Good day to all! In many of my notes, I often have to explain how to open the Control Panel in Windows 10. No matter how Microsoft tries to drag all system settings into the Settings window, many users (especially for those who are already accustomed to standard arrangement elements) you just need to access the classic Control Panel. And many settings have not yet migrated to “Options”.

There are several ways to open the control panel - I will try to list the most convenient ones (which beginners will certainly appreciate)

Today we will look at a lot different ways to access the control panel - this is through Explorer and we will use command line(as is the case with ).

Option 1: Start Menu

Open the Start menu and type “Control Panel” in the search bar. Click on the desired item in the search results - that's all!

Many users underestimate this innovation in Windows 10 - the search is implemented very conveniently, be sure to try using it... it really helps when you have a lot of installed applications.

Option 2. Shortcut to Control Panel on the desktop

In one of the previous posts I wrote about, so who is stopping us from creating one for the Control Panel? You just need to know what exactly to specify when creating a shortcut.

Explorer shell:ControlPanelFolder

For the lazy ones there is special programs, from sets of the most popular shortcuts that can be created in one click - if interested, write in the comments. We'll definitely consider it.

Option 3. Explorer

Another easy way to quickly open the Control Panel in Windows 10 is to use File Explorer (as is the case with). Open Windows Explorer and look for the down arrow to the left of “This PC.”

In the drop-down menu you can select “Control Panel” (and many other useful shortcuts)

Option 4. Parameters

From the Start menu, open Settings and type Control Panel in the search bar.

You will see the element you need. Just click on it to open Control Panel.

Option 5: Command line

Run command Windows string and dial control and press Enter. The command line will open...

This command also works in the Run window, which is available when pressing WIN+ R (Perhaps this method is more justified than the command line)

Bottom line

After reading, you learned how to open the Control Panel in Windows 10. As you can see, there are several more ways than you expected to see. In fact, you can still drag the shortcut onto the desktop in another way and there are many more different options. If you know some very convenient and unknown to me way to access the control panel, write in the comments, we will definitely add it to the note.

The vast majority of troubleshooting instructions involve calling some applets (elements) of the Control Panel (CP). But the comments under many articles of this kind make it clear that not all users understand how to open the Control Panel in Windows 10 and what it is. Let's eliminate this drawback by expanding the topic as much as possible.

This guide contains all possible methods calling the Control Panel in the “ten”, most of which are applicable for Windows 8, and some for the “seven”.

Let us immediately note that the Control Panel icons in Windows 10 are visualized as categories by default. With this visualization method, only the main tools are displayed in the window, which leads the user to a dead end when he cannot find the required element. When following any instructions, you should take this into account and switch the type of PU icons to “Icons” if problems arise or carefully read the articles (sometimes their authors suggest switching to the required icon display mode).


What is she like?

Does everyone know how to find the Control Panel in Windows 10, and what it even is?

PU is one of the elements of graphic Windows interface, which provides access to most system settings, OS management and administration tools. Each element (icon) is called an applet. They are *.cpl files located in system32 and WinSxS. This is where the Control Panel in Windows 10 is kept.

Applets run the corresponding system commands or perform the corresponding actions assigned to them. That is, they are a kind of shortcuts for performing an action or running commands.

Let's use the capabilities of the command interpreter

Many have come across this concept, but unfamiliar words can surprise a beginner. There is nothing wrong with the term “command interpreter”. It denotes the usual “Run” window, familiar with previous versions Windows.

  • Calling up the dialog to start system commands using the Win+R combination.
  • Enter “control” or “control panel” in the text form and execute the command by clicking on the “OK” button or pressing the “Enter” key.


Both commands are relevant for execution both on the command line and in Windows search 10.

Control Panel - has the same graphical element as Explorer, and therefore it can be called by launching the Explorer window with the appropriate argument (parameter). This is done using the “explorer shell:ControlPanelFolder” command, which is understood by the command interpreter and the command line.


