How To Fix Control Panel Not Responding in Windows 10

The importance of Control Panel cannot be stressed upon enough. It is home to many crucial tools and settings in Windows 10. What if one day you find that the Control Panel isn’t responding. You might immediately be inclined to approach your IT administrator, which indeed is a wise option. But, what if he is unavailable for a while and you have an urgent task to finish.   In that case, here are few simple fixes which might just get your Control Panel back to work-

Ways To Resolve Windows 10 Control Panel Not Responding

1. Clear Startup Program List

It might be possible that a startup program might be interfering with Control panel. So disabling the program may resolve the issue of the Control Panel not responding in Windows 10. To disable Startup programs, steps are mentioned below –

1. Open Task Manager. One of the quickest ways is to right-click on the Taskbar and then click on Task Manager
2. Click on the Startup tab
3. Here you will see a list of programs running on the startup. Access each of the programs by looking at the Startup impact which you can see at the right-hand side. If you find the program is less productive, then right-click on it and click on the disable option

You can even manage startup programs by using some of the best startup manager tools too!

2. Use DISM Tool In The Command Prompt

Command Prompt can be intimidating for many users. And, to be honest, while it is a wonderful tool, it should be used with care. In case, the Control Panel is not responding in Windows 10; you can try using the DISM tool in the command prompt –

1. Type Command Prompt in the search bar next to the Windows icon
2. From the right-hand pane click on Run as administrator
3. Type the following commands one by one and press enter after typing each command –

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth(press enter)

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth(press enter)

New to Command Prompt? Here are 7 tricks that can help you take off!

3. Rename or Delete The IDTNC64.cpl

IDTNC64.cpl is a Control Panel file which can at times cause the Control Panel to crash abruptly after some time. You can resolve the issue by either completely deleting this file or renaming this file. However, the latter is a better option. 

1. Open  Windows 10 File Explorer by pressing the Windows + E keys
2. In the address bar at type C:\Windows\System32
3. Locate the IDTNC64.cpl file
4. Rename the file by right-clicking on it

After you have changed the name, try and check if the Control Panel is responding or not.

4. Check Your System For Malware Or Virus

If you have a malware or virus in your PC, leave alone “Control Panel not responding” issue, your complete PC can be at stake, and you might have to deal with several other issues. And, worry not! We have already curated a list of some of the best free Anti-Malware software for Windows. You can even try Microsoft Windows Defender which itself is capable of offering protection against malware, viruses and spyware.

Another excellent malware removal tool that you can employ to deal with spyware, malware, adware and other infections is Advanced System Protector. To begin with, it comes with a vast database of spyware and malware definitions because of which its powerful engine can detect and remove all such infections in a blink of an eye.

5. Try Disabling Windows Error Reporting Service

It could be that Windows error reporting service is interfering because of which Control Panel is not opening in Windows 10. In that case, you can try and disable the Windows Error Reporting Service. The steps for the same are mentioned below –

1. Press Windows + R keys
2. In the Run dialogue box type msconfig
3. When the System Configuration window opens click on Services tab
4. Locate Windows Error Reporting Service and uncheck it to disable it
5. Hit the Apply button and then click on OK

Restart your PC and check if the issue is resolved

6. Resolve The Issue By Running SFC Scan

If the Control Panel is not responding in Windows 10, the reason could be system file corruption or SFC. And, you can catch hold of such issues by running an SFC scan. It is a straightforward process and here’s how you can do that –

1. Open Windows PowerShell (Admin) by pressing the Windows+X keys and then selecting Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the pane
2. Type SFC /SCANNOW and press enter

The SFC /SCANNOW will look for all corrupted files in your PC. After it has found the corrupted files, it will replace them with a cached copy. This process might take a few minutes to complete. After the completion of the process, restart your PC and check if your Control Panel is responding now.

1. Open Run dialogue box by pressing the Windows + R keys
2. Type services.msc and hit enter
3. Locate Software Licensing service and check if its status is running. If not start it
4. Reboot your PC

Check if this has resolved your issue.

Did The Issue Resolve?

Your Control Panel might as well be acting up because of PC lags, presence of malware or interfering startup programs and many others. Do we hope that you have gotten rid of the “Control Panel not Responding” issue once and for all? If yes! Do let us know in the comments section, which of the above fixes worked out for you. Follow us on social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.