SFC scan for and repair those files.

1. Right-click the Start button (Windows logo) on the taskbar.
2. Click Run.

Keyboard shortcut: hold down the Windows key (the one with the Windows logo on it), then press the R key.

3. Type cmd.
4. Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Command Prompt as administrator.
5. Type (or copy and paste) the following command:

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

6. Press Enter.
7. Wait for the progress bar to reach 100%. It may pause around 60% for a few minutes. Leave the window open.
8. Once DISM is finished, type:

   sfc /scannow

9. Press Enter.
10. Wait for the scan to finish. If it finds and fixes corrupt files, restart your PC.

If SFC can't fix the corrupt files, see my guide on SFC unable to fix corrupt files.