Quick access to the Control Panel

Windows 8 has a new menu that provides the ability to quickly access popular functions of the operating system. This is the Win → X menu, the name of which comes from the key combination that is called up.

1. Press Win+X to open the menu or call the context menu of the Taskbar.

The combination rarely works when a full-screen application is running or some program is open in full screen, for example, a game or player.

2. In the drop-down menu, click on the appropriate item.


Let's use a search engine

If you don’t know how to run something in Top Ten, use the built-in search. It is launched using Win + S, clicking on the icon with a magnifying glass in the Taskbar. You can also enter a search query into the text line in Start.

We start typing the treasured phrase and launch the PU from the list of applications.

With help context menu element, you can pin it to the Taskbar for quick access.


In some “tens” assemblies, the search finds the Control Panel only by asking “Control Panel”. This should be taken into account when using pirated “tens” assemblies.

Create a shortcut in a convenient place

If you need to access Control Panel frequently, you can create a shortcut for this purpose in convenient location, for example, on the Desktop.

  1. Call the context menu.
  2. Select “Create” → “Shortcut”.
  3. We specify “control” as the location.
  4. Set the name of the element and click “Finish”.

The second option for creating a shortcut for calling the control panel is the following.

1. Enter “display” in the search.

2. Select the option “Show/hide regular icons on the desktop”.


3. Check the box next to “Control Panel” and click “OK”.


Set hotkeys for calling the control panel

Any application or command in Windows can be called using hotkeys that are not registered in the system.

1. Create a shortcut, as shown in the previous section.

2. Go to its “Properties”.

3. Move the cursor to the “Short call” field.

4. Press and hold the desired combination, which is not registered in the system behind another program.

It should include keys, Ctrl, Alt and one letter or number.


5. Save the new parameters and check the functioning of the keys.

They will work until the shortcut they are assigned to is deleted.

The control panel is used in operating systems Windows since Windows versions 2.0. Therefore, users are very accustomed to it and can no longer do without it. But, in the Start menu there is no longer a link to the Control Panel; instead, using the Start menu, you can open a new settings panel called Settings. Nevertheless, everyone’s favorite “Control Panel” remains in the system and can be opened. Now you will learn how to find the Control Panel in Windows 10.

Method number 1. Right click on the “Start” button.

The easiest way to find the Control Panel in Windows 10 is to click right click mouse on the "Start" button. After this, a small menu will open, in which there will be a “Control Panel” item.

Method number 2: Search in the Start menu.

By searching the Start menu, you can launch any program or system tool. You can also use it to find the control panel. To do this, simply open the Start menu and type “control panel.” After this, the system itself will find the Control Panel and show it to you.

Method number 3. Executing the “control” command.

You can also find the panel Windows management 10 using the Run menu. To do this, press the key combination Windows + R and in the window that opens, enter the command “control”.

This command can also be executed using the Command Prompt.

Method number 4. Create a shortcut.

If you use Control Panel frequently in Windows 10, you can create a shortcut to it on your desktop. To do this, right-click on the desktop and select “Create – Shortcut”.

After this, a window will appear in which you need to specify the location of the object. Here, simply enter the “control” command discussed above. After that, click on the “Next” button.

At the next stage, you need to enter the name of the shortcut and click on the “Finish” button.

As a result, a shortcut to the Control Panel will appear on your desktop. If you wish, you can configure the opening of this shortcut using a key combination. To do this, open the shortcut properties and set the desired key combination in the “Shortcut” field.

After saving the shortcut properties, you will be able to use the keyboard shortcut of your choice.

The Settings app in Windows 10 is designed to replace the classic Control Panel. Microsoft Company Completely redesigned the Settings app to include new settings and options. The Settings app includes almost all the settings and options available in the classic Control Panel and a few more. In fact, some new settings have been added and features are only available in the Settings app. For example, options to customize the Start menu or screen are present in the Settings app.
If you often change any settings and you often use the Control Panel to do this, you will be able to access it through a keyboard shortcut, the command line and the Start menu, Windows Explorer, through the Power User menu, and the Personalization menu. Using many of these methods you can do this almost instantly. Here we would like to tell you about how you can open Control Panel in Windows 10 using different methods one at a time. The control panel is a Windows-based platform and contains a set of applets for configuration.

