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There are many ways to open Windows Control Panel. Still the central hub of Windows, the Control Panel can help you manage almost all aspects of your operating system.
Be it keyword or mouse settings, password and users records, or fiddling with the sound and other hardware settings, Control Panel has access to all. Even though Microsoft is taking steps to replace Control Panel with Windows Settings, you can still control your PC from the Control Panel, and for some settings it’s the only place to go.
It’s therefore not a surprise that there are so many ways one can use to Open the Control Panel in Windows. So let’s first get started with some of the more straightforward ways at our disposal.
1. Start Menu search bar
The Start menu search bar is the place that lets you access almost all of your apps or folders from a single place. Not surprisingly, you can also use it to open Control Panel in your Windows. Here’s how:
Go to the Start menu search bar, type in ‘control panel’ in the search box, and select the Best match. The Control Panel will be opened.
Related: How to customize your Windows 11 Start Menu in the best way
2. File Explorer
You can also open the Control Panel from the File Explorer. The File Explorer, previously also called the Windows Explorer, is a file management application that works as a graphical user interface, which in turn helps you edit, manage data and other file contents.
To open the File Explorer, select the folder icon from the taskbar below.
In the File Explorer, select Desktop and from there, click on Control Panel.
3. Run dialog box
The Run dialog box is a handy utility to help you access all kinds of files on your Windows computer. You can also launch the Control Panel with it. To get started, go to the Start menu, type in ‘run’ and select the Best match. Or alternatively, press Windows key +R.
In the Run dialog box, type ‘control panel,’ and hit Enter. The Windows Control Panel will be launched.
4. Command prompt
You can also use the Windows Command prompt to open the Windows Control Panel. Simply go to the Windows key + X. Or Alternatively, go to the Start menu search bar, type in ‘cmd,’ and hit Enter.
When the Command prompt gets launched, type in the following command and hit Enter:
control panel
The Control Panel will be launched in your Windows 10 or 11.
5. Start menu shortcut
If you’ve to open the Control Panel almost every day, then there’s a sneaky way to access it. How? You can simply pin the Control Panel shortcut to the Start menu so that you can launch anytime from there. Here’s how:
Click on the Start button, and type in ‘control panel’. From there, right-click on the Control Panel and select Pin to Start.
Now, whenever you want to open the Control Panel, simply click on the Windows Start button, and you’ll find the Control Panel icon in the Pinned section.
6. Task Manager
Infamous as a rescuer for any and all hanged Windows processes, the Task Manager is a handy application in the Windows operating system; just any gamer.
But it has many other uses as well. One such use is its feature to launch different Windows apps. Here’s how:
To launch the Task Manager, go to the Windows power menu. Right-click on the Windows Start button, and select the Task Manager. In the Task Manager, click on File > Run new task.
In the new window, type in ‘control panel’ and hit Enter. The Task Manager will be opened.
7. Desktop shortcut
Desktop shortcuts are a handy way to launch different Windows apps. They are also super convenient, especially if you’ve to use the specified app again and again. Interestingly, you can also open the Control Panel with a simple shortcut. Here’s how:
Right-click anywhere in the desktop and select New > Shortcut. In the new dialog box that pops ups, type in ‘control panel’ in the Browse… box, and hit Enter. Then give a relevant name to the screenshot (we’ve named it Control Panel), and select Finish.
8. File Explorer’s address bar
The File Explorer’s address bar is located in the top-left corner of the Windows operating system. Interestingly, you can also use this address bar to open the Control Panel in your Windows. Here’s how:
Click on the > option in front of the computer icon. As soon as you do that, you’ll get a drop-down list from where you can select the Control Panel. Click on that icon of Control Panel, the Control Panel menu will be opened.
Open Control Panel in Windows 10 or Windows 11
And these are all the different ways to open Control Panel in your Windows. We hope one of these methods helped you launch the Windows Control Panel without any hassles. Be sure to also check out our separate guides on how to open Task Manager as well as File Explorer.
Radu Tyrsina
Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).
For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.
Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.
Quite often, I write the following phrase in my articles: ‘Open Control Panel and click Programs’ and then it appears that many users do not know how to open Control Panel in Windows. Moreover, the Programs option is not always available. Let’s close a gap and commit to memory the way you can do it.
In this article, I want to show you 5 ways of opening Control Panel on Windows 10 and 8.1. Some of them even work on Windows 7.
