[Solved] NVIDIA Control Panel Not Opening on Windows

The NVIDIA control panel is a brilliant application that allows you to manage the performance of your GPU. By making a few tweaks through this app, you can significantly enhance the performance of your graphics card. This way, you can get the best out of your GPU to provide yourself with the best graphics performance possible.

Recently, users all around the globe have been complaining about some issues related to the NVIDIA control panel, saying the control panel won’t open on Windows 10 or 11. Even if it does launch, there may be certain issues of certain features missing. This can be a significant problem if you’ve been planning on fine-tuning your graphics card settings.

Although there could be many reasons for such issues, the most prominent ones may be outdated drivers, hung processes, windows updates, and antiviruses. We’ll address each cause and also provide you with fixes. So, if you want to resolve the NVIDIA control panel not opening issue, stick with us till the end. With that being said, let us head into it.

Contents

Why is my NVIDIA Control Panel not Opening?

First of all, you should know that the NVIDIA control panel only works with the NVIDIA graphics card. So, if you’ve changed your GPU to a new manufacturer, you won’t be able to use the NVIDIA control panel any longer. In addition, you will get a certain error, which you may also face if your graphics card is disconnected or malfunctioning.

On the other hand, if you have the NVIDIA graphics card and the control panel still won’t function, then the problem may have deeper roots. You’ll most likely face this issue due to outdated graphics card drivers, outdated operating systems, or the services might not be working properly.

Another major reason for the malfunctioning of the NVIDIA Control Panel may be your antivirus or maybe a third-party driver for some other device. These tools may lead to certain interferences that could cause your NVIDIA Control Panel not to work properly.

Other than NVIDIA Control Panel not opening, there are many other issues that have also been reported by users. These may be the following:

NVIDIA Control panel stopped working on Windows 10
Cannot find NVIDIA Control Panel
NVIDIA Control Panel missing
NVIDIA Control Panel failing to work on Windows 7 64 bit
NVIDIA Control Panel keeps failing to launch
NVIDIA Control Panel not showing

Although the reasons can be many, we’ll try our level best to break everything down for you and provide you with the most effective fixes out there.

How To Launch NVIDIA Control Panel on Windows

If your PC contains the required GPU, you can easily launch the NVIDIA Control Panel Application on almost any PC out there. This only applies if the circumstances are normal. You can open the NVIDIA Control Panel simply by following these steps:

Right-click on the free space present on your Windows Desktop.
Click on NVIDIA Control Panel.
Once done, the NVIDIA Control panel will launch.

How To Fix NVIDIA Control Panel Not Opening?

The following are some of the top and most effective fixes you can apply to fix the issue of the NVIDIA Control Panel not working. Go through each method until you find the most appropriate fix that works best for you. Make sure you perform each step carefully in the correct manner to obtain the best results possible. With all that being said, let’s head in and fix this issue.

Update NVIDIA Drivers

At times, outdated GPU drivers may be responsible for some issues you might be facing. Although users have reported that updating your drivers doesn’t fix this issue, it is still worth the try. Plus, updated drivers are essential for your PC to give the best results possible.

You can follow the steps below to have your NVIDIA Drivers updated:

Right-click on Start and then select Device Manager to launch it.
Find the NVIDIA driver and right-click on it. From the menu, select the Update Driver option.
If there is any update available, your PC’s wizard will install it automatically. If there is no update available, it means your drivers are already up to date.
Once the drivers are updated, restart your PC to apply the change.

Your drivers might be responsible for all sorts of issues on your PC. To fix these issues, you must have your drivers updated. To do this, visit your GPU’s manufacturer website and have the latest drivers downloaded. By installing these drivers on your PC, you should get rid of the problems you’re facing with the NVIDIA Control Panel.

Restart NVIDIA Control Panel Services

At times, there may be some issues in the NVIDIA Control Panel Services. To resolve an issue of such type, follow the steps below:

Combinedly, press on the Windows + R buttons using your keyboard and then type services.MCS. Once done, hit Enter.
This will launch the Services Window.
Navigate to the NVIDIA Display Container LS service on the list. Now right-click on the and then select Restart from the menu.
You must now repeat the same steps for the following processes: NVIDIA NetworkService Container, NVIDIA Telemetry Container, and NVIDIA LocalSystem Container.

Once you have restarted all the services, try relaunching the control panel to see if things have worked for you. If this fix doesn’t work for you, proceed to the next one.

Update Windows

At times, updating your operating system can also fix the NVIDIA Control Panel not opening issue. You may be able to resolve this by updating your Windows to the latest version.

Follow the steps below to update your Windows:

First, click on the Windows + I keys. This will open the settings applications.
After that, find your way to the Update & Security Section.
In the right pane, you’ll find the option that reads Check for updates. Go ahead and click on it.

If there are any updates available, your computer will download them automatically and install them on restarting of the PC. The problem should be resolved once your operating system is up to date, along with your drivers.