You can also say that it is a central place from which you can configure settings such as credentials, PC screen, Internet and network, keyboard, language, fonts, appearance, sound and more on your Windows 10 PC. Control Panel is an important tool for us and here we will discuss how to open Control Panel in Windows 10.

Let's get a look:

How to open Control Panel in Windows 10

Through search

On the taskbar in Windows 10, click on Cortana search.

Here you need to write Control Panel in the search field and click on the result at the top.

Open Control Panel.

Windows 10 Control Panel command:

Press Windows+R at the same time.

Here you need to write Control Panel in the field (you can enter only control).
Click OK.


The Control Panel will launch in a dialog box.

Open Control Panel in Windows 10 from Command Prompt

Launch the window by pressing Windows+R.

Enter cmd command in the field execute.

Press Enter.

Copy the command below and paste it into the command line.

Press Enter.

Through the desktop toolbar to the taskbar.

Right-click on an empty space on the taskbar and select from the toolbar and place the cursor over it.

Several will appear additional options, click on desktop.

Right-click on the taskbar on the Desktop, Toolbar option.

Now, a panel will appear on the desktop on the taskbar, click on the arrow. Then click Control Panel and allow it to be a contextual pop-up menu.

Via the User menu

First, we want to understand the menu that we can open by right-clicking on the Windows 10 Start icon from the taskbar. To solve how to open the Control Panel in Windows 10 - in instant ways through the user menu:

Right-click on the Start icon on the lowest left side on your desktop screen.

Update - in the latest builds the Control Panel has been removed from Custom menu. But the tool is still there, which can eventually be made to appear on the control panel in the user menu. If you decide to do this, then in this article - Control Panel in the user menu instead Windows settings 10 will guide you to the same.

Manually via the Start menu

Go to the Start menu by clicking on Windows icon in the lower right corner of the screen on the taskbar.

Scroll down to W until you get to viewing. Under the letter W, you need to click Windows system. In the second position immediately up, you get the control panel.

If you open Control Panel repeatedly, then you need to look at the most frequently used segments when you launch the Start menu.

Control panel for quick launch

Type Control Panel into the Cortana search box.

From the resulting search result, right-click and select the Pin to Start option.

Control Panel on the Taskbar

a) In addition, you can pin it to the Cortana taskbar; to do this, enter the phrase Control Panel - Control Panel in Cortana.

You can see Control Panel (desktop app) as the end result.

b) Launch Control Panel.
Right-click the icon on the taskbar Windows systems 10.
A list will be displayed with different options, click on the button that reads Pin to taskbar.

Via command shell

Press Win+R keys together.
Copy under the specific shell command and paste into the space after you have opened the Run window.

shell:ControlPanelFolder

Press Enter.

Via Task Manager

This method was discovered as possible way. To expand the Control Panel through the Task Manager in Windows 10, you need to emulate it under the action name.

Right-click where you see an empty section on the taskbar and select Task Manager, which is in 3rd place from the end.

Right-click Task Manager on the taskbar.

In the new dialog box, type control.exe and click OK.

Create a new control and click OK.

Using context paths

Accessing the Control Panel using the default shortcut by executing it in the Run dialog box is a fairly simple job.

Launch the search field using the Win+R keys.

Copy the default path written below, paste it into the field and press Enter –

%SystemRoot%\system32\control.exe

Select Win+I and when the Settings application opens, type Control Panel. From the Control Panel or click its icon in the drop-down search result in the application settings.

Final Thoughts

So, Control Panel is accessible from almost anywhere on your Windows 10 computer. But in this article, we have written those methods which are additional and suitable and can help you open Control Panel very easily and instantly.