How to Reset Quick Settings in Windows 11

This simple guide will help you reset the Quick Settings panel on your Windows 11 PC back to its original state. This can fix problems if Quick Settings won’t open or if you want to start fresh with its layout.

What is Quick Settings?

On the bottom right corner of your screen, near the clock, you’ll find two important buttons:

• Notification Center (You can open it by pressing Win + N)
• Quick Settings (You can open it by pressing Win + A)

Quick Settings is where you can quickly change common settings like:

• Volume
• Screen Brightness
• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• Focus Assist (to reduce distractions)

When you’re playing music or videos in Microsoft Edge or apps like Spotify, you’ll also see media controls right above Quick Settings.

Why Reset Quick Settings?

If Quick Settings is acting strange, not opening, or you want to put all the buttons back to their default spots, resetting it will help.

Example of Quick Settings in Windows 11

How to Reset Quick Settings

Follow these easy steps:

1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run box.
2. Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Command Prompt as an administrator. (You might see a prompt asking for permission — click Yes.)
3. In the Command Prompt window, carefully type or copy and paste the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
   REG DELETE "HKCUControl PanelQuick Actions" /F

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

start explorer.exe
   

What these commands do:

• Delete the settings that control your Quick Settings layout.
• Close the Windows Explorer (the part of Windows that shows your desktop and taskbar).
• Restart Windows Explorer to apply the changes.

After this, your Quick Settings should be back to the default layout and working properly.

Need More Help?

If you want to learn more about Quick Settings or Windows 11 tips, you can visit the official Microsoft support page here: Microsoft Windows Support