If this fix doesn’t work for you, proceed to the next one.

Check Your Antivirus

There are high chances that your default Windows Firewall protection or some third-party antivirus program is interfering with or preventing game files from running appropriately. First, try temporarily disabling firewall protection along with real-time protection. After that, you can launch God of War to see if the crashing issue is resolved or not.

Follow the steps below to perform this procedure:

First, launch the Start Menu and type Firewall in the search box.
From the search result, go ahead and select Windows Defender Firewall.
Next, you’ll see the option Turn Windows Defender Firewall On or Off in the left pane. Go ahead and click on it.
This will open a new page. Click on the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) option on this page. Apply this to both Private & Public Network Settings.
Once all of this is done, click on OK to save the changes.
Go ahead and restart your computer now.

After turning the Windows Firewall off, you’ll also have to disable Windows Security protection too. To perform this task, follow the steps below:

Press the Windows + I key to launch the Windows Settings menu.
Select the Update & Security option. Here, click on Windows Security.
After doing that, press the Open Windows Security button.
Find your way to Virus & Threat protection and click on Manage Settings.
After that, you’ll have to disable the Real-Time Protection toggle.
Once done, click OK to proceed forward.
You can also have other programs like cloud-delivered protection and tampered protection disabled if you want.

Worst case scenario, you’ll have to delete your antivirus. If this issue fails to work for you, proceed to the next one.

Terminate NVIDIA Display Contain Process

Sometimes, if there is already an NVIDIA process running on your PC, you may face the issue of the NVIDIA Control Panel, not opening. To resolve this issue, you’ll have to close the processes and then restart the application. To apply this procedure, follow the steps below:

Combinedly, click on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the task manager.
Now go ahead and click on the Details tab. Then, find your way to the NVIDIA Display Container process.
Right-click on it and end the task completely.

If this fix doesn’t work for you, proceed to the next one.

Disable Fast Startup on Windows

It was discovered that Fast Startup settings might be responsible for the malfunctioning of the NVIDIA Control Panel. In order to reload certain files and services to get rid of the issue, follow the steps below:

Click on the Windows + R keys and type Control. After that, press on Enter to launch the Control Panel.
Now select Hardware and Sound.
Next, click on the Choose what the power buttons do option.
Once done, select the option which reads Change settings that are currently unavailable.
You must now make sure the option which says “turn on fast startup” is unchecked.
Click on the Save button to apply the changes.
After going through all the steps, restart your computer and check if the NVIDIA control panel is working or not.

If the NVIDIA control panel still fails to work, try applying the next fix.

Ensure NVIDIA Control Panel Isn’t Hidden.

Sometimes, the NVIDIA control panel may not show up as it may be set hidden inside the application. To be able to view it, you must unhide it by following the steps below:

Click on the Windows + S keys and then enter Nvidia control. Now select the NVIDIA Control Panel from the list that shows up to open it.
Next, find your way to the desktop. Now select the Add Desktop Context Menu.
You should now be able to view the NVIDIA Control Panel in your context menu and on your Taskbar.

Reinstall Drivers from NVIDIA GeForce Experience

By installing drivers from NVIDIA GeForce Experience, you may be able to get rid of the NVIDIA Control Panel not opening issue. To apply this method, follow the steps below:

Launch the NVIDIA GeForce Experience application.
Now navigate your way to the Drivers section.
You’ll see an option that reads Re-Install the driver. Go ahead and select the components. Once done, click on Install.
Follow the on-screen instructions and go through each step to reinstall the drivers.

Once the drivers are completely reinstalled, check on the Nvidia control panel to see if the issue has been resolved or not.

Make Sure Necessary Services Are Running

Follow the steps below to apply this method:

First, press on the Windows + R buttons and then type services.msc. Now click OK.
Once the Services window launches, find your way to NVIDIADisplay Container LS. Right-click on it to open the properties.
It would be best if you now changed the Startup Type to Automatic and then click on the Start button in order to start the service. Now click on Apply, and then OK to save the changes that have been made.
Next, find the NVIDIA Network Service Container. Here, set the Startup type to automatic while making sure that the service is running. Apply and save the changes.

The End

As all NVIDIA users know, the NVIDIA control panel is a very handy tool that allows you to extract the best out of your GPU. Unfortunately, whenever users come up with the issue of the NVIDIA Control panel not working, they lose a lot of control over their graphics card. As we have stated, this issue could arise due to multiple reasons.

However, the solution is only one step away if you can find the reason. In this guide, we have described in detail all the causes of why the NVIDIA control panel isn’t working. After that, we have provided our readers with some of the most effective fixes out there to get rid of the problem permanently.

Of course, every fix might not work for you, depending on the root of the problem. Therefore, you can go through each fix independently to see which one works for you best. We wish you the best of luck, and we hope this guide will help you fix the NVIDIA Control Panel not opening issue.