Control panel

On most Windows 10 PCs, the Control Panel opens in the Category view, which sorts the applets into [presumably] logical categories. If you like, you can change the View by option to Large icons or Small icons to show all the applets individually. Open Control Panel in Windows 8 or 8.1 Unfortunately, Microsoft made it especially difficult to access Control Panel in Windows 8. They made it a little easier in Windows 8.1, but it's still far too complicated. Like in most versions of Windows, the Category view is the default view for Control Panel in Windows 8, but we recommend changing it to the arguably easier to manage Small icons or Large icons view. Do that by selecting Category from the menu at the top of Control Panel, and then choosing an icon view. Open Control Panel in Windows 7, Vista, or XP • Open the Start menu. Windows 7 or Vista: If you don't see Control Panel listed, the link may have been disabled as part of a Start menu customization. Instead, type control in the search box at the bottom of the Start menu and then choose Control Panel when it appears in the list above. Windows XP: If you don't see a Control Panel option, your Start menu may be set to "classic" or the link may have been disabled as part of a customization. Try Start > Settings > Control Panel, or execute control from the Run box.

• • • • • • • How to open the Control Panel in Windows 11 In Settings app. To open the Settings app, open the Start Menu and click the Settings app, or press Windows key+ I (hold down the Windows key and press "i"). However, the traditional Control Panel is still available. There are several ways to open the Control Panel in Windows 11. From the Windows search bar • Click the magnifying glass icon on the • Type the word control in the Windows search box, and in the search results, select Control Panel. From the Run box The control command can open the Control Panel from the Windows Run box. • Open the Run box by pressing Windows key+ R • Type control and press Enter. As mentioned in the control command from the Windows 11 How to open the Control Panel in Windows 10 In Settings app. To open the Settings app, open the Start Menu and click the gear icon ( ⚙), or press Windows key+ I (hold down the Windows key and press "i"). However, the traditional Control Panel is still available. There are several ways to open the Control Panel in Windows 10. From the Start Menu • Open the Start Menu. • Scroll down to W, click Windows System, then click Control Panel. From the Cortana search bar • The • Type the word control. Cortana lists best matches above as you type. In this list, select Control Panel. From the Run box The control command can open the Control Panel from the Windows Run box. • Open the Run box by pressing Windows key+ R • Type control and press Enter. As mentioned in th...

Where is the Control Panel in Windows 10? What about in Windows 11? How do you open the Control Panel? How many ways are there to open it? To answer these questions, we did a bit of testing and experimentation. We had to do that because, both in Windows 11 and Windows 10, the Control Panel is hidden compared to Microsoft’s older operating systems, like Windows 7. We managed to compile a list of seventeen different ways to open the Control Panel. Let’s see all of them, starting with the obvious ones and ending with the geekier methods: Skip to chapter • 1. How to open Control Panel in Windows 11 or Windows 10 using search • 2. Launch the Control Panel using the Settings app from Windows 11 or Windows 10 • 3. Open Control Panel in Windows 10 using its Start Menu shortcut • 4. How to open Control Panel in Windows 11 using the Start Menu Windows Tools • 5. Pin a Control Panel shortcut to your taskbar or Start Menu in Windows 11 or Windows 10 • 6. Add a Control Panel desktop icon in Windows 11 or Windows 10 • 7. Create a Control Panel shortcut, in Windows 11 or Windows 10 • 8. How to open Control Panel in Windows 11 or Windows 10, using a shortcut from our collection • 9. Open Control Panel using File Explorer’s address bar, in Windows 11 and Windows 10 • 10. Get Control Panel in File Explorer’s folders list, in Windows 11 and Windows 10 • 11. Open Control Panel by running the control.exe file, in Windows 11 and Windows 10 • 12. How to open Control Panel using Run, in Windows 1...

In this article Windows Tools is a folder in the Windows 11 Control Panel. Administrative Tools is a folder in the Windows 10 Control Panel. These folders contain tools for system administrators and advanced users. Windows Tools folder The following graphic shows the Windows Tools folder in Windows 11: The tools in the folder might vary depending on which edition of Windows you use. Administrative Tools folder The following graphic shows the Administrative Tools folder in Windows 10: The tools in the folder might vary depending on which edition of Windows you use. Tools The tools are located in the folder C:\Windows\System32\ or its subfolders. These tools were included in previous versions of Windows. The associated documentation for each tool can help you use them. The following list provides links to documentation for each tool. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

You can use Control Panel to change settings for Windows. These settings control nearly everything about how Windows looks and works, and you can use them to set up Windows so that it's just right for you. Open Control Panel For Windows 10 In the search box on the taskbar, type control panel, and then select Control Panel. For Windows 8.1 / Windows RT 8.1 Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Search (or if you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search), enter Control Panel in the search box, and then tap or click Control Panel. For Windows 7 Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel. Find Control Panel items When you’re in Control Panel: • Use search. To find a setting you're interested in or a task you want to perform, type a word or phrase in the search box. For example, type "sound" to find specific settings for your sound card, system sounds, and the volume icon on the taskbar. • Browse. You can explore Control Panel by selecting different categories (for example, System and Security, Programs, or Ease of Access), and viewing common tasks listed under each category. Or, under View by, click either Large icons or Small icons to view a list of all Control Panel items. Tips: • If you browse Control Panel by icons, you can quickly find an item in the list by typing the first letter of the item's name. For example, to find Keyboard, type K, and the first Control Panel item beginni...

