Microsoft has started testing the removal of the venerable System control panel on Windows 10 and instead redirecting users to the modern About page.
The System control panel allows users to get a brief overview of the operating system version, network configuration and installed hardware.
Commonly used to determine the Windows 10 version, computer name, and workgroup, and installed CPU and memory, the System control panel has been an often-used tool since it was introduced in Windows NT 3.51 and Windows 95.
As spotted by WindowsLatest, in Windows 10 Insider build 20161, Microsoft is rolling out a change that redirects users to the Windows 10 About page when trying to open the System control panel.
As part of this change, Microsoft has also added the ability to copy data from the About page and provide information about your active security protections.
The beginning of the end for Control Panel?
In Windows 8, Microsoft introduced the new modern Settings feature and moved much of the operating system's configuration and options to it.
At the same time, they kept the Control Panel in place and continued to use it for many configuration options.
The different appearance between the Windows 10 Settings and Control Panel has always led to a disjointed feel to configuring Windows 10.
The System control panel redirection appears to be beginning of a plan to retire the old Windows Control Panel and move all configuration options and information into the modern Windows 10 Settings pages.
"There will be more improvements coming that will further bring Settings closer to Control Panel. If you rely on settings that only exist in Control Panel today, please file feedback and let us know what those settings are," Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Program Manager of the Windows Insider Program, shared in a blog post.
The removal of Control Panel and its migrations of settings to the modern Windows 10 Settings is a good thing.
While it always sad to see something used so often go away, it has always felt like it did not belong in Windows 10.
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Comments
cafejose - 4 years ago
The average user-consumer of Windows 10 will need very much guidance on how to understand and deal with this new "About Windows" replacement of the Control Panel.. MUCH MUCH GUIDANCE!
Yisroel - 4 years ago
The fact that you cannot open two separate windows of Settings is such a bummer that this itself will make me miss the Control Panel.
Lawrence Abrams - 4 years ago
Agreed...extremely annoying
mdcclxv - 4 years ago
That's putting it mildly. And you do know what's next after this move from MS, right? A third party Control Panel. If they don't see this coming then they are simply ignorant.
cjgiam - 4 years ago
When you replace a feature or function, it should be with a new feature that is better functionally, more enhanced or more efficient than it's predecessor. Microsoft has been known in many past occasions to make changes seemingly just because they can.
It remains to be seen if they'll do the right thing this time.
Quite frankly, I'm not confident they will, because they're famous for not listening until the problems arise, then they try to put out the fires.
cafejose - 4 years ago
Your comment is reassuring.
Aaroneus - 4 years ago
On Enterprise Environment, sometimes IT department would like to restrict Users from changing some settings and would need an Admin Account to make those changes. I notice on the new Settings app, users can just change any settings without Admin authorization which is otherwise enforced in the normal control panel. This is a security loophole
jsyersiii - 4 years ago
As long as Settings gets at least the same functionality that Control Panel has, I'll be happy, but today, that isn't the case. I often find myself going to Settings and not finding what I'm looking for and having to go to the Control Panel anyway.
mixibixi - 4 years ago
It is just sad that device specification section is so poor. No hard drive info, no domain info, no RAM type, no model, no basic information needed for so many things.
Need to always download some app to do that job or tell the client a long story how to get necessary information. Modern OS?!
vuksha_xc60 - 4 years ago
Well yes.
Also, that information could be embedded in Control Panel's About section.
Domain info you can find also in Control Panel.
doriel - 4 years ago
Good point. In Windows 10, we still have printing and driver dialogs that came with Windows 95 until now. Funny, that driver dialog still offers path A:\ as default :)
And now, after 10 years they decide to remove these critical sections from the "living" system?
Shoudnt they done this before they released Windows 10? They built their (ehrm) "modern OS" on the 15 year old core, trying to convince users, that NEW ERA HAS BEGUN! :)
oh come on, this is hilarious and sad at the same time if you image the ammount of money they earn.
MSBassSinger - 4 years ago
What idiot decided to get rid of the Control Panel? Microsoft seems to have lost their sense of what makes for good UI/UX. Throwing away the depth of customer proficiency with Control Panel for a poorly laid out window is sheer foolishness.
TanyaC - 4 years ago
The removal of Control Panel and its migrations of settings to the modern Windows 10 Settings is a good thing.
