Over the past decade, Microsoft has transitioned most settings and configuration options from the classic Control Panel to the new Settings app. So, in the recent versions of Windows 11, 24H2 for instance, you hardly need the Control Panel as most settings and options are now available in the Settings app.
That said, there are a few advanced settings and options that can only be accessed through the Control Panel. Some admin tools, user account settings, and advanced power options can only be accessed through the Control Panel. Microsoft knows this very well, and they are slowly but surely adding all these to the Settings app.
Until all settings and options are available in the Settings app, you might need to access the Control Panel to change some default settings and options.
The following are some of the ways to open the Control Panel in Windows 11.
Method 1 of 8
Open Control Panel via search in Windows 11
Step 1: Type Control Panel in the taskbar or Start menu search box and then press the Enter key to open the Control Panel window.
Method 2 of 8
Open Control Panel via the Run command in Windows 11
Step 1: Open the Run command dialog box using the search or Windows logo + I hotkey.
Step 2: In the Open field, type control.exe and then press the Enter key to open Control Panel immediately.
Method 3 of 8
Open Control Panel from the File Explorer address bar in Windows 11
Did you know you can open the Control Panel without leaving the File Explorer window? Here is how.
Step 1: In the File Explorer address bar, type Control Panel and then hit the Enter key.
Method 4 of 8
Open the Control Panel from the Command Prompt in Windows 11
Step 1: Open the Command Prompt using search, if it is not already open.
Step 2: Type control.exe and then press the Enter key to open the Control Panel.
Method 5 of 6
Open Control Panel right from the Settings app in Windows 11
This method is very convenient when you need to find a setting in the Control Panel that is not available in the Settings app.
Step 1: In the Settings app’s search field, type Control Panel and then press the Enter key.
Method 6 of 8
Open the Control Panel from the Task Manager in Windows 11
Step 1: When the Task Manager is open, click the Run new task button located at the top right of the Task Manager.
Step 2: In the resulting dialog, type Control.exe before hitting the Enter key.
Method 7 of 8
Use PowerShell to open the Control Panel in Windows 11
Step 1: At the PowerShell window, type Control Panel and hit the Enter key.
Method 8 of 8
Create a Control Panel shortcut on the desktop and then double-click on it to open the same
You can refer to our guide on how to add a Control Panel shortcut icon to the Windows 11 desktop to create a Control Panel shortcut on desktop.
In addition to these methods, you can also consider pinning the Control Panel to the taskbar and Start menu for easy access.
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