In this post, we’ll provide 5+ fixes (and video guides) for finding/restoring a missing Nvidia Control Panel.
There have been reports from users regarding an issue where the NVIDIA Control Panel is not showing. Different users complain about its sudden nature and take to forums to ask for solutions. Fortunately, this is something that can be fixed easily.
In this article, we’re going to talk about the various methods you can follow to fix the Nvidia Control Panel missing problem.
Social Reaction
odd… my nvidia control panel is missing some stuff. Reinstalling drivers… again?
— Roy Steves (@roysteves) October 18, 2009
Day 2: NVIDIA Control Panel is still missing.
— ale (@GTBanshii) January 13, 2019
Been trying to fix my “missing nvidia control panel” problem for months now searching and watching videos on how to fix the problem to no avail. I got pretty desperate and searched ” legit my nvidia control panel is missing” took me to a small forum which fixed the problem 😬
— Erich Sierras 🌐 (@_Vorisi_) May 7, 2019
What is the NVIDIA Control Panel?
The Nvidia Control Panel panel allows users to change the properties of the installed NVIDIA Graphics Card in their PC. However, there are cases where it is not shown in the Desktop Context menu or from Desktop itself.
The causes often range from a fault in the graphics card driver to the occurrence of some delays in the updates the device receives or perhaps missing subkeys or values from the registry.
How to Fix the Nvidia Control Panel Missing Problem
Video Guide: Nvidia Control Panel Missing, Not Showing Up Fix!
Here are some quick fixes you want to follow in order to restore your Nvidia control panel:
1st Fix: Restart NVIDIA Services
According to MeraBheja, there might be cases where the Control Panel for NVIDIA Services is missing from the context menu of the Desktop or missing in the System Tray as well. The first thing to do in this situation is to restart the service. To do so, simply follow these steps:
- Open Run by pressing Windows key + R simultaneously. In the search box, type services.msc, then press Enter.
- When the Services window opens, look for NVIDIA in the list of running services in your PC. Find any NVIDIA service and click the Restart button located on the left side of the window. In the event that the service has stopped, click the Start button.
Try to look if the method has helped restore the missing Control Panel. If not, you can restart your PC. Afterward, see if it has popped up. If not, proceed to the next method.
Video Guide: How To Fix Something Went Wrong. Try Restarting Geforce Experience Error
2nd Fix: Unhide the Control Panel for NVIDIA
According to Jonny Lin from DriverEasy, the Control Panel for NVIDIA might have been hidden by Windows when the previous version had been upgraded or when some software changed the graphics settings without you knowing. If this happens, all you need to do is to open the NVIDIA Control Panel in the Control Panel then show it in your desktop context menu. Here’s how:
- Open Control Panel by pressing Windows key + R at the same time. This will open the Run box. Type Control in the search box and press Enter.
- Once you’re in the Control Panel, try to look at the options by Large Icons. Double-click the Control Panel option for NVIDIA.
- You can also look at the Desktop or View menu. Click it and select the Add Desktop Context Menu option from the drop-down.
Try to see if the fix has worked and if the NVIDIA Control Panel has appeared in the Desktop context menu.
Video Guide: How to Find or Restore a Missing NVIDIA Control Panel
3rd Fix: Try NVIDIA Support’s Permanent Solution
In spite of the aforementioned methods being quite effective in fixing the problem, they may prove to be ineffective when the same error pops up every now and then. NVIDIA support has come up with a “permanent solution” to resolve the problem. The method which is outlined by LinusTechTips is as follows:
- Open up My Computer folder and click on the following folders in sequence:
- Program Files (x86)
- NVIDIA Corporation [Note: if not found on the Program Files (x86) folder, you can find it in the Program Files folder]
- NvContainer
- Once you are on Display.NvContainer folder, look for a file named Display.NvContainer. You should be able to right-click it. From the selection, click the Copy option.
- Look for the Startup folder in the Run Box. Start by pressing Windows key + the R key together. After opening the Run Box, type shell:startup and press Enter to be in the Startup folder.
- Within the Startup folder that has been opened a while back, right-click and paste the copy of the Display.NvContainer file.
- Right-click the copied file that had been pasted in the Startup folder and select Properties.
- From the Properties window, look for the Compatibility tab. Choose the Run as Administrator option. Click Ok to apply what has been set.
- When this is all done, restart to see if the NVIDIA Control Panel has returned on your desktop context menu and system tray.
4th Fix: Update Your Driver
If the previous fix did not work out, then this could be a problem with the driver itself. There are two ways to go about it and we will talk about the first one here. You will need to go the Device Manager to update the Graphics Driver in order to resolve the issue. This solution provided by DriverEasy follows these steps:
- Press the X and Windows keys together on the keyboard to open up the Win + X menu. Inside, you will find the Device Manager option. Click it to open.
- Within the Manager, find the Display adapter options. Look for the graphics card driver and right-click it. Click the Update driver option after.
- Once this is done, there will be a new window that will show a search option. Click that so that the driver update can be found and installed when it is available. When there is no update present, Windows will also let you know that.