How to Open the Control Panel in Windows 10 You can use Control Panel to change settings for Windows. These settings control nearly everything about how Windows looks and works, and you can use them to set up Windows so that it's just right for you. In Windows 10, there are a few different ways to find and change your settings: app settings, and search. Most of the settings that you'll want to change can be found in the Settings app. The Control Panel allows you to view and change settings (controls) for Windows via applets. Settings is a modern touch friendly version of the Control Panel that will eventually replace the Control Panel in Windows 10. This tutorial will show you how to open the Control Panel in Windows 10, and to change it to display with the Category, Large icons, or Small icons view. Contents • Option One: Open Control Panel from Start menu All Apps • Option Two: Open Control Panel from Full Screen Start menu All Apps • Option Three: Open Control Panel from Search • Option Four: Open Control Panel from Run • Option Five: Open Control Panel from File Explorer Address Bar • Option Six: Open Control Panel from File Explorer Navigation Pane • Option Seven: Open Control Panel from Command Prompt or PowerShell EXAMPLE: Control Panel in Large icons, Small icons, or Category view 1 Open Search (Win+S) or the Start menu . 2 Type Control Panel into the search box. 3 When Control Panel is found and selected in the top left pane, either press Enter or click/tap on Ope...

To open the Control Panel on Windows 10, open the Start Menu, search for "Control Panel," and then click "Open." Right-click the Control Panel icon on the taskbar, then click "Pin to Taskbar" for easier access in the future. Windows 10 still contains the Control Panel. Some settings appear only in the Control Panel, some in the Settings app, and

• Select the search icon on the taskbar, type Control Panel, and choose Control Panel in the results. • Or, open the Control Panel or Run box, type control, and then press Enter. • Most Control Panel applets can be found in Windows Settings. This article explains how to open the Control Panel in Windows 11, including instructions for accessing the Control Panel with the keyboard. If you’re having trouble finding the Windows 11 Control Panel, or wondering if Windows 11 even has one, it’s because a lot of the Control Panel functionality has been moved to the newer Settings menu. The Control Panel is still there, but it isn’t featured prominently, and you have to access it through the Windows 11 search function or the How Do I Open the Control Panel in Windows 11 With a Keyboard? In addition to the search function, you can also open the Control Panel with your keyboard. This process uses the Command Prompt. If you’re already familiar with opening the Control Panel in this manner in Windows 10, it works the exact same way here. Why Is the Control Panel Hard to Find in Windows 11? Microsoft introduced the Settings menu in Windows 8, but they didn’t remove the Control Panel. Most of the Control Panel functionality has been moved into the Settings menu, which duplicates the functionality of Control Panel applets instead of replacing them. The process of migrating functionality has been slow, and the Control Panel is still present in Windows 11. As an example, you can manage your ...

• • • • • • • How to open the Control Panel in Windows 11 In Settings app. To open the Settings app, open the Start Menu and click the Settings app, or press Windows key+ I (hold down the Windows key and press "i"). However, the traditional Control Panel is still available. There are several ways to open the Control Panel in Windows 11. From the Windows search bar • Click the magnifying glass icon on the • Type the word control in the Windows search box, and in the search results, select Control Panel. From the Run box The control command can open the Control Panel from the Windows Run box. • Open the Run box by pressing Windows key+ R • Type control and press Enter. As mentioned in the control command from the Windows 11 How to open the Control Panel in Windows 10 In Settings app. To open the Settings app, open the Start Menu and click the gear icon ( ⚙), or press Windows key+ I (hold down the Windows key and press "i"). However, the traditional Control Panel is still available. There are several ways to open the Control Panel in Windows 10. From the Start Menu • Open the Start Menu. • Scroll down to W, click Windows System, then click Control Panel. From the Cortana search bar • The • Type the word control. Cortana lists best matches above as you type. In this list, select Control Panel. From the Run box The control command can open the Control Panel from the Windows Run box. • Open the Run box by pressing Windows key+ R • Type control and press Enter. As mentioned in th...

Benj Edwards Former Associate Editor Benj Edwards is a former Associate Editor for How-To Geek. Now, he is an AI and Machine Learning Reporter for Ars Technica. For over 15 years, he has written about technology and tech history for sites such as The Atlantic, Fast Company, PCMag, PCWorld, Macworld, Ars Technica, and Wired. In 2005, he created Vintage Computing and Gaming, a blog devoted to tech history. He also created The Culture of Tech podcast and regularly contributes to the Retronauts retrogaming podcast. One of the easiest ways to launch Control Panel is by using the RELATED: Here's How Windows 11's New Start Menu Works Differently You can also launch Control Panel from the Run menu. Press Windows+R on your keyboard, and when the Run window pops up, type “control”, and then click “OK” or press Enter. Similarly, you can open Control Panel from the Command Prompt or RELATED: How to Launch Windows Terminal at Startup on Windows 11 Once you’ve opened Control Panel using any of the methods described above, its icon will appear in your taskbar. If you’d like to keep it there so you can launch it from your taskbar later, right-click the Control Panel icon and select RELATED: How to Pin File Explorer to the Taskbar in Windows 11 You can also add a RELATED: How to Change Which Desktop Icons Appear on Windows 11 Benj Edwards Benj Edwards is a former Associate Editor for How-To Geek. Now, he is an AI and Machine Learning Reporter for Ars Technica. For over 15 years, he has w...