The main cause of this issue seems to be Windows Update or Upgrade, which makes the graphics drivers incompatible with the new update. But the issue could also be because of outdated drivers, corrupt NVIDIA Control Panel, missing registry subkeys, values, or some random error.
What is NVIDIA Control Panel?
It is a software offered by NVIDIA to manage graphics settings on the computer, which is using NVIDIA GPU. It can be the integrated GPU or a dedicated graphics card. The software works on both. You can configure GPU settings and optimize for the best experience for gaming, movies, and reading.
NVIDIA Control Panel missing
The control panel offers to enhance the Geforce Experience on Windows PC. If you’re faced with this issue, you can try our recommended solutions below in no particular order and see if that helps resolve the issue. Let’s take a look at the description of the process involved concerning each of the listed solutions. Remember, there might not be a permanent solution
1] Copy the NVDisplayContainer file to the Startup folder
Do the following:
Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.Navigate to the directory below:
Note: If you cannot locate the NVIDIA folder in the Program Files (x86) folder, look for it in the Program Files folder.
At the location, right-click the NVDisplay.Container file and copy it.Now, open the Startup folder.In the Startup folder that opened, do a right-click, and paste the copied NVDisplay.Container file.Next, right-click on the NVDisplay.Container file you pasted in the Startup folder and set the file to run as administrator.Restart your computer.
On boot, check to see if the NVIDIA Control Panel is back on your desktop context menu and system tray. Read: NVIDIA Graphics driver automatically uninstalls after reboot.
2] Manually open NVIDIA Control Panel
Do the following: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc together to open Task Manager. Locate the NVIDIA Container on the list. Right-click on the NVIDIA Container and select Open File Location from the context menu. Once you click on Open File Location, you would be taken to this location: Make sure to click on the back button to navigate to the NVIDIA Corporation folder: Now, double-click on the Control Panel Client folder and find nvcplui.exe. Right-click on nvcplui.exe and select Run as administrator. Restart your computer. On boot, check to see if the missing NVIDIA Control Panel is back on your desktop context menu and system tray. If not, continue with the next solution.
3] Restart NVIDIA Services
Do the following:
Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.In the Run dialog box, type services.msc and hit Enter to open Services.In the Services window, scroll and locate the following services:
Now. Double-click on the NVIDIA Display Container LS entry to edit its properties.In the properties windows, click on Stop, then select Automatic from Startup type drop-down. Wait for a few minutes, then again click on Start to start the particular service.Repeat the steps for all the other remaining services of NVIDIA.Restart your computer.
On boot, check if the issue is resolved. If not, continue with the next solution.
4] Unhide your NVIDIA Control Panel
Do the following:
Open Run dialog box, then type control and hit Enter to open Control Panel.Now from View by drop-down, select Large icons.Under Control Panel, select NVIDIA Control Panel.Once the NVIDIA panel opens, click on Desktop from the menu.Click on Add Desktop Context Menu to checkmark it.
Now check your desktop; the NVIDIA Control Panel should be present there.
5] Update NVIDIA Graphics Card Driver
Do the following:
Press Windows key + X to open the Power User Menu, then press the M key to open Device Manager.Once you’re inside Device Manager, scroll down through the list of installed devices and expand/collapse the Display adapters section.Next, right-click on the NVIDIA Graphics card and choose Update driver from the context menu.At the next screen, click on Search automatically for updated driver software.Wait until the scan is complete. If a new driver version is found, follow the on-screen instructions to download & install it on your computer.Restart your device.
On boot check, if the NVIDIA Control Panel is back. Else, continue with the next solution.
6] Uninstall and reinstall NVIDIA Graphics Driver
This solution entails that you uninstall the NVIDIA GPU driver via Device Manager or use the Display Driver Uninstaller to reboot the system. After reboot, your PC will only use the basic/generic driver, and Windows Update should be able to install the driver update. However, you can manually update the driver via the NVIDIA website as well. FIX: NVIDIA Control Panel not opening.
7] Reinstall NVIDIA Control Panel app from Microsoft Store
Follow these steps to install NVIDIA Control Panel software:
Press Windows key + I to open Settings.Click on Apps.Click on Apps & Features from the left menu.Search the NVIDIA Control panel in the search box.
If the NVIDIA Control panel is already installed on your system, uninstall it. Open Microsoft Store, and search for the NVIDIA Control panel. When it appears in the list, install it. Onde installed. You can further configure it by finding it in the Start menu and launching it. After the installation, the issue should be resolved. NVIDIA Control Panel app is useful when you need to configure the graphics experience in Windows 10. It offers tons of features to tweak the visual effects and the overall performance of games. It also offers easy to use interface, but at times it may not work as expected. This is where the solutions come into the picture. I hope you tried it, and it helped.
