Have you ever had the frustrating experience of your Windows 11 Quick Settings not working? We understand how inconvenient it can be when these useful shortcuts fail to work properly, leaving you with limited access to important functions. But don’t worry; we’re here to help you! In this guide, we’ll walk you through simple and effective solutions to get your Quick Settings back on track.
You don’t need to be a tech whiz; we’ll explain everything in layman’s terms. So, if you’re looking to fix your Windows 11 PC’s unresponsive Quick Settings menu issue and want to access your favorite functions again, let’s get started.
Ways to Fix Quick Settings Not Working on Windows 11
Quick Settings can stop functioning due to a variety of factors, especially after installing Windows 11. However, there can be other reasons as well. One common cause is corrupt system files, which can cause Quick Settings to malfunction. Moreover, third-party programs can interfere with its functionality, causing the problem.
Don’t worry if you encounter this issue; there are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve it. Try these solutions one at a time, and hopefully, your Windows 11 PC’s Quick Settings will start working as expected.
1. Restart Windows Explorer
Before attempting any other methods, consider restarting Windows Explorer. Sometimes, the freezing issue with Explorer can lead to non-functional taskbar elements. Restarting Windows Explorer is a straightforward troubleshooting step that can resolve minor issues with Quick Settings.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
1. To access the Task Manager, press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination. You can also right-click on the Taskbar and choose Task Manager from the context menu.
2. Now, navigate to the Processes tab in the Task Manager window. Look for Windows Explorer in the list of processes that are running.
3. Once you’ve found Windows Explorer, right-click it to open the context menu.
4. From the context menu, choose Restart or click on the Restart Task button. This action will force Windows Explorer to close and then restart.
After restarting, see if the Quick Settings are responsive. Restarting Windows Explorer is a quick and easy fix that often resolves Quick Settings issues. If the issue persists, you can move on to other troubleshooting steps to determine and resolve the underlying cause.
2. Restart your System
Restarting your computer is a simple but effective troubleshooting step that can help resolve a variety of temporary issues, including Quick Settings not responding. Many users overlook this simple solution, but you’d be surprised how often a simple restart can work like magic to restore your system to its original state.
When you have problems with Quick Settings not responding or acting strangely, it could be due to several factors. Software conflicts or minor glitches can occur during system operation, causing certain components, such as Quick Settings, to become unresponsive. Moreover, certain background processes or applications may not function as expected, affecting the overall performance of your system.
A system restart clears out any temporary data and processes that may be causing the issue. Consider it a fresh start for your computer. When you restart your computer, it closes all open applications, closes background processes, and clears the memory cache, allowing your system to start from scratch. However, if you are still facing issues, you can follow the methods below.
3. Run SFC
If you think your Windows system has corrupted system files that are causing problems, running a System File Checker (SFC) scan is a great way to find out and solve potential issues. The SFC tool is a built-in Windows program that scans for and repairs faulty or corrupted system files.
To start the SFC scan, you can follow these steps:
1. Click the Start Menu button. To find the Command Prompt application, type Command Prompt into the search bar and choose the Run as administrator option.
2. This will launch the Command Prompt with administrative privileges, which is required for the SFC scan to run.
3. When the Command Prompt window appears, type the following command and press the Enter key. SFC will now start scanning your system for corrupted or missing system files.
sfc /scannow
4. Depending on the size of your system and the number of files to be checked, the scan may take a few minutes to complete. Sit back and let the scan complete.
5. The results of the SFC scan will be displayed once the scan is completed. If it finds any problems with your system files, it will automatically try to repair them.
6. When the scan and repairs are done, restart your computer to make sure the changes are applied.
7. After restarting your computer, press Win + A to access the Action Centre. Check to see if the problem with the Quick Settings not working on Windows has been resolved.
4. Run DISM Scan
If the SFC scan fails to identify and solve the problem, you can use the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tool to restore the health of your disc. Here’s how to run the DISM scan:
1. Just like before, open Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
2. After that, run the below-mentioned commands one at a time. This includes – CheckHealth, ScanHealth, and RestoreHealth.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Allow the DISM scan to finish its work. Depending on the size and condition of your disc, the scan can take some time to complete.
