Monterey is crashing while trying to open System settings or trying to update

How to use safe mode on your Mac

Safe mode may help you resolve or isolate problems that you’re having with your Mac.

When you start up in safe mode, your Mac prevents some software, such as startup items, from loading, and it performs a check of your startup disk. Your Mac may take longer to start up because of the check.

" F-Secure "

There are no known Windows-like Viruses in the wild that self replicate and affect macOS, because of the underling UNIX  Foundation and Permission Limitation. 

The The Built in Security  is all that is required to protect the computer.

Should “ Certain & Specific Software “ referenced from above be installed - it will negatively impact macOS. It is suggested, to download directly from a respected ASC Contributor, the application Malwarebytes for Mac. 

Run the Application and it should remove the malware / adware. Once done, restart computer and test.

Are there any AntiVirus, Disk Cleaner, Optimizers, Un-installers, etc installed which should be removed as per Developers Instructions. They are useless, unneeded, cause havoc and interfere with the normal operation of the OS and may even Corrupt the OS requiring a Reinstallation. 

MS Windows is a" Bigger Target" for Viruses.

macOS , as per earlier posting, is not affected as they do not exist.

Corporate Policies & Requirements may demand such software on all Windows and Mac " Corporate Computers " and their IT Department is responsible to manage the equipment. Though, they too appear not too really know macOS is not affected by viruses.