PC settings - Fix and Restore in Windows 8.1

How to Fix and Restore PC settings and "Change PC settings" in Windows 8.1​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to restore PC settings on the Apps screen, and fix the "Change PC settings" link in the Settings charm winkey: + I) in Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

EXAMPLE: "Change PC settings" in Settings charm and PC settings on Apps screen

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Here's How:

1. Double check to make sure that access to PC settings has not been disabled.

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How to Enable or Disable Access to Control Panel and PC settings in Windows 8 and 8.1​

2. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, copy and paste the path below into Run, and click/tap on OK.

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%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs​

3. Check to see if you have the PC settings (aka: Immersive Control Panel) shortcut. (see screenshot below)

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4. Do step 5 or 6 below depending on if you already have the PC settings shortcut.


5. If you do have the PC settings shortcut, then go to step 7 below.

6. If you do not have the PC settings shortcut, then click/tap on the download button below to download the PC_settings.zip file below for a clean copy.

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A) Save the .zip file to your desktop.​

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B) Open the .zip file, extract (drag and drop) the Immersive Control Panel (aka: PC settings) shortcut to your desktop.​

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C) Move the Immersive Control Panel (aka: PC settings) shortcut into the Programs folder in step 2. (see screenshot below step 3)​

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D) If prompted, click/tap on Yes, Yes, Continue (UAC), Yes, and Yes to approve. (see screenshots below)​

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E) Test to see if you are able to open PC settings now.​

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F) If you are still not able to open PC settings, then go to step 7 below.​

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G) If you are able to open PC settings now, then you're finished and can stop.​

7. Open an elevated command prompt.

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A) In the elevated command prompt, copy and paste the command below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)​

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRoot\ImmersiveControlPanel\AppxManifest.xml

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   Note

If you get the 0x8007064A error in quotes below, then it means that the Packages registry key below does not have System set as it's owner. For how, see step 3 in Option Four here. Afterwards, try again.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Repository\[COLOR=#ff0000][B]Packages[/B][/COLOR]

error 0x8007064A: Cannot register the request because the following error was encountered while initializing the windows.repositoryExtension extension: The
configuration data for this product is corrupt. Contact your support personnel.

8. Test to see if you are able to open PC settings now.

9. If you are still not able to open PC settings, then see: Fix Store Apps and Tiles that are Not Working or Responding in Windows 8 and 8.1


That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Enable or Disable Access to Control Panel and PC settings in Windows 8 and 8.1
• Fix Store Apps and Tiles that are Not Working or Responding in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Restore Missing "Desktop" Tile on Start and Apps Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Restore Modern Internet Explorer on Start and Apps Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Restore Missing "Store" Tile on Start and Apps Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[VoidsShadow]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome. I'm glad it could help.

 

[Frankli0]

I cannot get Step 7 to work

Step 7 doesn't work for me, I get this problem when i post the code inside elevated cmd. Attached picture.

 

[Brink]

Hello Frank, and welcome to Eight Forums.

If you like, you could try a system restore using a restore point dated before you had the issue with PC settings to hopefully fix it quickly.

 

[Frankli0]

I tried to system restore to a month ago, and tried to access pc settings. Then after, I tried the command in cmd again, but I got the same exact issue. Is there anything else I can try, or do I have to do a complete wipe?

 

[Brink]

You could refresh Windows instead of a complete clean install or reset.

 

[ThankYouSoMuch]

Thank you so much, OMG, I've been searching for the solution for hours and hours, and here it is! I made this account just to thank you for sharing this with us :3

 

[Brink]

Thank you so much, OMG, I've been searching for the solution for hours and hours, and here it is! I made this account just to thank you for sharing this with us :3

You're most welcome, and welcome to Eight Forums. I'm glad it was able to help.

 

[prasvenkat25]

Getting the below error:

Help me friends, i am pissed of by Windows 8.1

My change pc setting is not working. I am currently connected to windows account. So, i was unable to refresh the pc with recovery drive. It tell the account is locked, so we cant refresh your pc.

Thank you.



"Add-AppxPackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073CFE, The packagerepository is corrupted.
error -528: Windows cannot process a deployment operation because the package
repository database encountered an ESENT error. Use the Reset Your PC feature
to recover your PC. See the Application event log for messages with ESENT as
the event source for more details.
NOTE: For additional information, look for [ActivityId]
bf3a389f-d88a-0001-067e-3dbf8ad8cf01 in the Event Log or use the command line
Get-AppxLog -ActivityID bf3a389f-d88a-0001-067e-3dbf8ad8cf01
At line:1 char:1
+ Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register
$Env:SystemRoot\ImmersiveContr ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (C:\WINDOWS\Imme...ppxManifest.xml
:String) [Add-AppxPackage], Exception
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : DeploymentError,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageMa
nager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand"

 

[Brink]

Hello prasvenkat25, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Run a SFC /SCANNOW command to repair any corrupted system files, then see if you may be able to do this to fix PC settings.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/3047-sfc-scannow-command-run-windows-8-a.html

 

[prasvenkat25]

Tried the SFC

I have the log flies. with various error.

I transferred the SSD from desktop to Laptop.

Amd to Intel processor.

Hello prasvenkat25, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Run a SFC /SCANNOW command to repair any corrupted system files, then see if you may be able to do this to fix PC settings.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/3047-sfc-scannow-command-run-windows-8-a.html

 

[Brink]

If SFC was unable to repair the files, then see if doing the items listed in the blue note box at the bottom of OPTION TWO in the sfc tutorial will allow SFC to repair them afterwards.

 

[T3L3N]

YOUR A GOD OF THE COMPUTERS BRO, THANK YOU SO MUCH

 

[Sobucki]

Im from Brazil, and I created a forum acc just to thank you... so much.

 

[civicgrl00]

Thank you so much!!!!! I registered on this site just to thank you.

 

[helmi]

Hi! Thank you so much for this, I just did this because none of my windows apps like the store, settings, camera, music and video were working. Now the store and the settings started working again, but the others still won't open. Do you know what I should do to them to get them to work as well?

 

[Brink]

Hi! Thank you so much for this, I just did this because none of my windows apps like the store, settings, camera, music and video were working. Now the store and the settings started working again, but the others still won't open. Do you know what I should do to them to get them to work as well?

Hello Helmi, and welcome to Eight Forums.

For now, you could go through the list of items in the tutorial below to see if they may be able to help.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/21051-apps-tiles-not-working-responding-fix-windows-8-a.html

 

[flamegod7]

I'd like to thank you as well! This has been bothering me for months and I finally got around to fixing it, thanks solely to your tutorial.

Every other tutorial I tried seemed to miss the mark, but this one worked perfectly.

Once again, thank you!

 

[kayah]

Thankyou!!

Yay!!! Thank you so much, the cmd/powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRoot\ImmersiveControlPanel\AppxManifest.xml did the trick!!