4. After the DISM scan completes successfully, restart your computer to make sure the changes take effect.
Running the DISM scan can repair any corrupted or damaged system files that are discovered. After that, check to see if you can now access Quick Settings on Windows 11.
5. Check Windows Services
Windows Services are important to enable and support various features on your computer. The “Connected Devices Platform,” which is required for accessing and using Quick Settings, is one of these essential services.
If, for some reason, this service is disabled, you can enable it through the following steps:
1. To open the Run dialogue box, press the Win + R key.
2. Type services.msc into the text box and press the Enter key.
3. It will open the Services window. Here, scroll through the list of services, look for the Connected Devices Platform Service option, and double-click on it.
4. It will open the Properties window; there’s a drop-down menu next to the Startup type option. Set the service to start automatically when your PC boots up by selecting Automatic from the menu.
5. To save your changes, click the Apply button and check if the service is running or not. If it is not running, you can manually start it by clicking the Start button in the same window.
6. After that, click OK to close the window.
6. Edit the System Registry
If the above methods don’t resolve the issue of Quick Settings not responding, then you can edit the system registry.
Changing registry files requires extreme caution because it can have a negative impact on your system. So, carefully follow only the steps mentioned here in the guide:
1. Open the Start menu, type regedit, and click on Open to launch the Registry Editor window.
2. When the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears. Here, select Yes to give the Registry Editor administrative access.
3. Now, navigate to the following path in the Registry Editor window:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
4. In the Registry Editor’s left pane, click the Explorer button.
5. After that, right-click an empty area in the right pane and select the New > DWORD (32-bit) Value option. To save the newly created folder, type NoControlPanel and press the Enter key.
6. Now, right-click the NoControlPanel folder and choose Modify from the context menu that appears.
7. Set the Value data to 0 in the popup window and select the Base to Hexadecimal.
8. Now, to apply the changes click on the OK button.
Restart your computer after completing the preceding steps to allow the changes to take effect. When you restart your computer, try opening Quick Settings again.
7. Create a New User Account
If the problem continues, then sometimes a corrupted user account file can also stop the Quick Settings menu from responding. To address this issue, create a new user account in Windows 11.
Here’s how you can create a new user account:
1. To open the Settings app, press the Win + I key combination.
2. Then, go to the Accounts tab and select the Other users option.
3. After that, under the Other users section, click the Add account button.
4. Next, enter another Microsoft email address if you have one, or select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information to use a local account on your system.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions to create a new user account on your Windows PC. Once the account has been successfully created, log in with the newly created user account to see if the Quick Settings problem has been resolved.
8. Update Windows
If you have been ignoring Windows updates, you may still be running an older version of Windows 11. To address this, it is critical to install any pending updates as soon as possible to see if they resolve the Quick Settings issue.
To update your Windows operating system, follow these steps:
1. Open Windows settings.
2. Navigate to the Windows Update section of the Settings app. Here, click on the Check for Updates button.
3. If there are any pending updates available, they will be listed. To install it, click on the Download & Install button.
4. The updates will be automatically downloaded and installed. This may take some time, depending on the size and number of updates, so please be patient.
5. After installing the updates, your computer may need to restart to apply the changes. If prompted, restart your computer.
After that, check to see if the Quick Settings are now working properly after restarting your computer. Installing the most recent Windows updates can frequently bring important improvements, bug fixes, and compatibility enhancements that may address the Quick Settings problem.
9. Reset Windows 11
After following all the methods mentioned and still experiencing Quick Settings not working, the only possible solution is to reset Windows 11 to its default settings.
You can easily do this by following the steps listed below.
1. Press Win + I to open Settings on your PC. Then select the Recovery option from the right pane.
2. Here, you will get the recovery options. Click the Reset PC button.
3. You will get different reset options. Choose the option according to your needs. If you don’t want to lose any data from your Windows system, you can choose to keep your files.
4. After that, wait for the process to be completed.
This is the ultimate solution to fix any Windows issues that cannot be fixed with other troubleshooting methods.
Conclusion
Quick Settings is a valuable feature that enhances the user experience on Windows 11. If you encounter issues with Quick Settings not working, try the troubleshooting methods mentioned in this guide.
By following these steps, you can restore the functionality of Quick Settings and enjoy a smooth Windows 11 experience. However, sometimes a simple restart can fix minor Windows errors.
