Many NVIDIA graphics card users have complained about their Control Panel, not opening. This problem happens in various Windows versions, ranging from Windows 7 to the latest Windows 10. Users are not able to open the NVIDIA Control Panel through the start menu. The users claim that even when they check the Windows Update, all the drivers are up to date. This is a problem, as the drivers are not up to date if such an issue arises.
This article will present some methods to fix the “NVIDIA Control Panel, not opening” error. It would be best to update and reinstall the graphics card, as the problem might be because the driver is out of date. Also, you can try checking the NVIDIA Display Driver Service or attempt restarting the Control Panel process.
How to Fix NVIDIA Control Panel Not Opening Error
This article explains all these methods in detail so that you can try it by yourself. However, the cause of the issue might be different for various devices. Therefore, try carrying out the following methods in case the first one does not resolve the problem.
Solution 1: Reinstalling NVIDIA Drivers
The foremost thing to try out is uninstalling the NVIDIA drivers and installing them once again. Along with uninstalling the drivers, you have to remove the Geforce Experience application too. Follow the instructions below for carrying out this method:
Step 1: Firstly, press the combination keys Windows + R and type devmgmt.MSC on the Run dialogue box that appears. When you click the Enter key, the Device Management Console opens.
Step 2: After this, expand the Display adapters and right-click on your NVIDIA adapter that comes under this section. Select the Uninstall option and choose the option that says Delete the driver software for this device. Press OK to remove the drivers.
Step 3: Go to the NVIDIA Driver page and find your graphics card drivers. Moreover, you can manually search for your drivers under the first option. You have to enter the product type, the series it belongs to, the Operating System, and other necessary information regarding the driver. Click on search, and when the new driver for your card displays, click on the option to download.
Step 4: Navigate to the download location of the driver and launch the installer. For installing, click on the Custom Options and opt for a clean install. This option helps to move away from the earlier versions and install the newest version.
Step 5: Finally, restart your PC, launch the NVIDIA Control Panel, and check if it works.
Solution 2: NVIDIA Display Driver Service
The NVIDIA Display Driver Service launches the Control Panel. Therefore, you need to check if it is working well.
Step 1: Firstly, press the Windows + R combination keys to open the Run dialogue box. To open the Services Console, type services.MSC and press the Enter key.
Step 2: Search for NVIDIA Display Driver Service under the Services window and double-click on it. Keep the Startup type as Automatic and start the service.
Step 3: Do the same steps for all the other NVIDIA related services that you can find.
Step 4: After finishing this process, try to open the NVIDIA Control Panel and check if it works.
Solution 3: Restarting the NVIDIA Control Panel Process
The Control Panel might fail to launch if you skip the restarting process. Try restarting the NVIDIA Control Panel by following these steps:
Step 1: First of all, press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination to launch the Task Manager.
Step 2: Choose more details and click on the Processes Search for the NVIDIA Control Panel Process that appears as nviplui.exe, right-click on it and click on End Task.
Step 3: Repeat the same process for other processes such as the NVIDIA User Experience Driver Component that appears as exe in the Task Manager.
Step 4: Go back to your desktop, or select the start menu to open the Control Panel again. It would most probably work this time.
Solution 4: Set Highest Resolution
The NVIDIA Control Panel might not work if you launch it in low resolution. To avoid issues related to the Control Panel, try keeping it in the highest resolution. Here are the steps to adjust the resolution:
Step 1: Firstly, go to the desktop and right-click to find Display settings.
Step 2: Click on the Display settings and modify your device’s resolution to a higher value. It displays a recommended value, and you can try using that.
Step 3: Finally, relaunch the Control Panel to see if it opens now.
Solution 5: Registry Fix
This method is a little tricky when compared to the previous ones. You have to be extremely careful while fixing your registry. However, if the above methods did not work well for you, you can try this procedure. You have to make sure that you backup your registry before starting this method. Follow the following steps to fix your registry:
Step 1: First of all, press the Windows + R combination to open the Run dialogue box. Type Regedit and press the Enter button to open the Registry Editor.
Step 2: Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\ContextMenuHandler
Step 3: Find NvCplDesktopContext and delete it after right-clicking on it.
Step 4: After this, go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell.
Step 5: Right-click on Shell, add a New > Key and name it Nvidia Control Panel.
Step 6: Right-click on Nvidia Control Panel and add a New → Key with the name command.
Step 7: Double click on the default value and give C:\Windows\System32\nvcplui.exe under the option of Value data. Click OK.
Step 8: Restart your computer and relaunch the Control Panel. Now you can open the Control Panel by right-clicking on the desktop and select Nvidia Control Panel.
Solution 6: Updating .NET Framework and VC++ Redistributable
NVIDIA applications work on .NET Framework and Visual C++ Redistributable. You can try to install the newest version of .NET Framework from “dotnet.microsoft.com” and the latest version of VC++ Redistributable from “support.microsoft.com”.
Another way of doing this is by running a Windows update. Press the start button and type Windows updates. Click the Enter button and Search for Updates. The list of available updates appears, and you can carry out the updates one after the other.
Solution 7: Turn Off Quick Boot
UEFI boot prompts the device to start up quickly. This makes some third party drivers such as NVIDIA skip boot. This may lead to problems in the driver, and the Control Panel stops working. You can disable the Quick Startup or Quick Boot option through the BIOS settings. To access BIOS settings, you can try using the Esc key or Delete key. The F2 to F8 or the F10 and F12 keys might work too.
Solution 8: End NVIDIA Display Container Process
Any malfunction in the NVIDIA Display Container Process can also cause the Control Panel to stop working. This method shows how to end the NVIDIA Display Container Process from the Task Manager.
Step 1: Firstly, press Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination to open the Task Manager.
Step 2: Select the Processes tab and navigate to find the NVIDIA Display Container.
Step 3: After finding the process, click on it and select the End Task.
Step 4: Finally, try launching the Control Panel once again and check if the problem appears.
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Final Words:
The issue of the NVIDIA Control Panel, not opening occurs in many Windows devices. So, When this happens, you will not be able to use your graphics card. The reason for this issue might differ in each device.
In this article, I have provided the probable reasons and the solutions for this issue. Moreover, you can try fixing the “NVIDIA Control Panel not opening” error by following the instructions given under each method. If one way does not fetch you the desired result, you can try the next. I hope this has been helpful to you.