How to Open the Windows 10 Settings App

As Microsoft is trying to move away from the Control Panel, the Windows 10 settings are slowly being moved into the modern Settings app. If you're wondering all the ways the Settings app can be opened, we can help! This wikiHow article will teach you every way to open the Settings app on a Windows 10 PC.

Open Windows 10 Settings: The Easiest Ways

Click the Start menu and select the Settings gear icon.
Press Windows key + i at the same time.
Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.
Type "start ms-settings:" into Command Prompt, PowerShell, or the run dialog.

Method 1

Method 1 of 15:

Using the Start Menu

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The gear icon near the lower left corner of the Start menu is a quick and easy way to open your Windows 10 settings.

Method 2

Method 2 of 15:

Using a Keyboard Shortcut

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This is a very quick and convenient way to open Settings.

Method 3

Method 3 of 15:

Using Windows Search

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Type settings into the Windows Search bar and press ↵ Enter. If you don't see the Search bar in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen, click the circle or magnifying glass icon to open it first.
- You can also press the Windows key on your keyboard to activate search.

Method 4

Method 4 of 15:

Using the Power User Menu

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Press Ctrl+X and click Settings. The Ctrl + X shortcut opens a secret Windows menu that gives you quick access to Settings, task manager, device manager, and more.
- You can also access the Power User menu by right-clicking the Start menu.

Method 5

Method 5 of 15:

Using Action Center

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Click the speech bubble icon and select All settings. The Action Center (near the clock) is where you can view any notifications on your device. You can perform actions using the tiles at the bottom (called quick actions), including this tile that opens the Settings app.
- If you only see four tiles, click the "Expand" link to show the rest of them.

Method 6

Method 6 of 15:

Using Microsoft Copilot

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Click the Microsoft Copilot button. If you have Microsoft Copilot, the latest AI feature from Microsoft, for Windows 10, you can use it to open the Settings app. Look for a blue and pink icon to the right of the clock.
- If you don't see this icon, Copilot may not be available for your device.^{[1]
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Copilot will reply, asking if you want to open Settings.
The Settings app will launch.

Method 7

Method 7 of 15:

Using File Explorer

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A fast way to do this is to right-click the Start menu and select File Explorer.
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Click the Computer tab at the top and select Open Settings. It's the blue and white gear icon in the toolbar at the top of File Explorer.
- Alternatively, select the local drive Windows is installed on, navigate to "Windows\ImmersiveControlPanel", and then open "SystemSettings" or "SystemSettings.exe".

Method 8

Method 8 of 15:

Using the Command Prompt

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1
Open Command Prompt. To do this, type cmd into the Windows Search bar, then click Command Prompt.
- If you don't see the search bar in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen, click the circle or magnifying glass icon first.
. Type it exactly as written at the prompt.
This opens the Settings app.

Method 9

Method 9 of 15:

Using PowerShell

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1
Open PowerShell. Type powershell into the Windows search bar and press ↵ Enter to run PowerShell.
- If you don't see the search bar in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen, click the circle or magnifying glass icon first.
.
You will now see the Windows Settings app.

Method 10

Method 10 of 15:

Using the Run Dialog

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This opens the Run dialog window.
.
The Settings window will now open.

Method 11

Method 11 of 15:

Using Control Panel

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1
Use Control Panel to open specific pages in the Settings app. You can launch Control Panel by clicking or tapping the search bar (or magnifying glass icon), typing control panel, and then pressing ↵ Enter or selecting the matching result. You can use the Control Panel to jump to different areas of the Settings app:
- System and Security > Security and Maintenance > Recovery. If you're having problems with your PC, this will help you reset it.
- User Accounts > User Accounts. Make changes to my account in PC settings.
- Appearance and Personalization > Taskbar and Navigation (or Navigation properties). This takes you to your Taskbar settings.
- Appearance and Personalization > Turn High contrast on or off. Quick access to high-contrast theme settings.
- Time and Language. Make changes regarding the display language of the system or the timezone.

Method 12

Method 12 of 15:

Using the Desktop Context Menu

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This takes you to the Personalization area of the Settings app. You can also navigate the rest of the Settings app by clicking Home at the upper-left corner.

Method 13

Method 13 of 15:

Using Task Manager

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This quick keyboard shortcut launches Task Manager, another place from which you can launch the Settings app in Windows 10.
The "Create new task" window will appear.
and click OK. The Windows Settings app will now open.

Method 14

Method 14 of 15:

Searching for Specific Settings

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If you want to bypass the Settings app and head right to the setting you want to view or modify, just type the name of the setting into the search bar on the taskbar. For example, type color, and then selectColor settings to open the Colors area of your Personalization settings.

Method 15

Method 15 of 15:

Pinning Settings to the Taskbar

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If you want to make the Settings app super easy to find in the future, you can pin it to your taskbar.
A list of options will appear.
You can now click the Settings icon in the taskbar to open Windows Settings.

Community Q&A

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Question

Is the Settings app a universal app or desktop app/program?

Community Answer

The Windows 10 Settings app is a universal app. It is available on multiple different Windows 10 platforms.

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Tips

If Windows Settings won't open, restart your computer. If that doesn't help, there may be file system corruption. Open Command Prompt as an administrator, type sfc /scannow, and press Enter to scan for and repair errors.^{[2]
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If the Settings app still won't open, you can reinstall it using PowerShell. Type powershell into the search bar, right-click Windows PowerShell, and select Run as administrator. Then, type the following command and press Enter:
- Get-AppXPackage | foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
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