Most Effective Methods to Fix “NVIDIA Control Panel Missing” in 2023

NVIDIA Control Panel Missing

If you use NVIDIA graphics adapter, you may find the NVIDIA Control Panel missing once in a while. With the control panel missing, you may not be able to manage the graphics adapter as you wish. Not to mention that it will get more difficult when the error in the adapter occurs.

The error may often occur when the graphics adapter installs an update. With the latest update, NVIDIA graphics adapter often misses registry values. It often results in the incomplete update of the adapter itself. In return, the NVIDIA Control Panel tends to miss from the desktop or even from the Windows control panel.

For an avid user of NVIDIA, it must have been thoroughly irritating to meet this error. Despite the continuous operation, the graphics adapter itself cannot be controlled on its own. While the trouble may seem difficult to solve, you can actually solve it easily. In order to fix the missing NVIDIA Control Panel, you can perform one of these methods we have curated below.


Methods to Fix “NVIDIA Control Panel Missing” Issue

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When you NVIDIA Control Panel is missing, you should check whether or not the NVIDIA graphics adapter still works. A lot of times the missing control panel loses in the way because of the latest update. In this case, the control panel will only be hidden from the screen. Some other time, the control panel along with the graphics adapter may stop working completely. When your Windows PC experiences high memory usage or CPU’s high temperature, the NVIDIA graphics adapter can malfunction altogether.

As always, you must make sure to check everything about the program before you perform each method we have curated below. The NVIDIA control panel may only be hidden for all you know, but it can also be erased completely. In order to fix the missing NVIDIA control panel, you can check out the methods below. See if one of these methods can fix the problem for you.


Unhide the NVIDIA Control Panel

Due to the regular changes, NVIDIA often performs updates automatically. When you do not set the update schedules, the program will follow the factory updates on itself. In the process, the NVIDIA control panel may go missing unexpectedly. If this happens, you can check the Windows Control Panel and see if the control panel still exists in the desktop menu.

In order to check the existence of the NVIDIA control panel, follow these steps below.

Step 1: Proceed to open a Run box by pressing Windows and R buttons at the same time.

Step 2: Once the Run box appears, type control and press Enter.

Step 3: A Control Panel window will appear shortly after.

Step 4: Locate “Large icons” on the Control Panel, under View by, and select it.

Step 5: Look for NVIDIA Control Panel and select it.

Step 6: In the NVIDIA Control Panel, select “View” or “Desktop”.

Step 7: On the checkbox, tick on the box with the option “Add Desktop Context Menu”.

Step 8: Go back to your Windows desktop and right-click on the display screen. The NVIDIA control panel should reappear.


Restarting NVIDIA Program

Restarting NVIDIA Program

After an update, it is possible for the NVIDIA control panel to be missing from the desktop context menu and the system tray. A simple way to fix the “NVIDIA control panel missing” error is to restart NVIDIA specific services. In order to do that, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1: Proceed to open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows and R buttons at the same time.

Step 2: On the Run box, type in services.msc and press Enter to continue.

Step 3: Services window will appear shortly after.

Step 4: See the list of services and look for the service with the name NVIDIA.

Step 5: Choose each one of NVIDIA services. Look for the Restart button on the left side of the window and click on it.

Step 6: Once each of the services stops, click the Start button.

Step 7: Restart your PC at last.

Step 8: Right-click on the Windows desktop screen and see if the control panel has returned once more.


Launch NVIDIA Control Panel Manually

Launch NVIDIA Control Panel Manually

In case you cannot find the permanent fix yet, you can always try to launch the NVIDIA control panel manually. By doing so, you will create a desktop shortcut for the control panel. In order to do this method, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1: Proceed to go to My Computer.

Step 2: Afterward, go ahead to the C Drive folder.

Step 3: Open the Program Files folder.

Step 4: In the Program Files folder, locate the NVIDIA Corporation folder.

Step 5: If there is no NVIDIA Corporation folder in Program Files, then you can look for it in Program Files (x86) folder.

Step 6: When you get in the NVIDIA Corporation folder, you can open the Control Panel Client.

Step 7: Within this folder, you can look for the nvcplui file.

