Personalized Settings Not Responding: How to Fix It
Make personalized settings work again in no time
- Sometimes, you may come across an error, personalized settings not responding that prevents you to customize your desktop.Â
- While this mostly occurs after a Windows Update, the issue could also be related to corrupted system files or outdated graphics drivers.
- Sometimes, you may also see a black screen on your desktop with the error message on the top, however, this can be fixed.Â
When trying to access the personalization settings in Windows 11, you may often encounter the personalized settings not responding error.
You may want to choose a different Windows 11 theme, screen color, fonts, or lock screen to personalize your Windows appearance, however, this error can be annoying.
Why does Windows 11 Personalize not work?
If you are trying to access the Personalized Settings on your PC to change icons, themes, etc., but are unable to, there could be quite a few reasons for this issue:
- Windows Explorer fails to start – When Windows Explorer continues to run in the background, but cannot be opened normally.
- System files – Most often a Windows error may arise due to corrupted system files.
- Faulty Windows update – Chances are, that the recent Windows update came with bugs that may be causing the issue.
- File Explorer did not start correctly – Sometimes, the File Explorer may crash leading to the personalized settings not responding issue.
- Outdated graphics drivers – You may not be able to access the personalized settings also due to the graphics drivers that have not been updated, so it’s time to take action.
Fortunately, we have some solutions that will have you get rid of the personalized settings not responding issue and help you continue making the changes.
How do I fix personalized settings not responding?
Try the preliminary checks below to see if they help fixing the issue:
- Reboot your PC.
- Disconnect your devices.
- Try to disable the network connection before rebooting or shutting down after an update.
- Switch the network connection.
- Reset the GPU.
- Try using your password instead of your PIN.
- Uninstall previous Windows updates.
If the above steps fail to work, you can proceed with the main troubleshooting methods below.
1. Restart the Windows Explorer
- Right-click on the Start button and select Task Manager to open the Task Manager window.
- Next, go to the Processes tab and under Windows Processes, look for Windows Explorer.
- Now, right-click on Windows Explorer, and select Restart.
2. Update the graphics driver
- Go to the Windows icon on the taskbar, right-click the Start button, and select Device Manager to open the Device Manager window.
- Navigate to Display adapters, right-click on the device, and select Update driver.
- Next, in the Update Drivers window, click on Search automatically for drivers.
- Now, Windows will start looking for the latest drivers, and if any are available, it will apply the updates automatically.
Alternatively, you can also install the drivers manually by following three quick methods in this post.
Now, close Device Manager, restart your PC, and check if you still encounter the personalized settings not responding issue.
Expert tip:
SPONSORED
Some PC issues are hard to tackle, especially when it comes to corrupted repositories or missing Windows files. If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken.
We recommend installing Restoro, a tool that will scan your machine and identify what the fault is.
Click here to download and start repairing.
To make sure that your driver updates are safely we recommend using DriverFix, a specialized tool that finds and automatically keeps all outdated drivers up to date.
Some of the most common Windows errors and bugs are a result of old or incompatible drivers. The lack of an up-to-date system can lead to lag, system errors or even BSoDs.
To avoid these types of problems, you can use an automatic tool that will find, download, and install the right driver version on your Windows PC in just a couple of clicks, and we strongly recommend DriverFix. Here’s how to do it:
- Download and install DriverFix.
- Launch the application.
- Wait for DriverFix to detect all your faulty drivers.
- The software will now show you all the drivers that have issues, and you just need to select the ones you’d liked fixed.
- Wait for DriverFix to download and install the newest drivers.
- Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
DriverFix
Drivers will no longer create any problems if you download and use this powerful software today.
Disclaimer: this program needs to be upgraded from the free version in order to perform some specific actions.
3. Repair system files using the SFC command
- Press the Win + R keys together to open the Run console.
- Type cmd in the search bar, and press the Ctrl +Shift + Enter shortcut keys to launch the elevated Command Prompt window.
- Run the below command in the Command Prompt (Admin) window and hit Enter:
sfc / scannow
- The system checker utility will now start checking for any corrupted files and if any are found, will repair them automatically.
Once you see the success message, close Command Prompt, reboot your PC, and check if you can access the Personalized Settings now.
4. Delete an installed update in the registry editor
NOTE
- Press the Win + R keys simultaneously to launch the Run console.
- Type regedit in the search box and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Next, navigate to the below path to find the installed update:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components - Here, on the left side, under Installed Components, right-click on the last key and select Export to create a backup of the folder.
- Now, right-click again and select Delete.
This will help you uninstall the last update. Restart your PC and check if you still encounter the error while trying to access Personalized Settings.
Alternatively, you can also uninstall the previous Windows update on Windows 11 using Advanced Startup.
5. Open File Explorer using Task Manager
- Go to Start, right-click and select Task Manager.
- Click on the File tab on the top left and select Run new task.
- Type explorer in the Create new task search box and hit Enter.
This will open File Explorer instantly. Once done, check if you can access Personalized settings or if it’s still not responding.
How do I reset my Personalization on Windows 11?
To reset all your Personalization settings to default, you can follow the below instructions:
- Right-click on the Desktop and click on Personalize to open the Personalization settings window.
- Here, on the right, click on Themes.
- On the next screen, scroll down and click on Desktop icon settings.
- In the Desktop Icon Settings dialog, click on Restore Default.
- Now, return to the Personalization settings window and you can select Start, Taskbar, etc., one by one and change enable or disable the options to default settings.
- You may change the other settings like color, background, fonts, etc. to default.
If you see a black screen and a popup window with the error, refer to our detailed post on how to troubleshoot the Windows 11 black screen issue.
However, if none of the above methods work, use a restore point you created earlier on Windows 11.
For any other queries related to personalized settings, leave a message in the comments box below.
Still having issues? Fix them with this tool:
SPONSORED
If the advices above haven't solved your issue, your PC may experience deeper Windows problems. We recommend downloading this PC Repair tool (rated Great on TrustPilot.com) to easily address them. After installation, simply click the Start Scan button and then press on Repair All.
