Win 10 1709 Settings app starts then crashes.

tpriest · 21 Oct 2017

I've just upgraded my Dell Latitude E6420 laptop from Win 10 Pro 1607 to 1709.

The only problem I've found is that I can't run the Settings app.

It starts, shows the blue 'flash' screen, then disappears. Watching Task Manager processes during this the Windows Problem Reporting process runs for a few moments. Using the Windows Event Viewer there are error logs each time I try this. The log entry is:

Faulting application name: SystemSettings.exe, version: 10.0.16299.15, time stamp: 0x7640753d
Faulting module name: SettingsEnvironment.Desktop.dll_unloaded, version: 10.0.16299.15, time stamp: 0x10c58cc4
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000000290b3
Faulting process ID: 0x1d5c
Faulting application start time: 0x01d34aa0e9bfd967
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPanel\SystemSettings.exe
Faulting module path: SettingsEnvironment.Desktop.dll
Report ID: ad1a99ce-e839-4117-94e9-73d445125956
Faulting package full name: windows.immersivecontrolpanel_10.0.1.1000_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
Faulting package-relative application ID: microsoft.windows.immersivecontrolpanel

I've run sfc /scannow and it gave a clean bill of health.

I can't find any reference to this problem in a Win 1709 context. Any thoughts?

CmmTch · 22 Oct 2017

First thought was restore but that's in the application that won't respond. I guess since you've done the scannow you could try this,
Use DISM to Repair Windows 10 Image Performance Maintenance Tutorials

Sounds like something is corrupt, and might be fixed with the DISM repair. It won't hurt anything to try it.

Hopefully there's some other suggestions forthcoming from some of the more knowledgeable members.

tpriest · 23 Oct 2017

This is weird! After rebooting the laptop in various ways and trying various things over the weekend I left it.

This morning I had an idea and brought it up in Safe Mode - some months ago I'd added Safe Mode option to the Start Up options screen. And guess what! Settings worked.

So I tried it in various ways, then closed down and restarted in normal mode. And Settings works.

I've tried various Settings features and they appear to be OK.

So goodness knows why it didn't work earlier. I can only think that Safe Mode somehow 'fixed' it. Though I can't see how.

Fynjy777 · 23 Oct 2017

tpriest,
Is it Pro version of Windows 10 that you use?

tpriest · 23 Oct 2017

Yes, it's Win 10 Pro

CmmTch · 23 Oct 2017

Well sounds like good news all the way around, seems the issues you've posted about have resolved themselves, "came clear" so to speak.

It'd be nice to know exactly what the root cause was, and what action fixed it, but sometimes you have to take what you get. In this case it worked out.

Scottyboy99 · 24 Oct 2017

Maybe safe mode cleared some kind of corrupt cache out here. But it is funny how something can just decide to work. I had the same issue with the lock screen and ‘get help’ app they never worked, always crashing. Our of nowhere one day they start working again. No changes, I did nothing. Relief but also frustrating that windows 10 is such a fragile and unpredictable animal !

Fynjy777 · 24 Oct 2017

tpriest,
This may be caused by making some change in restriction policies, e.g. deleting path rule.