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How to exit from the regular control panel. How to open the Control Panel on your computer

The “control panel” is the holy of holies of everything that can be controlled. Whether it's a spacecraft or a personal computer, even a horse-drawn cart has its own control panel - the reins. It’s good when this tool for interacting with the device is simple, but the further progress goes, the more buttons, switches, settings and modes the control interface has. This means that understanding it may not always be easy.

How to get to the Control Panel in Windows 7

With standard settings in a freshly installed operating system, the Control Panel (CP) can easily be found in the Start menu.

  1. Press the Win button on the keyboard or the corresponding icon in the lower left corner.
  2. Then click on the link to the element you need in the menu that opens.
Through the “Start” menu, open “Control Panel”

But these are not all possible ways to open the Control Panel and interact with it.

How to run Control Panel as an administrator

Unfortunately, no way. Windows 7 does not provide this feature. It’s unclear whether it’s a whim of the developers or a mistake, since individual elements of the user interface can be opened with administrator rights, while the panel itself categorically refuses.

To open a separate element (applet) of the Control Panel with administrator rights:

  1. Just go to the Start menu and enter the name of the corresponding file in the search field for files and programs - for example, appwiz.cpl (removing and installing programs).
  2. Then right-click on the found file and call up the context menu. In it, select the “Run as administrator” item.
Open the found file using the context menu with administrator rights

List of main “Control Panel” applet files:

  • appwiz.cpl - applet for removing and installing programs;
  • desk.cpl - display settings;
  • intl.cpl - date and time settings;
  • main.cpl - device settings (mice, keyboards, printers, etc.);
  • mmsys.cpl - sound settings;
  • netcpl.cpl - network settings;
  • themes.cpl - setting and selecting a Windows theme;
  • sysdm.cpl - “My Computer” properties.

And many others. All settings for your device are located in the system32 folder in the Windows directory and have a *.cpl extension.

How to launch Control Panel from the command line


How to change the appearance of the Control Panel

Unfortunately or fortunately, the PU doesn’t have many appearance settings. In fact, there is only one, it consists of the “View” filter, which is in the upper right corner of the “Control Panel” window:

  • category;
  • small icons;
  • large icons.

Photo gallery: possible options for the appearance of the “Control Panel”

The first appearance variation is more extensive and is designed to associatively direct the user to a section if he does not know exactly where the settings he needs are located.

For example, the “Programs” category provides access to uninstalling and installing programs, assigning programs to run files with a specific extension, and much more. In the icon categories, only the item with the main functionality of removing programs from the list of installed ones is responsible for the entire category of programs.

Why did the Control Panel disappear?

First of all, you need to understand whether it really disappeared or whether the link from the Start menu just disappeared. Try calling the PU through the “Command Line”, as shown in the example above. If the “Control Panel” does not open, then you really have problems and may have to reinstall the operating system or contact a specialist. If the PU window has opened, then you should check just one setting item in the Start menu.

How to enable/disable Control Panel

It turns out that displaying PU in the Start menu can be enabled in just a few clicks.

Problems with the "Control Panel"

Real problems with the Control Panel are extremely rare. It is not without reason that the user interface is considered to be the most developed element in Windows. However, there are cases of damage to this service by viruses or accidental actions of users. This leads to various consequences, such as an empty control panel menu or lack of response when called.

What to do if the “Control Panel” does not open or it opens empty The first thing you need to do is scan your computer for viruses with two or three different antiviruses. Because none of the security programs provides a complete guarantee of security.

  1. After checking and removing possible viruses, worms and other “joys”, we begin to return the control panel to working condition.
    Press the Win+R key combination, enter gpedit.msc in the “Open” field and click OK.
  2. Call the “Local Group Policy Editor” with the command gpedit.msc
    Select “Administrative Templates” in the “User Configuration” tab
  3. Select the “Control Panel” subdirectory.
    In the drop-down folder menu, click on the “Control Panel” folder
  4. We see several folders and four settings items. It is these settings that we are interested in; double clicking opens a window where you can change the settings between “Not configured”, “Enabled” and “Disabled”.

