How to reset the Settings app in Windows 10

Most of the settings you want to change in Windows 10 are in the Settings app. Settings are organized into categories System, Devices, Phone, Network & Internet, Personalization, Apps, Accounts, Time & language, Gaming, Ease of Access, Search, Privacy, Update & Security, and Mixed Reality (if available).

You can click on a category to view and change other settings for that category.

If Settings fails or fails to open, you can reset and / or re-register the Settings app to hopefully fix the problem.

This guide will show you how to reset and re-register the Settings app in Windows 10.

Reset the Settings app from the Start menu

Step 1. Open the Start menu.

Step 2. Right-click or press and hold the Settings icon (gear) on the Start list, click More and select App settings.

Step 3. Click the Reset button in Settings.

Step 4. Click the Reset button to confirm.

Step 5. Now, you can close Settings if you want.

Reset the Settings app in PowerShell

Step 1. Open Windows PowerShell.

Step 2. Copy and paste the below command into PowerShell and press Enter.

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

Step 3. When done, you can close PowerShell if you want.

Install and re-register the Settings app in the Command Prompt

Step 1. Open Command Prompt.

Step 2. Copy and paste the following command into the Command Prompt and press Enter.

Code:

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$ manifest = (Get-AppxPackage * immersivecontrolpanel *). InstallLocation + 'AppxManifest.xml'; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $ manifest}"

Step 3. When done, you can close the Command Prompt if you want.

Kareem Winters

Update 03 October 2020