Windows 10/11 Personalization Won't Open? Try These Fixes

The Personalize feature in Windows 10 allows the users to customize their desktop. You can change the desktop background, customize colors, lock screen, themes , and more. Some users have reported that Windows 10 won’t open personalize from the desktop issue.

According to a user report in the Microsoft Community, after right-clicking on the desktop and select Personalize an error message pops-up.

I have Windows 10 Insider Preview build 10074, and when I try to personalize, (Right click desktop screen > Personalize) It won’t open.

If you are also troubled by this error, here are a couple of troubleshooting tips to help you fix Windows 10 won’t open personalization in Windows.

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How do I fix the Windows 10 personalization issue?

1. Check Windows activation

1. One reason why some functionalities of Windows may not work is that the Windows version is not activated.
2. Click on Start and select Settings.
3. Go to Update and Security.
4. From the left pane, click on Activation.
5. On the right side, check if the “Windows is activated” message is displayed. If it says Windows is not activated, you may have to activate your license to access the Personalize option.

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Want to block all Windows 10 processes, except one? Check this guide out

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2. Check for pending updates

1. Microsoft periodically releases new updates to fix bugs in the OS. Check if any updates are pending and require installation.
2. Click on Start and select Settings.
3. Go to Updates and Security.
4. Click on Windows Updates.
5. Check if any updates are available for download.
6. If not, click on Check now to find available updates.
7. Download and install any pending updates.
8. Check if the Windows 10 won’t open personalize issue is resolved.

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3. Try System Restore Points

1. When enabled, Windows automatically creates a system restore point. If the issue occurred after installing an update or app, you can use Restore Point to restore the PC.
2. Press the Windows key and type restore in the search bar.
3. Click on the “Create a Restore Point” option.
4. In the System Properties window, click on “System Restore” button.
5. Click Next to proceed.
6. Check the “Show more restore points” box. This will display all the available restore points.
7. Select the most recently created restore point and click Next.
8. Read the on-screen message and click on Finish to proceed.
9. Wait for the system to restore the computer to the earlier point when it was working without any issues.
10. After the system restore is complete, check if you can open Personalize in Windows 10.

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4. Reset this PC

1. If the issue persists, try resetting the PC. There are two options to reset your PC.
2. Click on Start > Settings.
3. Go to Recovery.
4. Under “Reset this PC” click on Get Started.
5. Under “Choose an option” you have the following options:
   Keep my files: First, select this option. It will uninstall the apps and settings but will keep your personal files.
   Remove everything:  If the first option doesn’t work, select this option. This will remove all of your apps, settings, and personal files and the PC will be reset to factory settings.
6. Once done, right-click on the desktop and select Personalize.

In case the issue persists, you may have to fresh install Windows 10. Create a bootable USB drive and perform a clean install.