    Select the Control Panel service option
  5. We change the service settings according to the template:
  6. “Hide specified control panel items” - disabled;
  7. “Always open all control panel items when you open it” - enabled;
  8. “Prohibit access to the control panel and computer settings” - disabled;
  9. “Display only specified control panel items” is not set.
    A template that guarantees the correct operation of the “Control Panel”

    10. By default, when you close the editor window, a working Control Panel should appear in the Start menu, but it is recommended to restart your computer to be sure.

Video: solving the problem with an empty Control Panel

Working with the Control Panel is very easy. Our instructions will help you configure your device according to a convenient template, as well as solve possible problems quickly and permanently.

You all probably know about the Control Panel in the Windows operating system. Of course, we are aware that you are aware of why this panel exists and how to open it.

However, not everyone knows that this element of the Windows OS can be accessed in a variety of ways. Let's see together what manipulations can be done with the Control Panel.

Using a shortcut

Since everyone knows about the most famous method, let's look at a method that allows you to open the Control Panel using a shortcut on the Desktop. We will do this and everything else using the example of using Windows 7.

So, to create and configure a shortcut you need:

Right-click on an empty space on your desktop and select Create a shortcut.

In the field where you need to specify the location of the object to which the shortcut will link, enter the following path: Windows\System32\control.exe .

Name the shortcut whatever you like and click Further.

Ready. Using the created shortcut, you can very quickly go to the Windows settings management window.

Using shortcut keys

So, to create a hotkey combination, do the following:

Completely carry out all the steps described in the previous method.

Open Properties created shortcut.

In field Quick call set the desired key combination and save your changes.

Now you can call the Control Panel by simultaneously pressing several keys on the keyboard. Of course, be careful here, because if some combination is already used in some way by the system, then you will not be able to set such a combination of buttons.

And one more thing: by deleting a shortcut in the properties of which “hot” keys for calling were specified, you will thereby delete the combination of buttons you specified.

Using the console

If for some reason you want to use the command line, then it can also help open the window for managing PC settings. For this:

Open the Run window ( Win+R) and write in it cmd .

A black window should open in front of you. Here you need to write the command control and press Enter.

Of course, the console is not the most convenient way to call the Control Panel. However, it is useful in cases where the conductor does not work.

Displaying a list of Control Panel items in the Start menu

Now let's try to do something interesting, namely, let's make sure that when you hover the mouse over the Control Panel button in the Start menu, all the elements are highlighted immediately, without any mouse clicks. For this:

Right click on Start icon and select Properties.


Find the item in the list Control Panel, where set the trigger opposite the field Display as menu.

Save your changes.

Ready. Open Start and look at the result. By the way, this trick can be done with other elements of this menu. Enjoy it for your health.

Bottom line

That's all we wanted to tell you about in this article. Of course, there is no need to use all the methods described above, but now you have the opportunity to choose the most suitable method for yourself. You may know other options for how to open the Control Panel in Windows besides those mentioned today. If there are any, then we would be interested to hear about them from you in the comments.

Developers are gradually trying to rid users of the ability to independently make changes to the system. For now, they only make it difficult for us to find the services we need; for example, the control panel in Windows 10 is now not as easy to find as before - it has even been removed from the context menu of the Start button.

Why is the service needed?

PU is an important tool that combines many applets. With their help, we manage networks, run system recovery, administer, obtain information about computer hardware, and much more. Several types of division into categories are very conveniently made.

Mode "Large Icons" convenient for people with low vision.

The last type of display (small icons) is compact and suitable for most users.

Not all settings are included in the new Options tool. Moreover, often from them we end up in exactly one of the control panel interfaces.

Let's figure out how to open the Control Panel in Windows 10 and make its icon available for direct access.

Search

One of the most obvious options for finding the Control Panel in Windows 10 is the built-in search bar in the system. Click on the magnifying glass in the task bar below to bring up the area.

In the input line, type the name of the service. You're just getting started and the best match will already be offered to you.

As usual, going to the Windows 10 control panel is just one click. Using right-click, an additional menu is called up.

Click and find out where the control panel file is stored in Windows 10.

Here we see only the label. The developers reliably hide where the control panel is located in Windows 10 (executable file). But the service icons that are presented in it are cpl files stored in the system folder of the operating system.

