Windows settings not installed

[KevinVH90]

Hi everybody,

 

I wanted to add a bluetooth device to my computer and tried to open the settings, but it wouldn't open. I thought nothing of it and just used an existing bluetooth speaker. That was yesterday. Today I wanted to check for windows updates and once again the settings aren't opening. I tried every way of opening  the windows settings, but it won't open.

 

Sometimes I get an error that the windows settings aren't installed. I've tried the following code in CMD:

 

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

 

but it says command not recognized. Any help?

[homeap5]

Start > run > type "control"

Classic control panel.

Check there if you can, for example, update your system.

[KevinVH90]

The control panel works, but I can't update windows from there. I can't open anything that's in the settings, no windows update, no devices, nothing.. When I paste the same code in windows powershell it gives me a huge list of red errors. Something's definitly wrong with the windows settings app.

 

[AbydosOne]

24 minutes ago, KevinVH90 said:

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

Run in PowerShell

 

EDIT: jumped to the end to comment, didn't read that you tried it...

[KevinVH90]

yep, I basically get 50 errors like these:

[aDoomGuy]

Try to reset Windows Store

 

Open Run dialogue (Win+R) and run WSReset.exe. I think you need to be logged in on account with administrator rights.

 

If that changes nothing... lets try this

 

Open Cmd as administrator and run SFC /SCANNOW

 

Try settings app again and if still don't work.

 

Open CMD as administrator again and run these

 

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

[KevinVH90]

nothing worked. The windows store works normal, and all the other scans didn't report any problems.. I'm at a loss.

[aDoomGuy]

30 minutes ago, KevinVH90 said:

nothing worked. The windows store works normal, and all the other scans didn't report any problems.. I'm at a loss.

Remember to quote so folks gets alerted to your replies.

 

Ok, seems like you're screwed buddy. The only thing I think you can try is to make a new Windows account and try on that. If that don't work and I went on Google even to see if there is another solution but the only one I can find apart from what you already tried is to do a fresh reinstall of Windows.

[homeap5]

Download ISO, unpack it and upgrade your windows 10 installation. If you already have upgraded to 1909 - then you may try it anyway.

 

[KevinVH90]

Is there a way to check which version of windows you're on without getting into the settings? I'm part of the windows insider program. I'm downloading the windows media creation tool now to download the iso and see if I can fix windows that way, without formatting. If not maybe I'll wait a couple of days to see if windows downloads a new version by itself and fixes the problem

[AbydosOne]

1 hour ago, KevinVH90 said:

Is there a way to check which version of windows you're on without getting into the settings?

From any Explorer window: File -> Help -> About Windows.

[KevinVH90]

13 minutes ago, AbydosOne said:

From any Explorer window: File -> Help -> About Windows.

thanks, I'm running Build 19041.207

[GoodBytes]

On 4/21/2020 at 6:31 PM, KevinVH90 said:

yep, I basically get 50 errors like these:

The forum has plenty of disk space, you don't need to send a highly compressed JPEG image which no one can read with ease due to the compression 

In the future, please use PNG or tell your image editor (if you can) to not compress the JPEG (max quality).

 

[KevinVH90]

2 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

The forum has plenty of disk space, you don't need to send a highly compressed JPEG image which no one can read with ease due to the compression 

In the future, please use PNG or tell your image editor (if you can) to not compress the JPEG (max quality).

 

 

I just uploaded a screenshot from the snipping tool within windows. Here's another attempt:

 

Also I was able to uninstall some updates but I'm still having the problem. Right now it said to reboot for another update, which I did, but still the same problem. Guess I'll wait until a next update and if that doesn't fix it I might have to reinstall windows.

 

[GoodBytes]

Well , what is peculiar, is that the path (I am looking at the first error), really doesn't exists.

It is looking at: C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPanelappxmanifest.xml

Instead of: C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPanel\appxmanifest.xml

Notice the missing slash in the path.

 

But yes, the Setting panel executable is in: C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPanel

So you can make sure you have this folder, and contains files inside, including: SystemSettings.exe, SystemSettings.dll and SystemSettingsViewModel.Desktop.dll to start with.

 

If you do, then you probably have the rest (we can check later). Check file permissions of the folder: C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPane

Make sure the following has read & execute permission:

• ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES
• ALL RESTRICTED APPLICATION PACKAGES
• Users

Also, make sure that you have:

• TrustedInstaller has "List folder contents" permission

It is normal that no permission is given to:

• Administrators
• SYSTEM
• CREATOR OWNER

If you click on the "Advanced" in the "Security" tab where you view/set permissions, that the Owner is set to "TrsutedInstaller".

 

Once correct, if there is a problem, restart your system.

 

[KevinVH90]

13 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

Well , what is peculiar, is that the path (I am looking at the first error), really doesn't exists.

It is looking at: C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPanelappxmanifest.xml

Instead of: C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPanel\appxmanifest.xml

Notice the missing slash in the path.

 

But yes, the Setting panel executable is in: C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPanel

So you can make sure you have this folder, and contains files inside, including: SystemSettings.exe, SystemSettings.dll and SystemSettingsViewModel.Desktop.dll to start with.

