How to Fix NVIDIA Control Panel Missing on Windows 10

Is your NVIDIA Control Panel Missing on Windows 10?

NVIDIA graphics cards have become quite popular among many computer users because they’re affordable and extremely customizable for an optimized experience. However, there have been multiple reports that the NVIDIA Control Panel goes missing on Windows 10.

The NVIDIA Control Panel lets you configure the GPU’s settings to your preferences and use case. Being unable to access it might result in lag and low computer performance, especially in gaming and rendering.

The missing NVIDIA Control Panel error may be due to several reasons like a faulty driver, missing registry entries, corrupted NVIDIA files, or an OS update. Whatever the cause may be, you don’t need to panic. This guide will walk you through several methods to fix the issue.

So let’s get straight to it!

1. Unhide The NVIDIA Control Panel.

In most cases, what causes the NVIDIA Control Panel to disappear from your desktop or system tray is that you’ve accidentally hidden it. 

Here’s how to unhide the app:

  1. To begin, open the Windows search bar by pressing the Windows key + S on your keyboard.
  2. Next, type ‘Control Panel’ and click Open.
Windows Control Panel
  1. Once the window opens, click on the drop-down arrow on the address bar of the Control Panel and select All Control Panel Items.
All Control Panel Items option
  1. Alternatively, you can change the View by option to Large icons. Then, look for the NVIDIA Control Panel option and click to open it.
NVIDIA Control Panel Missing on Windows 10
  1. After that, click on the Desktop tab on the navigation menu and click on the Add Desktop Context Menu and Show Notification Tray options to enable them.
NVIDIA Control Panel Missing on Windows 10

These steps will unhide the NVIDIA Control Panel. You should now be able to access it from the desktop or the system tray.

2. Restart NVIDIA Services if NVIDIA Control Panel Is Missing on Windows 10.

If the above method fails to work, try restarting the NVIDIA services. This could return the proper functionality of the program since it helps to get rid of any possible glitches in the system and clear up some cache.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

  1. Start by opening the run command box by pressing the Windows key + R on your keyboard.
  2. Now, type ‘services.msc’ and press OK to open the Services window.
Run command box on Windows 10
  1. All the services currently running on your computer will be displayed. You need to look for NVIDIA Display Container LS on the list.
  2. Once located, right-click on it to open the context menu and select Restart.
NVIDIA Control Panel Missing on Windows 10
  1. Also, locate NVIDIA LocalSystem Container, NVIDIA NetworkService Container, and NVIDIA Telemetry Container, then select Restart after right-clicking on each of them.

These are all the NVIDIA services you need to restart. Once done, check and see if the NVIDIA Control Panel now appears on your desktop or the system tray.

3. Manually Open The NVIDIA Control Panel.

You can also launch the NVIDIA application manually until you find a permanent fix. Following this method might even cause the NVIDIA Control Panel to reappear on your computer. 

Below are the steps you need to follow:

  1. Go ahead and right-click on your taskbar, then select Task Manager.
  2. If it launches in a compact window, you can expand it by clicking on the More details button at the bottom-left.
  3. Under the Processes tab, scroll down to NVIDIA Container. Then, right-click on it and choose Open file location.
Open file location via Task Manager
  1. Once there, either click on the up arrow next to the address bar or copy the following location in the address bar: C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation
NVIDIA Control Panel Missing on Windows 10
  1. Then, click to open the Control Panel Client folder.
  2. Lastly, right-click on the nvcplui.exe file and select Run as administrator.
Manually open NVIDIA Control Panel

While you’re at it, create a desktop shortcut for your own convenience from the same context menu that comes out in the last step.

4. Update The NVIDIA Display Driver.

Updating the display driver is important, especially if you have recently upgraded your computer to Windows 10. It results in compatibility issues that cause several errors. This method is one of the most reliable and effective solutions to the missing NVIDIA Control Panel problem.

This is how you deal with an outdated NVIDIA version:

  1. First, press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the run command box.
  2. Next, open the Device Manager window by typing ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the command box and pressing OK.
Run command box Windows 10
  1. Once there, look for Display adapters and click on the downward arrow on its left to expand the options.
  2. Now, right-click on the current driver running on your PC and select Update driver.
Windows Device Manager
  1. In the next window, click on Search automatically for drivers so that you don’t have to download and install the update manually.
NVIDIA Control Panel Missing on Windows 10

Once done, exit the Device Manager and restart your computer.

5. Reinstall the NVIDIA Graphics Card Driver.

Most of the computer issues are resolved upon a clean reinstallation. This is why we recommend reinstalling the card driver if the NVIDIA Control Panel goes missing on your Windows 10 PC.

To do so, follow the steps below:

  1. First, you’ll need to download the Display Driver Uninstaller
  2. Then, run its application file to install it on your computer.
  3. Once the installation process is completed, open its directory folder and click on the Display Driver Uninstaller.exe file.
Display Driver Uninstaller application
  1. Now, move past the user prompts. After that, Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) will alert you that the computer is not running under safe mode. Before booting into safe mode, download the NVIDIA Drivers.
NVIDIA Driver Downloads
  1. To boot into safe mode, launch System Configuration. Under the Boot tab, check the box for Safe boot and click OK. Restart your computer to apply the changes. 
Windows 10 safe mode
  1. Next, open DDU, click on the drop-down menu for Select device and select GPU.
  2. Once the system detects your GPU, click on Clean and Restart. This will uninstall the graphics driver from your computer.
NVIDIA Control Panel Missing on Windows 10
  1. When the reboot is complete, open the NVIDIA Drivers and follow the instructions that will show to install it on your computer.
  2. Finally, do another reboot.

By this time,  the NVIDIA Control Panel should be visible on your computer.

6. Use NVIDIA’s Official Fix if NVIDIA Control Panel Is Missing on Windows 10.

NVIDIA is aware of this common issue faced by many users. With that, their support system has provided the users with a permanent and official fix for the NVIDIA Control Panel missing problem. If none of the above methods work for you, try this.

Here is what you need to do:

  1. To start, press the Windows key + X and click on File Explorer.
  2. Then, click on the Program Files (x86) folder.
  3. From there, go to NVIDIA Corporation and then Display.Nvcontainer.
  4. After that, copy the file named NVDisplay.Container.exe.
NVIDIA permanent fix
  1. Now, open the run command box by pressing Windows key + R on your keyboard.
  2. Then, type ‘shell:startup’ and hit Enter. This will open up the Startup folder.
Startup window on Windows 10
  1. There, paste the previously copied file by pressing Ctrl + V. Then right-click on it and select Properties.
NVIDIA Control Panel Missing on Windows 10
  1. In the pop-up dialog box, click on Run compatibility troubleshooter under the Compatibility tab and select OK.
Compatibility troubleshooter
  1. When done, restart your computer. After that, the NVIDIA Control Panel should reappear on your computer.

This marks the end of our guide on how to resolve the missing NVIDIA Control Panel issue on Windows 10. Feel free to ask us for further assistance regarding the matter in the comment section if you face any problems.

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Author

  • Aimen Choudhry

    Aimen Choudhry is an architecture student who has always been fascinated by science. She now finds her therapy researching and writing about the latest technology and the issues that come alongside. Otherwise, you’ll find her playing video games, listening to music, or watching fantasy/sci-fi movies.

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