The Control Panel in Windows has literally been a part of the operating system since Windows 1.0, but Microsoft decided along the way that it should be replaced with something more modern.
The thing is, the replacement and the Control Panel now exist side-by-side and have for years, so why can’t the folks from Redmond finally retire the venerable Control Panel? While I can’t read the minds of the decision makers, I think there are some likely reasons.
Two Settings Menus, One Confused User
If you’re not sure which menu to open when you want to change your power plan, manage user accounts, or uninstall a stubborn piece of software, you’re not alone. I think that most new Windows users probably stumble across the Control Panel by accident these days, expecting the “Settings” app to contain all the, well,settings.
Yet, now some settings are in both places, and some are only in one or the other. If you dig around enough in the Settings app and turn the wrong corner, you’re just back at the Control Panel again. I get that the intention was to bring Windows more in line with operating systems like Android or macOS with a central settings app, but a few unique circumstances have now led to this strange split personality when it comes to configuring your Microsoft OS.
It’s Buried, but It’s Still There
You won’t find a shortcut to the Control Panel on a fresh Windows install anymore, but it’s still lurking in the background like a ghost in the registry. Type “Control Panel” into the Start Menu, and it’s right there. Right-click the Start button and… oh, no, that’s just Settings.
But, dig down far enough, and you’re back in the world of the Control Panel. Microsoft has clearly tried to hide it, but they can’t remove it outright without breaking a lot of stuff. And that’s exactly the problem.
Legacy Tools for Legacy Code
A big reason why the Control Panel persists is compatibility. Many older Windows applications and enterprise tools still rely on Control Panel applets or its system of .cpl files to launch certain utilities.
If there’s one word that describes Microsoft Windows, it’s “entrenched”. This is the most popular and widespread operating system in the world. At least when it comes to desktops, that is. While that may not always be true in the future, it’s true today. Because of this, Microsoft can’t actually just change core parts of Windows willy-nilly.
They can make radical, disastrous changes to how Windows looks and works on the surface (see Windows 8), but under the hood there’s plenty that’s barely changed at all in decades. People, businesses, and government institutions rely on software (and hardware) that has been around for years and is expected to keep trucking for many more.
So Control Panel isn’t a crutch—it’s a critical dependency for numerous tools and workflows. Removing it would break core functionality for millions of people and other entities, including those running specialized or older software in production environments.
Power Users Won’t Let It Go
Speaking of people with specific workflows, whenever you try to remove or revamp something like Control Panel, there’s going to be a lot of pushback from people with lifelong Windows muscle memory engraved in their brains. Particularly so-called “power” users and the legions of IT nerds that keep our society functional on barely 24-hours notice of the apocalypse.
The fact is that the Settings app and its content are simply too streamlined to be useful to this class of Windows user. Settings does a good job of limiting things to the most important and relevant switched toggle for most people, but it’s not entirely clear how you’d completely replicate the functionality of Control Panel that way.
Too Much Stuff Still Lives There
The Control Panel is still the only way to get to the guts of the system. Some tools have simply been forgotten in the migration process—or Microsoft hasn’t figured out how to safely move them without breaking things.
Try to manage system restore points, set environment variables, adjust advanced sound settings, or fiddle with COM ports. In many cases, there’s no modern Settings equivalent.
Until every last function is ported over (if that ever happens), the Control Panel remains essential by default.
The Migration Is Moving at Microsoft Speed
The Control Panel has been “on its way out” since Windows 8 debuted in 2012. Over a decade later, we’re still in the middle of this transition. Microsoft has made some progress—many common settings have made the jump—but at this rate, it might take another decade to finish the job.
Why the lack of speed? As I said earlier, backward compatibility is a big one, since some developers or workflows rely on a specific setting being in a specific place in the Control Panel. In addition to this, thousands of people broken up into dozens of teams work on various parts of Windows at Microsoft. At the best of times, I imagine it must be like herding cats, and if you don’t want to break stuff, you need to move slowly and ensure everyone is onboard.
From that perspective it makes sense to make your changes little-by-little. Though, personally, I think they should have just reskinned Control Panel and called it “Settings”. Wait, is that what they did?
If It Ain’t Broke (but It Kinda Is)
Why is the Control Panel a problem in the first place? Personally, I started using Windows with version 3.1, and even as a novice it never really bothered me. It’s fast, it works, and who really cares if it doesn’t quite fit the glossy exterior of modern Windows? It’s not something you need to interact with frequently, and no one expects things under the hood to be as pretty as the bodywork.
MacBook Pro with M4 Pro 12-core 14-inch
This “binned” M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 14-inch screen is one of the best deals ever to come from Apple’s factories. It’s not the cheapest laptop in the M4 MacBook Pro family, but it’s by far the best value for money. This is the last laptop most people will have to buy for many years.
I do appreciate that it is a bit of an eyesore, and some of the functionality needs to be deprecated eventually, but that’s not happening on the timetables of regular folks like you and me. Personally, I don’t think the Control Panel is going anywhere. In fact, I have a feeling it will live exactly as long as Windows itself, however long or short that may be.