- Alternatively, if this update did not help to restore the missing Control Panel, reinstall the driver.
Video Guide: How To Update Your Nvidia Drivers (Geforce GTX)
5th Fix: Download a New Driver
Another way to fix the problem is to download a different driver to replace the current one. Greybear from GEForce Forums has listed the following steps:
- Download the latest driver corresponding to your GPU in the Nvidia Driver Download
- Download the latest DDU version (you can get in here).
- Disable your WiFi.
- Open the Run box then type msconfig.
- Go to the Boot tab, then check the Safe boot option. Click Apply to reboot your computer.
- When the DDU is installed, try to run it.
- Select NVIDIA Software and drivers. Afterward, select Clean but don’t restart.
- Repeat step #4.
- When returning to normal Windows, install the NVIDIA driver you downloaded.
- Once that is done, select Custom.
- In the menu, uncheck all options except for the GPU driver.
- Check the Clean Install Box to finish the process.
- Reboot afterward.
Video Guide: How To Download & Install Nvidia Graphic Driver For Laptop & PC (Official)
Forum Feedback
To understand more about the NVidia control panel missing, we searched through different forums and message boards. In general, computers users were interested in NVidia control panel missing Windows 10/Windows 7, NVidia control panel display settings, and NVidia control panel missing G Sync.
Reinstall Solution
A computer owner reported that his NVidia control panel went missing after he updated his OS from Windows 7 to Windows 10.
- He searched for it in Control Panel to check if it was hidden, but he couldn’t find it.
- The person also looked for the NVidia folder in Program Files, but it wasn’t there.
- Other forum members suggested that he should reinstall the NVidia drivers and try again because something must have been corrupted or uninstalled during the update.
Disconnect Ethernet Cable
An individual also commented that his NVidia control panel was nowhere to be found and that he had reinstalled the drivers several times using the clean install option. However, other experienced users observed that he should download the latest drivers from the official site of NVidia and that he should disconnect his Ethernet cable. Then he must start the installation in Safe Mode.
1089 Update Issues
Another user also reports that his NVidia control panel disappeared from the menu and Control Panel after the 1089 update. Other forum members explain that sometimes drivers might not update fully when Windows get updated. That’s why he should uninstall the current drivers using Display Driver Uninstaller and then download the latest drivers from the manufacturer’s page and install them.
Enabling Windows Updates
A computer owner said that he tried to fix the NVidia control panel error by starting Windows updates in the hopes that it would update and fix the drivers. However, other users pointed out that Windows update doesn’t update associated software and that it wouldn’t repair NVidia drivers.
Add Desktop Context Menu
Another person observes that sometimes an update might hide the NVidia control panel or another software which might have changed the graphics settings.
- To remedy that problem, he says that you must press the Windows key and R at the same time to start the “Run” window.
- Then type “control,” and you’ll get the Control Panel Window.
- Next, you must click on “View” and select “Large Icons.”
- After that, you should find the NVidia Control Panel in the list and click on it.
- That will open the NVidia Control Panel window and you must check “Add Desktop Context Menu” from the Desktop Menu. Then your NVidia Control Panel should be visible again.
Wrong/Out Of Date Graphics Drivers
A person remarks that issues with NVidia Control Panel are often related to wrong graphics drivers or out-of-date-ones. The computer owner remarks that programs exist that scan your system and check for corrupted, missing, or out-of-date drivers. He says that it’s the best solution if you’re not comfortable downloading your drivers manually. The person shares that he uses Driver Easy because it’s suitable for novice computer users. What’s more, you can use it to uninstall drivers as well.
GeForce Experience
On the other hand, another individual comments that if you want to keep your NVidia drivers up to date, the best solution is GeForce Experience. It checks automatically for new drivers and allows you to install or uninstall them. The user says that it was the only thing that solved the NVidia Control Panel issue.
An individual stated that he had problems with NVidia Control Panel for a long time. However, when he asked the GeForce community, they helped him find the problem. It turned out that he had the DCH version of the drivers. As a result, he had to get the NVidia Control Panel from the Microsoft Store.
Remove Your DCH driver
Another forum member also suggested that you should remove your DCH driver and get back to the Standard one if you have problems with the NVidia control panel. He mentions that you can do that by using DDU – Display Driver Uninstaller. However, he warns that you have to download the Standard driver first and then disable your internet connection before uninstalling the DCH driver with the DDU.
A forum poster also remarks that you must do a clean install if the NVidia control panel is gone. Otherwise, if you attempt to fix the drivers, you won’t get the control panel back.
Another user also commented that the NVidia control panel was constantly disappearing from his system. After trying to uninstall/install drivers for a few days, he just downloaded it from the Microsoft Store. The person added that it was working well, however, he thought that he might have to clean install his OS if it stopped working again.
Conclusion
Some of the fixes may provide you with the solution you are looking for; however, there are also instances when none of the options work. In this case, you might want to have a professional fix the problem for you, especially if the problem is too complicated.
