Control Panel (Windows)

Overview

Since Windows 1.0, the Control Panel has been a feature of Microsoft Windows, with new applets added in each version. From Windows 95 onward, it functions as a special folder—one that doesn’t physically exist on the hard drive—containing only shortcuts to applets like Add or Remove Programs and Internet Options. These applets are stored as .cpl files to appear in the Control Panel; for instance, the Add or Remove Programs applet is saved as appwiz.cpl in the SYSTEM32 folder.

Starting with Windows Me, the main Control Panel screen adopted a categorized navigation layout similar to a web page. Users can toggle between the grid-based Classic View and the category view using a link on the left-hand Web view panel or a drop-down menu in the top-right corner. From Windows Vista onward, additional navigation layers were added, and the Control Panel window itself became the primary interface for editing settings, rather than merely launching separate dialog boxes.

Many individual applets can also be accessed through other methods—for example, right-clicking an empty desktop area and choosing Properties opens Display Properties. The Control Panel can be launched from a command prompt by typing “control,” with optional parameters to open specific panels.

On Windows 10, the Control Panel is deprecated in favor of the Settings app, which first appeared on Windows 8 as “PC Settings,” a touchscreen-optimized settings area built on the Metro-style app platform. Some functions, particularly adding and removing user accounts, were moved exclusively to this app on Windows 8 and can no longer be performed from the Control Panel.

Beginning with the October 2020 update of Windows 10, the System applet in the Control Panel now redirects to the About section of the Settings app. The page for that applet still exists in current Windows 10 versions and can be accessed through workarounds, but Microsoft is actively blocking various shortcuts and third-party apps that reach it. This could lead to the permanent removal of that page from the Control Panel in future Windows versions.

Did You Know?

• Printers & Faxes is an exception among peripheral device applets, as it offers more than basic tasks.
• The registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Cpls stores the string format locations of all .cpl files used within the control panel.