Cannot open PC Settings

Hello!

I just noticed a weird bug at my work PC (Windows 10 Pro v1803). I click on the gear icon to open PC Settings and nothing happens. I also try to open PC Settings from Class Menu (I have Openshell installed), nothing again. The only way to access it is by right-click on the desktop, select Display Properties and then click the home icon. The PC did not had this bug today morning, it just appeared some time ago. Any idea what is causing that and how to fix it? Meanwhile I run a full scan with SuperAntiSpyware. If it is fixed I'll let you know. Any help appreciated. I restarted the PC, nothing changed.

spapakons said:

I click on the gear icon to open PC Settings and nothing happens....

Settings is an App. Try reinstalling and re-registering it. Option Two here, scroll down to find the line for Settings....

Reinstall and Re-register Apps in Windows 10 | Tutorials

Tried that, it doesn't complete successfully, it asks for some path. Something went awfully wrong with all the Windows apps and games! None of them appears at the OpenShell, only on the standard Windows start menu. When I load the Windows Store and try to see and update my apps, nothing is there! I also tried to re-register all my apps, it finishes too soon and doesn't show any third party app or game.

spapakons said:

Tried that, it doesn't complete successfully, it asks for some path. Something went awfully wrong with all the Windows apps and games!

Ouch!

Something seems corrupted. Do you have a system image you could restore? If not, do you have any restore points? If that doesn't help, the the standard fix would be to try sfc /scannow, followed by DISM's RestoreHealth. Note that...

...If SFC could not fix something, then run the command again to see if it may be able to the next time. Sometimes it may take running the sfc /scannow command up to 3 times with Fast Startup turned off and restarting the computer after each time to completely fix everything that it's able to.

If not, then run the Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command to repair any component store corruption, restart the PC afterwards, and try the sfc /scannow command again.

Run SFC Command in Windows 10 | Tutorials

Use DISM to Repair Windows 10 Image | Tutorials


If sfc and dism can't repair it, then you could try an in-place repair install.

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade | Tutorials

For a repair install you could either use the latest ISO from Microsoft which would also upgrade you to 1809 or use an 1803 ISO if you want to stay on 1803. If you don't already have one you can still get the 1803 ISO direct from Microsoft. See Option Three in this tutorial...

Download Windows 10 ISO File | Tutorials

...you currently have the choice of the October 2018 Update (1809) or the April 2018 Update (1803).

I manually re-registered all the apps and now they are available in Open Shell. I'm afraid I have to repair Windows. Better yet, I could manually upgrade to build v1809 which should also repair any issues. But I could wait for the next build, it should soon be available...

v1809 is fine right now.

spapakons said:

I manually re-registered all the apps and now they are available in Open Shell. I'm afraid I have to repair Windows. Better yet, I could manually upgrade to build v1809 which should also repair any issues. But I could wait for the next build, it should soon be available...

Well, some progress there. I would repair with 1803 or 1809, either should do and as eLPuSHeR says, 1809 works fine now. If you want to be ultra-cautious then use 1803 as you know for certain that works on your PC.

I wouldn't bother waiting for 1903 (expected some time in April). First, you don't know how many bugs may be in the initial release. No point in risking having to sort out new bugs when all you want to do is to repair the existing ones. Second, the roll-out through windows update is likely to be slow, judging by the way 1809 is currently being rolled out. Many machines (including one of mine) are still waiting to see it offered.

If an in place upgrade repair with an 1803 iso does not fix the problem then it is likely in the registry which can be fixed by an in place upgrade using an 1809 iso.

See if a new user is ok or problematic:

administrative powershell:

net user test /add
shutdown /r

sign on with the new user named test


One more option is a system restore.
To view available restore points:

Administrative powershell:
get-computerrestorepoint

All this trouble for nothing! I restarted the computer and all the apps (including Windows Store) disappeared again! I hesitate to run sfc because I will lose all my GUI customizations and I'll have to do them again... but I guess I have no choice...