Really? I hate the new settings page. It's so darned finicky and often just closes unexpectedly. Things are much harder to find. Some things are missing. For me, it's less intuitive. I guess since I started using Windows with v3.0 I've grown up with it.
ChesterWilson - 4 years ago
Completely agree, TanyaC! I can do things quickly with control panel, or lugubriously with settings. They can have the settings page if they like them, but please don't remove the useful and convenient control panel (to which I have a shortcut on all my desktops!).
doriel - 4 years ago
a) there are not all options from the old panel in the new one (windows credential manager)
b) you cant open two windows of new ms-settings: (already mentioned in the discussion above)
c) "back" button often returns you to main panel instead of where you have been
d) i dont like the interface with small scroll panes, that you have to wait before they enlarge
hope MSFT will make this right. please pleas pretty please
AjN3806 - 4 years ago
Moving away from the old style Control Panel should be a good thing. However I still feel there are many items within the old style Control Panel that do not exist in the new Windows 10 style settings. I also don’t think there are group policy configurable items to prevent or grant access to Windows 10 style settings like there are for the old style Control Panel. Maybe I’m just too comfortable with the old style that’s been around for 20+ years, maybe they do exist, but I have wasted time trying to find the following. Adding an older printer via an IP address port. Granting RDP access via a custom security group. Creating a VPN connection that’s available to all users of the computer. Configuring a user that will automatically be logged on when the computer starts up. Configuring screensaver time out and lock screen settings. Advanced tools such as computer management, like device manager, disk management, etc. Power management items like stopping the computer from saving power by putting a network card to sleep. We have lost the ability to personalise with Windows 10 with the many different active and in-active colour options in Windows 7 (or was it Windows XP and earlier ?), such as title bar, border, window background, text, etc. which can assist people with vision impairment. Dark mode and Night mode are a good start at least.
fromFirefoxToVivaldi - 4 years ago
"Moving away from the old style Control Panel should be a good thing." Why? Give me at least one reason that doesn't boil down to millennials feeling like CP is outdated.
Drakesden - 4 years ago
Also not mentioned in transitioning away from the System Control Panel is domain joining. It's very straightforward in the current Control Panel, and feels to me obscured in the new Settings. Plus Microsoft is aggressively pushing Azure AD joining or using a Microsoft account in place of a local account.
cafejose - 4 years ago
Maybe some smart people will create YouTube video tutorials for users to learn how to live a Windows life without Control Panel. HOPE!!
bobwegotababy - 4 years ago
Yes like any legacy item needs to be updated for security alone. Migrating to Settings should be a good thing. However the Settings app feels more like the Windows 95 beta than a finished product. I'm constantly going back into cpl to modify a setting that should work in Settings. I had a file association error with Java last week where I had to use Control Panel to fix the error. Settings would NOT see Java.(2004 spring release clean install). I'm all in favor of the new Settings app if it is a finished product.
fromFirefoxToVivaldi - 4 years ago
What security. Stop spouting nonsense.
RosyBear - 4 years ago
As usual, good things get discontinued
doriel - 4 years ago
I wonder, if GOD MODE will be available still. If you know what I mean..
fromFirefoxToVivaldi - 4 years ago
"The removal of Control Panel and its migrations of settings to the modern Windows 10 Settings is a good thing.
While it always sad to see something used so often go away, it has always felt like it did not belong in Windows 10."
Seriously? Settings are unusable. Only people who do nothing but browser internet on their PC care about control panel "feeling" like it doesn't belong. It's a tool that works. Settings don't.
Iceberg86300 - 4 years ago
The good thing is the removal of the convoluted mess that is the forced usage of settings & control panel to have full functionality.
Sadly, they're going in the wrong direction. Settings has never made my life easier but it has definitely made it more difficult & finding the instances where it has been "equal" is a ridiculously rare occurrence.
I really don't understand why there has to be a damn button for EVERYTHING & a back button that should labeled "Settings Home" or "Start Over." And then those buttons for everything? Those should be labeled "Sorry, you won't find what you're looking for here!"
It's f'ing retarded.
AjN3806 - 4 years ago
The new settings app is certainly going to take time to get used to. What I liked about the old Control Panel is that each item was visually easier to find having its own unique icon. The new settings app is just a bunch of text you’ve got a read each sub item to find what you’re looking for!