One click will add to the menu "Start".

Click to enable the icon in the running tasks display area.

Admin Tools

You can access the Control Panel through the command line in Windows 10.

Via PowerShell (right-click on startup).

Via the directive execution window (+[R]) .

In all cases, type the word “control”.

Create your own shortcut

You can display a shortcut to this service in any folder:

  1. Right-click on the free space. Point the manipulator to “Create”, and then “Shortcut”.

2. Enter the Control directive.

3. Type a name for the shortcut and click “Done”.

Perhaps we have collected and listed all the possibilities for opening a PU in the operating system of the tenth version. We hope that now inexperienced users will not have any questions about switching to this interface. If you want to, but don’t know how, just follow the link and follow the detailed instructions.

The Settings app in Windows 10 is designed to replace the classic Control Panel. Microsoft has completely redesigned the Settings app to include new settings and options. The Settings app includes almost all the settings and options available in the classic Control Panel and a few more. In fact, some new settings have been added and features are only available in the Settings app. For example, options to customize the Start menu or screen are present in the Settings app.
If you frequently change settings and frequently use the Control Panel to do so, you can access it through a keyboard shortcut, Command Prompt and Start menu, Windows Explorer, the Power User menu, and the Personalization menu. Using many of these methods you can do this almost instantly. Here we would like to tell you about how you can open Control Panel in Windows 10 using different methods one at a time. The control panel is a Windows-based platform and contains a set of applets for configuration.

You can also say that it is the central place from which you can customize settings such as credentials, PC screen, internet and network, keyboard, language, fonts, appearance, sound and more on your Windows 10 PC. Control Panel is an important tool for us and here we will discuss how to open Control Panel in Windows 10.

Let's get a look:

How to open Control Panel in Windows 10

Through search

On the taskbar in Windows 10, click on Cortana search.

Here you need to write Control Panel in the search field and click on the result at the top.

Open Control Panel.

Windows 10 Control Panel command:

Press Windows+R at the same time.

Here you need to write Control Panel in the field (you can enter only control).
Click OK.


The Control Panel will launch in a dialog box.

Open Control Panel in Windows 10 from Command Prompt

Launch the window by pressing Windows+R.

Enter the cmd command in the Run box.

Press Enter.

Copy the command below and paste it into the command line.

Press Enter.

Through the desktop toolbar to the taskbar.

Right-click on an empty space on the taskbar and select from the toolbar and place the cursor over it.

Several additional options will appear, click on desktop.

Right-click on the taskbar on the Desktop, Toolbar option.

Now, a panel will appear on the desktop on the taskbar, click on the arrow. Then click Control Panel and allow it to be a contextual pop-up menu.

Via the User menu

First, we want to understand the menu that we can open by right-clicking on the Windows 10 Start icon from the taskbar. To solve how to open the Control Panel in Windows 10 - in instant ways through the user menu:

Right-click on the Start icon on the lowest left side on your desktop screen.

Update - in the latest builds, the Control Panel has been removed from the User Menu. But the tool is still there, which can eventually be made to appear on the control panel in the user menu. If you decide to do so, then this article - Control Panel in the User Menu instead of Windows 10 Settings will direct you to the same.

Manually via the Start menu

Go to the Start menu by clicking the Windows icon in the lower right corner of the screen on the taskbar.

Scroll down to W until you get to viewing. Under the letter W, you need to click Windows system. In the second position immediately up, you get the control panel.

If you open Control Panel repeatedly, then you need to look at the most frequently used segments when you launch the Start menu.

Control panel for quick launch

Type Control Panel into the Cortana search box.

From the resulting search result, right-click and select the Pin to Start option.

Control Panel on the Taskbar

a) In addition, you can pin it to the Cortana taskbar; to do this, enter the phrase Control Panel - Control Panel in Cortana.

You can see Control Panel (desktop app) as the end result.

b) Launch Control Panel.
Right-click the icon on the Windows 10 system tray.
A list will be displayed with different options, click on the button that reads Pin to taskbar.

Via command shell

Press Win+R keys together.
Copy under the specific shell command and paste into the space after you have opened the Run window.

shell:ControlPanelFolder

Press Enter.

