Microsoft to ditch Control Panel on Windows in favor of this app
Microsoft has announced that it will soon deprecate an application that has been included in every version of Windows since Windows 1.0 was introduced in 1985. The app in question is Control Panel – Microsoft’s applet that lets users view and adjust various system settings. It joins a long list of apps and features that the Redmond-based tech giant has deprecated in recent years, including the iconic Internet Explorer.
Microsoft to abolish Control Panel
On a support pageTitled “System Configuration Tools in Windows,” Microsoft says that Control Panel serves as a centralized location for viewing and changing system settings and controls, such as system time, hardware, and date. However, it is in the process of being deprecated.
The tech giant is prioritizing the use of the Settings app, which it claims offers a “more modern and streamlined experience.” While it has been confirmed that Windows will move beyond Control Panel, no timeline has been announced. Microsoft cites compatibility reasons for its current existence.
While there are still a number of features that haven’t been migrated yet, the tech giant is advising users to make adjustments where possible via the Settings app.
The decision to remove the Control Panel from Windows was first announced in 2015. In response to user questions on X (formerly Twitter), Brandon LeBlanc, then a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, said: said that the Settings app would eventually replace Control Panel, and that not all features would be carried over. This claim was subsequently amplified by Gabe Aul, then head of the company’s Insider program.
In a next remarkAul cited code complexity and increased disk/memory usage due to using two different apps with similar purposes as the likely reason behind this move.
However, Control Panel isn’t the only app Microsoft is decrying. In recent months, the company has announced that the Paint 3D app will also be removed and will be removed from the Microsoft Store on November 4. To view 3D content, users are advised to use the 3D Viewer application.