 

If you do, then you probably have the rest (we can check later). Check file permissions of the folder: C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPane

Make sure the following has read & execute permission:

• ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES
• ALL RESTRICTED APPLICATION PACKAGES
• Users

Also, make sure that you have:

• TrustedInstaller has "List folder contents" permission

It is normal that no permission is given to:

• Administrators
• SYSTEM
• CREATOR OWNER

If you click on the "Advanced" in the "Security" tab where you view/set permissions, that the Owner is set to "TrsutedInstaller".

 

Once correct, if there is a problem, restart your system.

 

Thanks, I've checked and I've got the files you mention, and all the permissions and owner details are correct. I also created another user account from within powershell, and in that account it opens up the settings just fine.. This is sooo weird. Also when I open the "SystemSettings" application, the one with the blue icon, it doesn't do anything..

[GoodBytes]

8 minutes ago, KevinVH90 said:

Thanks, I've checked and I've got the files you mention, and all the permissions and owner details are correct. I also created another user account from within powershell, and in that account it opens up the settings just fine.. This is sooo weird. Also when I open the "SystemSettings" application, the one with the blue icon, it doesn't do anything..

 

Interesting. Well, if it works on a secondary account, you can just transfer all your stuff to the new account, and once you are sure you have everything and everything runs correctly, delete the old account. Problem solved. Saves you a re-install.

 

But to know, did you ever run a registry cleaner? If you did, just wanted to tell you, for the future, don't. Not only it is useless (as the registry is a database, and things doesn't slow down as you have more entry inside), but they tend to break things, things you never notice until much later on when some update comes in, and touches something that the cleaner thought it was useless, and things screws up.

 

I would also add defrag software that claim to defrag the registry as well, as they may break the registry.

 

So why I am talking about registry?

Because you have all the files, and permission are correct, and it works on another account. 

This suggests to me that a registry error occurred under your current account (HKEY_CURRENT_USER).

[KevinVH90]

6 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

Interesting. Well, if it works on a secondary account, you can just transfer all your stuff to the new account, and once you are sure you have everything and everything runs correctly, delete the old account. Problem solved. Saves you a re-install.

 

But to know, did you ever run a registry cleaner? If you did, just wanted to tell you, for the future, don't. Not only it is useless (as the registry is a database, and things doesn't slow down as you have more entry inside), but they tend to break things, things you never notice until much later on when some update comes in, and touches something that the cleaner thought it was useless, and things screws up.

 

I would also add defrag software that claim to defrag the registry as well, as they may break the registry.

 

So why I am talking about registry?

Because you have all the files, and permission are correct, and it works on another account. 

This suggests to me that a registry error occurred under your current account (HKEY_CURRENT_USER).

That's something I could do. thanks for the tip

 

Also I never used a registry cleaner, this install of windows is about a month old, and I've never had anything of the sorts happen to me before. It's going to be a pain in the *ss to move everything over, but that's way faster I guess than reinstalling windows.

[GoodBytes]

28 minutes ago, KevinVH90 said:

That's something I could do. thanks for the tip

 

Also I never used a registry cleaner, this install of windows is about a month old, and I've never had anything of the sorts happen to me before. It's going to be a pain in the *ss to move everything over, but that's way faster I guess than reinstalling windows.

Should not be that bad.. I mean you are admin on both accounts. So on your new account, just navigate to: C:\Users\<old account>\

Then under each directory transfer everything. DO NOT transfer any files on the root of your account folder, some of these files are your user account registry. You may transfer your problem back to your new account.

 

For program configurations, it usually stored under AppData\Roaming folder (AppData is hidden).

More specifically:

....\AppData\Local -> This is usually program cache and temp stuff. You can skip this folder.

....\AppData\LocalLow -> Special folder, you can skip

....\AppData\Roaming -> You can copy. *** WARNING: DO NOT BLIND COPY. Only copy the sub folders which relates to your programs, else you WILL screw up that new account, and you'll need to start everything again.

 

In other words:

✔ C:\Users\<old Account>\AppData\Roaming\Skype (Good!)

C:\Users\<old Account>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft (NO!!!)

[KevinVH90]

1 hour ago, GoodBytes said:

Should not be that bad.. I mean you are admin on both accounts. So on your new account, just navigate to: C:\Users\<old account>\

Then under each directory transfer everything. DO NOT transfer any files on the root of your account folder, some of these files are your user account registry. You may transfer your problem back to your new account.

 

For program configurations, it usually stored under AppData\Roaming folder (AppData is hidden).

More specifically:

....\AppData\Local -> This is usually program cache and temp stuff. You can skip this folder.

....\AppData\LocalLow -> Special folder, you can skip

....\AppData\Roaming -> You can copy. *** WARNING: DO NOT BLIND COPY. Only copy the sub folders which relates to your programs, else you WILL screw up that new account, and you'll need to start everything again.

 

In other words:

✔ C:\Users\<old Account>\AppData\Roaming\Skype (Good!)

C:\Users\<old Account>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft (NO!!!)

Thanks, I'll do that once I have some time. Despite the covid thingy, I'm pretty swamped with work and studying..