Many PC users use Control Panel to access various admin tools and settings such as Device Manager and User Accounts. While there are a couple of ways out there to launch Control Panel in Windows 10, most users prefer opening Control Panel by clicking the Start menu and then clicking Control Panel on the right-side of the Start menu.
Since Start menu in Windows 10 is different from the familiar Start menu of Windows 7 or Vista, and the fact that Control Panel isn’t located on the Start menu with default settings, many users are finding it difficult to open the Control Panel in Windows 10.
Even though one can type Control Panel in the Start menu search box and then press enter or right-click on the Start button and then click Control Panel to open the same, you might want to place the Control Panel on your Start menu in Windows 10.
If you want to pin Control Panel tile to the right-side of the Start menu, just like in the above picture, complete the instructions mentioned in Method 1. And instead, if you want to pin Control Panel to the left-side of the Start menu, just below your user name, please follow the instructions mentioned in Method 2.
Method 1
Pin Control Panel tile to the right-side of the Start menu
Step 1: Open Start menu, type Control Panel in the search box to see Control Panel in the search result.
Step 2: Right-click on the Control Panel and then click Pin to Start option to add Control Panel tile to the right-side of the Start screen.
Method 2
Update: This method DOESN’T Work on the final version (RTM) of Windows 10. So please use the above method.
Pin Control Panel to the left-side of the Start menu
Step 1: Right-click on the empty area of Taskbar and then click Properties. This will open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties.
Step 2: Click on the Start Menu tab (see picture) and then click Customize button to open Customize Start Menu dialog.
Step 3: Here, under Pin to Start list, select Control Panel, click OK button and then click Apply button to pin Control Panel to the left-side of the Start menu. That’s it!
As you might have observed, you can also pin various other items such as Homegroup, Videos, Downloads and Network to the Start menu. To remove a pinned item from the Start menu, right-click on it and then click Remove from this list option.
How to pin Recycle Bin to the taskbar and pin folders to the taskbar without using third-party utilities guides might also interest you.
Quin Rose says
This is how I was able to get the Control Panel into the start Menu
1. Left click Start.
2. Look to the upper left hand corner of your screen. Left click the 3 horizontal bars.
3. From the menu that appears at the bottom of the page on the left hand side, left click “Documents”. A directory resembling the classic Windows 7 directory should show up.
4. Scroll down to find and right click Control Panel.
5. From the drop down menu select “Pin to Start”.
Patricia Barth says
When I type anything into the Cortana search box, all I get is a white blank screen, so can’t find Control Panel.
Linus says
April 2019; Windows 10 (built 16299.611), and when I right-click on Control Panel, I only get a “Remove from device history”.
I managed to copy a shortcut to the Control Panel to my desktop – but I can for the love of Tux not put it on the taskbar (something I have done in other OS’s, from Windows to OSX to Linux, for about a gazillion times).
All the gods in heaven, Windows 10 and Microsoft with it is CRAP (but this is my office computer, so I’ve no choice in the matter).
Norm says
I found the easiest way was to go to the Windows System folder in the start menu apps list. Open the folder and drag the control panel icon to the right side of the start menu. Won’t go on the task bar but stays on the menu.
Adam Beneschan says
I was ready to comment that Method 1 didn’t work for me. However, I can now see Control Panel on the Start menu. It just took about 15 minutes or so before it showed up. (Could be less, I didn’t time it. But I don’t know why it took so long, or if I did something that triggered it to show up.)
admin says
@ Lisa
it seems you are following the instructions in Method 2. Please follow the instructions in Method 1. The instructions in Method 2 doesn’t work in the final version of Windows 10. There is nothing wrong with your Windows 10 Pro install. Follow instructions in Method 1.
Lisa says
I do not have start menu tab when I open the taskbar and start menu properties box. I am running windows 10 pro and I just got this laptop 2 days ago and am trying to figure out how to add the my computer, control panel, documents to the start menu. Thank You
Vinod kumar says
Thank’s. Very help full.
Richard Volesky says
Microsoft and Windows is a piece of crap!
Shirley Morris says
I cant find my pictures that I downloaded from my IPad messenger to my computer.
Where do I look?
S. Benedict says
I just finished reading through the list of comments left by previous viewers. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH EVERY ONE THOSE PERSONS AND THE COMMENTS THEY MADE.
In case no one has noticed, every time Microsoft “gives” the world a new operating system the end users find out they have been mysteriously moved farther and farther into the background and now have substantially LESS ability to control the operating system or their very own computers.
WHY has Microsoft done this?
BECAUSE they are afraid that if they don’t drive the end users back into the woods they might look for ways to use the new program to send viruses out to other people, or even worse, they might try to use it to commit cyber attacks on commercial network systems.
I say it’s time for Microsoft to wake up to a REALITY check.
Like it or not, eventually hackers will find ways to manipulate the operating system program and make it do things that Microsoft never dreamed of.
See, if Microsoft would get back to hiring GOOD programmers a lot of this poor treatment to the customers could be avoided. Needless to say I think that is what you would call a real pipe dream.
Lets see. Microsoft started gaining their popularity way back in the mid to late 70’s. Some 40 years ago, and to this day they still can’t publish a new operating system program that doesn’t need to be “patched” lots of times every week or month.
I don’t know if I’ll ever live long enough to see the day when Microsoft produces a completely ERROR FREE program.
If they do, the shock of seeing such a program will probably cause me to have heart failure!
One more item needs to be addressed here.
The company that wrote this “help” program didn’t try very hard to make sure that their help screens REALLY look like the screens that we are seeing on our computers. Maybe it’s impossible to make “look alike” screens nowadays?
Thankfully, the written instructions can be used to try to fix our problems.
I’m so upset about what Microsoft has done to all of the “good” computer users that I feel like Microsoft has now managed to become the new communistic dictator of the computer world.
I was writing computer programs when the most favorite programming language was Basic so I got a degree in computer programming.
Now, with Microsoft’s worsening “stay out” attitude, I’ve been giving some thought to seeing what it might be like to move into becoming a hacker.
Mick Warne says
A right-click of the Start button is hard to beat.
Keith Williams says
It’s always so funny to me when they give you instruction on how to do something and nothing in the instructions resembles anything at all in your system. There is no way to do the things they are telling you to do. Morons shelling out Bull Spit and confusing the general public. A-holes.
rich says
the top window 10 icon has no effect and the 2nd vertical column of choices (including power) does not appear.
What happened ?
G J Elian says
This method does not work for me as If you click on the icon you cannot get the commands you describe. BUT, if you drag the icon onto the desktop the then right on it, the commands do appear.
I also do not have a search window in my Start window and I am not alone
Yeah Windows. So inconsistent its amazing!
Faye Marcus says
how would I be able to add a pass word to fabshane1
Gregor Shapiro says
My Windows 10 does not react to typing anything in the Search bar!
John Cleland says
I think Pin Control Panel to the left-side of the Start menu should be reactivated in the final version. I don’t like the size of the panel on the right side–I wish it could be resized or deactivated, but, of course, Microsoft thinks it knows my preferences and how I work better than I. I don’t need or want cutesy, I want functional. Period.
Jandee says
The tab for start menu in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties no longer exists after a recent update… I added some items to the list yesterday before the update and they’re still there but need to find another way today… It looks like MS doesn’t want us to have too much control…