Step 8: Proceed to right-click on the nvcplui file. Afterward, select “Run as administrator” option. In doing so, you can also create a Desktop Shortcut of the NVIDIA Control Panel from the right-click menu of nvcplui.


Seek NVIDIA Support to Get the Missing NVIDIA Control Panel Back

If you cannot follow the methods provided before, you can always seek for NVIDIA Support to fix the missing control panel issue. Note that this is a permanent solution provided by NVIDIA itself.

In order to perform this method, you can follow these steps below.

Step 1: Go to My Computer and locate the path as follows: Program Files (x86) > NVIDIA Corporation > Display.NvContainer. If you cannot find the NVIDIA related folder in Program Files (x86), locate it in the Program Files folder.

Step 2: Locate a file named Display.NvContainer.

Step 3: Right-click on the file and choose the option “Copy”.

Step 4: Afterward, open the Startup folder from the Run box. Simply type shell:startup and press Enter.

Step 5: Once the Startup folder appears, paste the Display.NvContainer file in the folder.

Step 6: Right-click on the Display.NvContainer in the Startup folder and choose the option “Properties”.

Step 7: The Properties window will appear shortly. Among the tabs on the Properties window, proceed to go to the Compatibility tab.

Step 8: Once you open the tab, you will see “Run this program as administrator” checkmark option.

Step 9: Tick the checkbox.

Step 10: At last, click OK to save the settings.

Step 11: Make sure to restart your Windows PC afterward. Once the PC turns back on, you should find the NVIDIA Control Panel back on the desktop context menu and system tray.


Updating Graphics Driver

Updating Graphics Driver

In case the NVIDIA control panel does not appear, you may want to check the graphics driver. Other than the missing control panel, the graphics adapter driver can trigger the malfunctions. Therefore, you will need to check on the graphics driver whenever this problem occurs. The missing control panel can return when you update your graphics driver. Just like any other outdated driver cases, a program can experience malfunctions when not updated properly. In this case, the control panel may go missing due to the outdated graphics adapter driver. In addition to that, you should also check whether the graphics adapter on your PC has the correct driver. If you want to check and update the graphics updater driver, look for the best driver updater. Once you get the right updater, you can update the outdated driver and get the control panel back.


Install NVIDIA Graphics Driver Again

Install NVIDIA Graphics Driver Again

If the updating method does not work, then you can try to install the graphics driver again. In case you cannot find the NVIDIA control panel in the desktop context menu and system tray, you can try reinstalling the graphics driver. First, you must uninstall the current NVIDIA control panel. Afterward, you can download the NVIDIA control panel again. In order to do that, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1: Press Windows and X buttons at the same time.

Step 2: From the list of the programs on the screen select Device Manager.

Step 3: Look for the “Display adapters” option and select it.

Step 4: Right-click on the NVIDIA Graphics Card driver and choose the “Uninstall device” option.

Step 5: Once the driver is uninstalled, you can download the NVIDIA graphics adapters again here and get the missing control panel back.

Step 6: You may proceed with the selections of Product Type, Product Series, and Product Options. Match the NVIDIA graphics adapter driver with your computer’s configuration to download the new control panel.

Step 7: After you download it, you can install the NVIDIA graphics adapter driver on your Windows PC and get the missing control panel back.

Step 8: After finishing the installation, you can restart your Windows PC. See if the NVIDIA control panel appears on the desktop context menu and system tray.


Conclusion

Despite the continuous operation, the graphics adapter itself cannot be controlled on its own. While the trouble may seem difficult to solve, you can actually solve it easily. A lot of times the missing control panel loses in the way because of the latest update. In this case, the control panel will only be hidden from the screen. Some other time, the control panel along with the graphics adapter may stop working completely. Because of the regular changes, NVIDIA often performs updates automatically. When you do not set the update schedules, the program will follow the factory updates on itself. In the process, the control panel may go missing unexpectedly. If this happens, you can check the Windows Control Panel and see if the control panel still exists in the desktop menu.

Written by Vlad Akilov

The former owner of The Blog Joint, that t is a blog about all technology news in the world, it will include funny and interesting stories and reviews. Also some useful links and stories from other blogs that we find that the readers would like to know about and might even learn from.