Microsoft Corp. is closing the venerable Windows Control Panel.
“The Control Panel is in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app, which offers a more modern and streamlined experience,” the software giant announced on a support page Thursday. “Tip: While the Control Panel still exists for compatibility reasons and to provide access to some settings that have not yet migrated, you’re encouraged to use the Settings app, whenever possible.”
The software giant said the end of the Control Panel applies to Windows 11 and 10, but did not say when.
“They need to simplify. There are so many controls in MSFT Windows, that people get frustrated,” tech analyst Jack Gold said in an email. “Its why they think CoPilot will be helpful (not just for personal search but also to help with managing our devices). But if people are used to what was, they will need to get used to what is now. So there will be some learning involved, and probably some push back as well.”
The shift in favor of the Settings menu has been anticipated for more than a decade.
The long-rumored epitaph of Control Panel — which debuted on Windows in 1985 — extends at least to 2011, when a leaked Windows 8 screenshot strongly hinted Microsoft was considering ditching the Control Panel with PC settings.
Ultimately, Microsoft added a new Settings menu in 2012 for Windows 8.
Since then, Settings and the Control Panel co-existed alongside one another, creating some confusion among users. The perplexity deepened after Microsoft decided to link both interfaces. For example, clicking something in the Control Panel would open the Settings menu instead, and vice versa, for some older entries.
By 2015, a Microsoft official said, “Settings will eventually supersede Control Panel.” However, the application continued to persist still, as some of the things had not been moved over.
