Windows 10 It has made several changes from previous versions of Windows. One of those changes is the replacement of the classic Control Panel by a new menu called "Windows Settings" from where we can do more or less the same tasks.
Where is the control panel?This configuration menu is accessible from the Windows Start button, represented by a gear icon. However, what if we want to continue using the Control Panel for a lifetime? Has it completely disappeared or is it still accessible?
3 ways to open Control Panel in Windows 10
As you may have already imagined from the title of the post, the control panel is still present in Windows 10, although Microsoft has been in charge of hiding it so much that for practical purposes it is as if it did not exist. It is clear that with this movement what is sought is for people to forget about the old tool and start using the new Settings menu, but it is still accessible.
There you are!1- Look for it in the «System32» folder
The executable file that launches the control panel is called «Control.exe»And it is located inside the folder«C: \ Windows \ System32«. To open it you just have to navigate in the file explorer to this folder and double click on the mentioned file.
The System32 folder is a most interesting location, since in addition to other system tools such as the MS-DOS terminal window (cmd.exe) it also offers the possibility of executing certain sections of the control panel individually. Something that allows us, for example, to run the Firewall with another user (an admin user) or check network connections, among other things. All of these adjustments are made by running files with the extension ".CPL" that we find inside this folder.
These are the control panel sub-tools that are accessible through the “.CPL” files in the System32 folder.
| Command | Function |
| APPWIZ.CPL | Programs and characteristics |
| DESK.CPL | Screen resolution |
| FIREWALL.CPL | Windows firewall |
| HDWIZ.CPL | Device administrator |
| INETCPL.CPL | Internet Explorer Properties |
| INTL.CPL | Regional and language settings |
| MAIN.CPL | Properties: Mouse |
| MMSYS.CPL | Sound |
| NCPA.CPL | Network connections |
| POWERCFG.CPL | Energy options |
| SYSDM.CPL | System Properties (memory increase, add / remove domain equipment etc.) |
| TABLETPC.CPL | Pen and touch input |
| TIMEDATE.CPL | Date and Time |
| WSCUI.CPL | Activities Center |
| ACCESS.CPL | Accessibility properties |
| NUSRMGR.CPL | User Accounts Properties |
2- Open the Control Panel from the Windows Settings menu
If all this seems too complicated, we can also locate the control panel by clicking on the Windows start button and entering the configuration menu.
Within the menu, we just have to use the search engine that appears in the upper area to open the control panel. That easy.
3- Search in Cortana
Finally, if we do not want to waste time entering the configuration menu, the easiest thing is to do a simple search in Cortana. Type "Control Panel", "Control panel" or "control.exe" and the wizard will locate the tool for us in a matter of seconds.
In addition, it will also show us a quick access menu from where we can perform actions such as uninstalling a program, managing printers or user accounts directly without intermediate screens.
