Fix Power and Battery Settings Not Loading in Windows 11

To fix Power and battery settings not loading in Windows 11, restart your PC, install available Windows updates, then run DISM and System File Checker if the page still hangs. These steps use Windows 11 menus. Retry the page after each fix to see whether you need to continue.

Restart and try opening the page directly

Save your work, then select Start > Power > Restart. After signing in again, open Settings > System > Power & battery. A restart is a first troubleshooting step, not a guaranteed cure.

If the page still hangs, press Windows + R and enter the following command. Press Enter to open the power settings page directly.

ms-settings:powersleep

This shortcut tests another entry point into Settings; it does not repair the underlying component. If it also gets stuck, continue with the updates and repairs below.

Use alternative power controls while troubleshooting

Open Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options. If your PC offers selectable plans and a custom plan prevents you from changing Power mode, select Balanced, then retry Settings. Microsoft recommends this for a power mode restriction; it does not establish that the custom plan caused the loading failure.

On a battery-equipped PC, you can get battery information independently of Settings. Open Command Prompt and run this command:

powercfg /batteryreport

Open the generated HTML file in a browser using the location shown by the command. The report provides battery information, but it does not repair the page.

You can also manage available power plans from Command Prompt. Run this command to display them:

powercfg /list

To activate a listed plan, run powercfg /setactive followed by that plan's GUID. Available plans and settings depend on your hardware and organizational policy. For example, the following command changes the active plan's plugged-in display timeout to ten minutes:

powercfg /change monitor-timeout-ac 10

Update Windows and address relevant driver problems

Open Start > Settings > Windows Update, check for available updates, and install those offered. Restart when required, then retry Power & battery. Updates can address Windows defects without guaranteeing a fix for this symptom.

If battery detection or other hardware reporting also malfunctions, open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates. Select an applicable driver by its displayed device name, choose Download and install, and restart afterward. Driver names vary by computer; if no relevant driver is offered, continue to system-file repair.

If the problem began after a relevant driver update, consider rolling that driver back instead. A rollback replaces the current driver with an available previous driver. With administrator permissions, right-click Start, open Device Manager, locate the affected device, and right-click it.

Select Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver, choose the applicable reason, and select Yes. Restart if requested. If a previous driver is unavailable, skip the rollback and continue with Windows repair.

For applicable Surface models with charging or battery-detection problems, Microsoft provides a battery-driver reinstall procedure. Do not perform it on Surface Pro X, because restoring its removed drivers requires a full reset. This procedure addresses battery problems and is not a confirmed repair for the Settings loading failure.

The next step removes the Surface battery driver before you install updates and restart. Connect your Surface to power, open Device Manager > Batteries, then open Microsoft Surface ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery or Surface Battery. Select Driver > Uninstall Device, then select OK. Select the computer at the top of all the categories, then select Action > Scan for hardware changes. Install Surface and Windows updates and restart.

Repair Windows components and system files

DISM and System File Checker repair damaged Windows components and system files. You need administrator access to repair Windows using Command Prompt. Search for Command Prompt, select Run as administrator, then select Yes.

Run DISM first using the command below. Wait for it to finish before starting the next scan.

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

Next, run System File Checker with the following command. Keep the window open until verification finishes.

sfc /scannow

Restart the PC and open Settings > System > Power & battery again. If it still hangs, check for software interference and profile involvement.

Check startup software and your Windows profile

A clean boot helps identify interference from third-party services, startup utilities, or power-management software. Sign in as an administrator, search for msconfig, and open System Configuration. On Services, select Hide all Microsoft services, then select Disable all and Apply.

On Startup, open Task Manager and disable the enabled startup entries, recording your changes. This temporarily stops apps from opening on startup. Close Task Manager, select OK in System Configuration, and restart.

Test the Settings page again. If it loads, re-enable entries in groups to identify the interfering software. Restore your normal startup configuration afterward; if the clean boot makes no difference, continue with the other diagnostic checks.

Uninstalling an identified conflicting utility removes that application. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, open the app's menu, and select Uninstall. If Settings is unusable, open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, right-click the program, and select Uninstall or Uninstall/Change. Complete its uninstaller and restart.

Safe Mode provides another diagnostic comparison, although some functionality is deliberately unavailable there. Have your BitLocker recovery key available if your device is encrypted. To access the Windows Recovery Environment without opening Settings, hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart.

Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. Press 4 or F4 for Enable Safe Mode, then check whether the problem changes. A missing feature in Safe Mode is not itself proof of corruption. Restart normally afterward.

A separate Windows account can help you check whether the original profile is involved. Open Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add account. Select I don't have this person's sign-in information, then select Add a user without a Microsoft account and complete account creation.