Via Task Manager

This method has been discovered as a possible method. To expand the Control Panel through the Task Manager in Windows 10, you need to emulate it under the action name.

Right-click where you see an empty section on the taskbar and select Task Manager, which is in 3rd place from the end.

Right-click Task Manager on the taskbar.

In the new dialog box, type control.exe and click OK.

Create a new control and click OK.

Using context paths

Accessing the Control Panel using the default shortcut by executing it in the Run dialog box is a fairly simple job.

Launch the search field using the Win+R keys.

Copy the default path written below, paste it into the field and press Enter –

%SystemRoot%\system32\control.exe

Select Win+I and when the Settings application opens, type Control Panel. From the Control Panel or click its icon in the drop-down search result in the application settings.

Final Thoughts

So, Control Panel is accessible from almost anywhere on your Windows 10 computer. But in this article, we have written those methods which are additional and suitable and can help you open Control Panel very easily and instantly.

The Windows Control Panel is a component of the operating system that allows you to perform basic steps to configure and manage Windows. Adding devices, setting up accounts, installing and uninstalling programs - everything is done here. In addition, instructions on the Internet for performing any action in Windows often contain the item “Go to the control panel.” With the help of our article, you will find out where the Control Panel is located and easily learn how to open it, regardless of the version of Windows.

How to open control panel in windows 10

The easiest way to find out where Control Panel 10 is is to click on the search button (the Magnifier icon next to the Start menu).

To provide yourself with quick access to the control panel, in the search engine list, right-click on the link and select “To Start Screen” or “Pin to Start Screen.” Now the corresponding icon will be prominently displayed in the Start menu. You can learn how to add an icon to the taskbar here.

How to open the control panel in windows 8 and 8.1

To find the Control Panel in Windows 8, you need to right-click and click on the Start menu.

In the menu that appears, select "Control Panel"


The "Control Panel" will open in a new window.


How to open the windows 7 control panel

In Windows 7, opening the Control Panel is even easier. To do this, call the “Start” menu and in the right column of the list that opens, find a link to the control panel.

If for some reason it is not there, then right-click on the desktop and select “Properties”. Go to the “Start Menu” tab and click “Customize”. Among the huge list, look for our control panel and check the “Display as link” checkbox. Save the settings using the “Ok” button and check the result.

How to open the Windows XP Control Panel

Despite the fact that the system is already quite old, it is still popular. To open the Control Panel in Windows XP, click on the “Start” menu, then also click on “Control Panel”.


How to get back the windows 10 control panel

In Windows 10, there is no “Control Panel” item in the Start context menu.

That's why we used the search bar to open the panel in Windows 10. Now we will tell you how to return the classic control panel to the context menu. Why might this be needed? Now there is a “Options” item. This is a useful tool, but it does not solve all problems.

To return the control panel to Windows 10, just copy the shortcuts “3 - Control Panel” and “4 - Control Panel” from this, which we specially prepared for you, copy it to the folder%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX\Group2.


You can also copy these shortcuts from previous versions of Windows, starting with Windows 8. Copy the Control Panel shortcut from the %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX\Group2 folder from the Doner computer to drive C or D of the desired computer. Rename the resulting shortcut 4 - Control Panel to say 5 - Control Panel.
Next, copy the shortcuts to %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX\Group2.
The required shortcut will appear after the computer restarts.

Now you can quickly open the Control Panel in Windows 10 by right-clicking on the Start menu and selecting the appropriate item from the list that appears.

How to open the control panel through a window

Using the hot keys “Win ​​+ R”, open the “Run” window. In the search bar we write “control.exe” or simply “control”. You can also enter "%windir%\system32\control.exe", but this is much longer than the first two options. Click "Ok". The method is universal and suitable for all versions of Windows, starting with XP.


How to open Control Panel via Command Prompt

Using the command line, you can perform any task in the operating system, including opening the Control Panel. You can get to the command line by entering “cmd” in the “Run” window. In the command line itself, enter the same thing that you entered into the “Run” window in the previous paragraph: “control.exe” or “%windir%\system32\control.exe”. The method is also universal.


The windows control panel is one of the key tools that every user should know about. Now, when you are once again faced with the task of “Find the control panel,” you know how to do it.