How to Reset and Reinstall the Settings App when it Fails to Open

When you attempt to open the Settings app, it may show up the logo then automatically close. If you right-click on the desktop and click Personalize, you may get the following error:

ms-settings:personalization

This file does not have an app associated with it for performing this action. Please install an app or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Apps Settings page.

Also, none of the ms-settings: command-line may work.

Resolution

To resolve the issue, reset and repair the Settings app using PowerShell.

Note: The following commands require the “Capability Access Manager” Service to be set to Manual.

1. Launch PowerShell as administrator.
2. Run the following command to reset the Settings app:
   (The following command won’t work on Windows 10. It shows the error “The term ‘Reset-AppxPackage’ is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet” on Windows 10. You can run the 2nd command, though.)

   Get-AppxPackage windows.immersivecontrolpanel | Reset-AppxPackage

   

3. If the Settings app still doesn’t open, reinstall Settings using the following command:

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

That should take care of the issue.