Can't access Settings

[frkmann]

Whenever I try and access the Settings app it won't open and briefly flashes a message "Settings has stopped". I've tried to find away of deleting the data/cache for it as I've seen that has helped some people with the same issue, but all the apps I try and use to do so require access which is given via the settings.

I've tried the obvious in restarting my phone which did nothing, and I'm trying to avoid doing a hard reset.
Can anyone help?

Thanks.

 

[ocnbrze]

Whenever I try and access the Settings app it won't open and briefly flashes a message "Settings has stopped". I've tried to find away of deleting the data/cache for it as I've seen that has helped some people with the same issue, but all the apps I try and use to do so require access which is given via the settings.

I've tried the obvious in restarting my phone which did nothing, and I'm trying to avoid doing a hard reset.
Can anyone help?

Thanks.

what phone do you have? when did this start happening? was this after an update? or just happened randomly?

 

[frkmann]

Just happened randomly. Not even sure when it happened, although it must have been in the last week as I remember being able to use/access the bluetooth settings for my earphones last Friday.
The phone is a HTC U11.

 

[ocnbrze]

well your phone came out in 2017. these kind of bugs or glitches are going to happen more frequently. maybe its time to start to consider upgrading the phone.

but if you want to get things working again. you can either try and flash a firmware update(i think htc calls the RUU's) or you can just do either a factory reset from the phone's settings or do a hard reset using some vol and power button combination.

if you do d hard reset, keep in mind that this will trip Google's FRP (Factory Reset Protection).....so make sure that you know your google account info that was used on the phone. verify that your username and password are correct.

htc u11 ruu's:

[COLLECTION] HTCU U11 – RUU/Firmware/Recovery/OTA/Backups

This thread has the aim is to provide you with one single thread to find what you seek and where every user can participate by sharing files and/or links to. Here's a list of all variants as thankfully provided by Kisakuku: htc_ocndtwl - China...

forum.xda-developers.com

how to hard reset:

https://www.hardreset.info/devices/htc/htc-u11/

 

[frkmann]

Thanks for these suggestions. I decided to try the flashing option first and started to follow the instructions as per Post #3 but then under the Prerequisites section it refers to the HTC 10 and earlier in the post it says " I'll double check all what's written below and alter it to reflect the the currrent situation on the HTC U11 if needed". It doesn't appear to have been altered for the U11, so I thought I'd try and find a flashing method dedicated to the U11.
I went through the stepped process on this page:
HTC U11 Stock ROM Firmware (Flash File)
...grabbing the Flash file from there and then the most recent HTC USB Driver from here:
Download Archives - HTC USB Driver
I got to point 6 of the guide and after hitting the button to start flashing after a few seconds an error message popped up 'ERROR {170}: USB CONNECTION ERROR. The Rom Update Utility cannot connect to your Android Phone.'
It then asked to check the cable. Generally when I connect my phone to my PC I can access all of its folders fine so not sure why there was an error. Have I got the correct USB driver?

If you can point to me to another guide to flashing I'll try it again. Failing that I'll go for the hard reset option.

Would you recommend Part 4 on this site, the Dr Fone System Repair tool?

 

[frkmann]

Unfortunately I spoke too soon. When I posted to say I had Settings back my phone was in the process of reinstating a backup and downloading all my apps. Once that was all done Settings stopped opening again. So could this be one of the apps on my phone?
I'm going to do a factory reset again and not use the backup to see if that works.

 

[ocnbrze]

Try putting the phone in safe mode. If the issue stops, then it is a 3rd party app. If it persists, then something is wrong with your software.

 

[Milo Williamson]

Safe mode is usually push down the power button, and see that touch interferance, and then have it say "Safe mode"..

 

[frkmann]

Tried Safe Mode and Settings still instantly closes.
Will do the factory reset again without using the backup. The only backup I had was from October last year when the phone was working fine, so I figured if it was something that happened in the last 2 weeks to cause this issue it should be good to use.
As I couldn't do a backup through the Settings before factory resetting I copied everything on the phone over to my PC.

 

[frkmann]

Still no joy. The factory reset without doing the backup had the same results. The Settings would open fine, then while it was finalising setup/installing some apps it decided to disappear again and now can't be accessed. It only has the phone default apps on it now so can't be anything I have installed subsequently to getting the phone.
Is there anything else I can try? I would imagine the factory reset wipes the Settings app so it should be back to its original state.

When you said earlier that it could be my software, wouldn't a factory reset fix that?

 

[ocnbrze]

Still no joy. The factory reset without doing the backup had the same results. The Settings would open fine, then while it was finalising setup/installing some apps it decided to disappear again and now can't be accessed. It only has the phone default apps on it now so can't be anything I have installed subsequently to getting the phone.
Is there anything else I can try? I would imagine the factory reset wipes the Settings app so it should be back to its original state.

When you said earlier that it could be my software, wouldn't a factory reset fix that?

mostly yes. a factory reset actually wipes all of your data leaving behind a "clean software", but the operating system does not get re-written. so if there is a glitch in the os sometimes the factory reset might not fix it. flashing a firmware update is a complete flash of the operating system and could possible fix the issue.

 

[olbriar]

I would suggest attempting to flash the firmware again.. perhaps using a different cable or a different usb driver would allow connection.

 

[frkmann]

Just to conclude this thread, I didn't get time to figure out why my phone wouldn't flash, so I just left it. Then miraculously a week ago the Settings seemed to just start working again! I hadn't done any updates or tinkered with anything they just started opening again. Baffling.
Thanks for everyone's help.