Sign in to the new account and test Power & battery. If it works there, investigate the original profile before deleting or migrating anything. If Settings cannot open far enough to create an account, continue to the repair options.

Check restrictions on a managed PC

If your work or school PC redirects you to Settings home instead of opening the power page, ask your administrator to check page visibility policy. A hidden page normally causes that redirect, which differs from an endless loading animation. These checks apply to managed devices and editions supporting the relevant policy mechanism.

Have the administrator inspect Computer Configuration or User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Settings Page Visibility. They can remove the relevant restriction from the hide: list or include the page in the showonly: list, then apply the corrected policy. In Intune, they should inspect Settings > Page Visibility List or Page Visibility List (User).

If Settings cannot start at all, a separate access policy may be relevant on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, Education, and applicable IoT Enterprise editions. Have the administrator inspect User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Prohibit access to Control Panel and PC settings, disable an unintended restriction, and apply the updated policy. The corresponding MDM setting is:

./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ControlPanel/NoControlPanel

Reinstall Windows while keeping files and apps

The Windows Update repair option reinstalls the current Windows version while preserving your files, applications, and settings. Connect the PC to power and the internet, then open Settings > System > Recovery. Under Fix problems using Windows Update, select Reinstall now, then select OK.

Let the repair installation finish and restart afterward. This option requires Windows 11's 2022 annual update or later, plus the February 2024 optional update or later, and organizational update policies can hide it. If the option is missing or Settings is inaccessible, use compatible installation media while Windows still starts.

Back up important data before reinstalling Windows, and choose the retention option to preserve your files and apps. Open Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page and choose Create Windows 11 Installation Media or the appropriate disk-image option. Match the media to your installed architecture, edition, and language. The Media Creation Tool is for x64 PCs; Arm devices need appropriate Arm media or the Windows Update route.

While signed in to Windows, open the installation media in File Explorer and run setup.exe, then select Yes. To reinstall Windows and choose what stays, select Change what to keep, choose Keep personal files and apps, then select Next and Install.

Undo a Windows change that triggered the problem

If a recent Windows update caused the problem, Microsoft recommends trying the repair reinstall first. Removing a security update also removes its protections. Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates, locate the problematic update, and select Uninstall.

Only removable updates can be uninstalled. If Windows is inaccessible, use Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates in Windows Recovery Environment. If the update cannot be removed, continue with another recovery option.

System Restore is an option when you already have a suitable restore point from before the fault. It reverts system changes and affected applications; personal files are not the target of restoration. Press Windows + R, enter the following command, then press Enter.

rstrui.exe

Select Next and a restore point predating the problem. Select Scan for affected programs to review affected software, then select Next and Finish. You can also reach this tool through Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore in Windows Recovery Environment. Without a suitable restore point, continue to the remaining recovery options.

Reset or rebuild Windows as a last resort

Use a reset after less disruptive repairs fail. Even when you retain personal files, resetting removes applications and settings, so back up your files and obtain your BitLocker recovery key if applicable before proceeding. Open Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC, then select Keep my files to reset Windows while retaining personal files.

Choose Cloud download or Local reinstall. The Cloud download option is useful when local installation files are damaged. Review the removal summary before completing the reset.

Microsoft also provides Cloud rebuild for Windows 11 with the October 2026 non-security update or later. If that option is missing, use the reset or compatible installation-media route described above. Cloud rebuild removes local files, accounts, applications, and settings, so back up all needed files before proceeding.

Connect the PC to power and ensure internet access, then open Settings > System > Recovery > Rebuild this PC > Rebuild PC. Alternatively, select Troubleshoot > Cloud rebuild in Windows Recovery Environment. Connect to the network, select Remove files, verify the displayed Windows version, edition, and language, then select Continue. Wait for installation to finish and complete initial setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you run the old Power troubleshooter?

Microsoft lists the old MSDT-based Power troubleshooter among the troubleshooters being removed. It is not being redirected to a replacement Power troubleshooter in Get Help, so old launch instructions should not be treated as a current Windows 11 repair.

Is a power plan the same as the Power mode setting?

A power plan is not identical to the Power mode selector in Settings. Changing a plan from the command line does not mean you have changed that selector.

Why does the direct command refer to sleep?

Microsoft still documents ms-settings:powersleep under the older descriptive label Power & sleep. Your device's capabilities and policies determine which settings appear when you open it.

Can you use Windows 11 Installation Assistant on an Arm PC?

Windows 11 Installation Assistant is for supported x64 upgrades. For an Arm device, use the appropriate Arm installation media or the Windows Update route.