I can't get into my computer's settings at all, and my volume controls aren't wo?

Post by **ichiro [Crawler]** » Fri Jan 09, 2026 12:45 pm

Before we try that, have you restarted your computer since this started?

93iewurij · Post by **93iewurij** » Fri Jan 09, 2026 1:37 pm

Yeah, If a restart didn't help, can you try opening the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard?

Sat Jan 10, 2026 3:31 am

You could also try running the Windows troubleshooter by right-clicking the speaker icon and selecting "Troubleshoot sound problems."

88951vCo · Post by **88951vCo** » Sun Jan 11, 2026 2:32 am

This. Another option is to restart Windows Explorer by opening Task Manager, finding it under Processes, and clicking "Restart." Good luck!

es691 · Post by **es691** » Sun Jan 11, 2026 12:15 pm

Yeah, that usually does the trick. If it still acts up, try checking for Windows updates afterward—sometimes a pending update can cause weird glitches.

KGflsFUXGKM · Post by **KGflsFUXGKM** » Sun Jan 11, 2026 7:34 pm

You could also try restarting Windows Explorer from the Task Manager, since that often fixes unresponsive taskbar icons. Hope that helps.

we6653ilu · Post by **we6653ilu** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 12:50 am

+1 I had the same problem last week. Restarting Explorer helped the taskbar, but I still had to run a system file check to finally get Settings open again.

ku906 · Post by **ku906** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 1:43 pm

This. Yeah, that SFC scan is a good next step—try opening Command Prompt as admin and typing "sfc /scannow" to see if it finds any issues.

4WuEcML · Post by **4WuEcML** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 6:20 pm

Same here. Agreed. If that doesn't fix it, a quick restart sometimes clears up these weird glitches too. Good luck!

1Lv6MS8E9y6R · Post by **1Lv6MS8E9y6R** » Mon Jan 12, 2026 9:57 pm

Same here. You could also try running the Windows troubleshooter for audio, since it might sort out both issues at once.