Problems with Control Center

Introduction

In addition to the drivers, every XMG laptop requires a Control Center, which can be used to control performance profiles and keyboard illumination, among other things. Control Center consists of a Windows background service and a graphics user interface that is implemented on Microsoft's UWP platform. The background service is lean on resources and runs completely passively in the background, waiting for hotkey input. The user interface and background service communicate with each other over a network protocol.

This article provides troubleshooting steps in case Control Center does not behave correctly. Symptoms might include:

Does not start.
Does not load all buttons and options.
Buttons and options are inconsistent.
Does not react when clicking on (some) buttons and options.
Does not react to Fn hotkey input.
Does not perform its functions successfully (i.e. unable to control keyboard backlight or switch performance profiles).

The following paragraphs will introduce some basic Troubleshooting steps that should be sufficient to fix such issues in most cases.

Download the latest version of Control Center

Reset of the Control Center UWP application

This reset only applies to the "frontend" of the Control Center, i.e. the graphical interface, not the background service. The reset may sometimes be necessary if some features do not work properly after an upgrade or reinstallation.

Search for "Apps and Features" in Windows Start Menu.
Click the "Control Center" app (not "Control Center Service").
- In Windows 11 you have to click on the three dots next to the app.
Click on "Advanced Options".
Scroll down and click on "Reset" (not "Repair").
When the reset is complete, reboot your system.
Wait after booting until all startup programs are loaded (you can even wait a minute).
Now open the Control Center.

When you start the Control Center for the first time, it may take a few seconds to load all the menu items. Sometimes you might have to open the Control Center twice after such a reset (or reinstallation) until all settings are visible.

Update EC/BIOS firmware and reinstall Control Center afterwards

If the Reset procedure in the previous paragraph does not fix your issues, we might need to update (or re-flash) your EC/BIOS firmware. Follow these basic steps:

Update EC and BIOS.
Check Download Portal if any "ECSVTool" or "oemsevtool" are available for your particular laptop model. These tools will set additional flags in your BIOS memory to control your available feature set. If such tools are available, download and run the tool that fits your CPU/GPU configuration.
Perform a BIOS reset (Load Defaults, Save & Exit).
Reinstall Control Center.

More detailed instructions on EC/BIOS firmware updates can be found here: How can I update the EC/BIOS firmware of my laptop?

Windows with multiple accounts

Multi-user installations can sometimes cause unexpected issues. It's always best to install and manage key software components like the Control Center from your primary Windows account where you have full control and access.

If you've installed Control Center while logged into a secondary Windows account, we recommend uninstalling the Control Center from your secondary account and then reinstalling it on your primary account. This ensures that the software has the appropriate permissions and settings to operate optimally.

Conflict with network, VPN or security software.

The Control Center uses a network protocol to establish the connection between the user interface and the background service. There have been cases in the past where network programs, such as a VPN, has disrupted, interrupted or redirected this connection. See also: Windscribe VPN might block Control Center of XMG CORE and XMG NEO (by mistake)

If you have such software installed, check its settings if possible or check whether the Control Center works again after uninstalling the suspected software.

Windows Updates

It can happen that new Windows updates unintentionally interfere with the functioning of the Control Center. If problems have occurred "overnight" (i.e. without you having installed any other software beforehand), it may help to undo the last Windows update. Details can be found in this article on the Microsoft support page.