How to Fix the NVIDIA Control Panel Not Opening in Windows 11
The NVIDIA Control Panel is an important app for managing your NVIDIA GPU, but sometimes it won’t open. In many such reported cases, nothing happens when users select to open the NVIDIA Control Panel; however, sometimes an error message will pop up.
If the NVIDIA Control Panel is not opening in Windows 11, don’t fret. Here’s how to get it working again.
1. Run the NVIDIA Control Panel With Admin Rights
Most users usually select to open the NVIDIA Control Panel from Windows 11’s desktop context menu. However, you can select to run that app as an administrator in the following steps:
Setting NVIDIA Control Panel to always run as administrator is tricky because that UWP app is installed within a restricted access folder. You’ll need totake ownership of the WindowsApps folderto open that directory. Then select the “Run as administrator” option for the nvcplui.exe file. The default path for the file is:
2. End NVIDIA Background Processes
Sometimes you can’t see NVIDIA Control Panel when multiple instances of it are already running. Ending NVIDIA background processes will enable you to restart the app. This is how you terminate background NVIDIA background processes:
3. Start (or Restart) the NVIDIA Display Container Service
A common reason for the NVIDIA Control Panel not opening is a disabled NVIDIA Display Container service. Other NVIDIA services also need to be enabled for the app to work right. So, you should check that service and others are enabled and running like this:
4. Repair the NVIDIA Control Panel App
Windows 11’s standardRepairandResetapp options are available for NVIDIA Control Panel. So, those troubleshooting options might help you fix that app not opening. You can select theResetandRepairoptions in the same place within the NVIDIA Control Panel settings. Our guide on aboutresetting Windows 11s appsincludes step-by-step instructions for how to apply do this.
5. Update Your PC’s NVIDIA Graphics Driver
Updating the NVIDIA graphics driver on your PC will also update the control panel app for it. So, that’s a potential solution worth trying if your graphics card’s driver is outdated. you’re able to apply this potential fix by following the instructions within ourguide to updating NVIDIA GPUs.
6. Install Missing Visual C++ Redistribute Packages
Another possibility is that the NVIDIA Control Panel doesn’t open because your PC is missing a required Visual C++ Redistributable package to run it. You can eliminate this possible cause by updating Visual C++ packages on your PC if needed. This is how to install a missing Visual C++ Redistributable in Windows:
7. Edit the Windows Registry
This Windows Registry tweak creates a new context menu option for opening the NVIDIA Control Panel. As this solution involves deleting a key, we recommend you learnhow to back up the Windows Registrybefore proceeding.
To apply this fix, edit the Registry as follows:
8. Reinstall the NVIDIA Control Panel
The NVIDIA Control Panel is a UWP app you can uninstall, download, and reinstall. If none of the other fixes in this guide work for you, that app might have corrupted or missing files. To do so, remove the NVIDIA Control Panel in Settings, as outlined in our guide forhow to uninstall apps on Windows.
When you’ve uninstalled NVIDIA Control Panel, restart your PC. Then clickGet in Storeapp on theNVIDIA Control PanelMicrosoft Store page. SelectOpen Microsoft Store, and clickGetto reinstall the app.
Tweak Graphics Settings in the NVIDIA Control Panel Again
Those potential solutions will usually fix the NVIDIA Control Panel not opening in Windows. However, there are many potential causes for the NVIDIA Control Panel not opening; and it is not guaranteed those resolutions will resolve that issue in all scenarios. If you need any more resolutions for fixing that app not starting, consider submitting a help ticket on theNVIDIA support page.
Here are your options when you can’t find the NVIDIA Control Panel on your PC.
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