Please note that most articles provide you with a Control Panel guide with a ‘View By’ option set to icons. However, Windows offers you a Category view by default. For this reason, I recommend that you take into account and change the filter option to Category. It is located in the upper right corner of Control Panel window.
Opening Control Panel through ‘Run’
The ‘Run’ dialog window is available within all the latest versions of Windows OS and is accessible through the hot keys Win+R (Win is the key with the Windows OS logo). You can open everything through the ‘Run’ dialog window, including Control Panel.
To succeed in opening Control Panel through ‘Run’, type the phrase ‘control panel’ and then click ‘OK’ button or press Enter.
By the way, if you suddenly need to open Control Panel through a command prompt, it is also possible by typing ‘control panel’ and pressing Enter then.
There is one more command that allows you to access Control Panel through ‘Run’ or the command prompt: shell:ControlPanelFolder.
Fast opening of Control Panel on Windows 10 and Windows 8.1
2017 Update: on Windows 10 1703 Creators Update, Control Panel option disappeared from the Win+X menu, but you can still restore it: Restore Control Panel to WinX Menu in Windows 10 Creator Update.
On Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, you can open Control Panel in a matter of several clicks:
- Press the hotkey Win+X and then right click the ‘Start’ icon.
- In the appeared window, choose the Control panel option.
However, you can open Control Panel on Windows 7 in a similar way: the required option is available in the ‘Start’ menu by default.
Using search
One of the most efficient ways to open and run anything on Windows is to use the integrated search feature.
On Windows 10, the search feature is pinned in the taskbar. On Windows 8.1, you can press the hotkey Win+S or just start typing some text on the initial screen. On Windows 7, this tool is available by default in the ‘Start’ menu.
If you just start typing ‘Control Panel’, you will see the required option in the search results. Then, click it to open.
Additionally, if you use this method on Windows 8.1 and 10, you can right click the searched icon and choose ‘Pin to taskbar’. It allows you to open Control Panel quickly in the future.
Creating a shortcut for fast launch
In case you often need to open Control Panel, you can just create a shortcut to quickly access it. To succeed, right click on desktop and then choose ‘Create’ — ‘Shortcut’.
After that, you need to specify one of the following options in the ‘Type the location of the item’ field:
- control
- explorer shell:ControlPanelFolder.
Press ‘Next’ and enter the preferred shortcut’s name. Further, you will be able to change the shortcut’s icon in the shortcut properties as well.
Hotkeys to open Control Panel
By default, there are no hotkeys to quickly open Control Panel on Windows. However, you can create a personal hotkey combination without using third-party programs.
To succeed, follow the next steps:
- Create a shortcut as specified earlier.
- Right click the shortcut and choose ‘Properties’.
- Find the ‘Shortcut Hotkey’ field and enter the desired combination (it must include Ctrl+ALT+[Your_key].
- Press ‘OK’ button.
Congratulations, you have created a personal hotkey combination to open Control Panel on Windows. You should not delete the shortcut. Otherwise, your hotkeys will be canceled as well.
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Quick Links
-
Use the Settings Search Box
-
Create a Desktop Shortcut
-
Use File Explorer’s Address Bar Menu
-
Add a Toolbar to Your Taskbar
-
Run the Control Panel’s EXE File
-
Run It From the Task Manager
-
Run a Command in Command Prompt
-
Run a Command in PowerShell
While there’s talk of Microsoft axing the Control Panel, it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Some important settings are only found in the classic Control Panel on Windows 10—they aren’t in the Settings app. Here are 13 ways you can open the Control Panel.
You can search for any application on your PC with the Start menu’s search feature, which is also known as Windows Search. In the Search box to the left of the taskbar, just type «Control Panel.» Click «Control Panel» in the search results to launch it. You can also use the arrow keys to select it and press «Enter.»
Pin It to the Taskbar
Windows lets you pin apps to the taskbar for quick access. You can launch Control Panel using one of the methods in this article and then pin it to the taskbar.
To do this, launch Control Panel, right-click its icon in the taskbar, then select «Pin to Taskbar» to keep it there permanently. You can then drag and drop the shortcut icon to reposition it wherever you like on the taskbar.
There are three ways you can open Control Panel from the Start menu. The first is from the Apps list. Click the Start button (or press the Windows key), scroll down in the list of apps, click «Windows System» to open the folder, and click «Control Panel.»
You can also add a shortcut to the pinned tile section to the right of the Start menu. To do so, open the Start menu, type «Control Panel» in the search box (or find it in the Apps list), right-click the Control Panel shortcut in the search results, then click «Pin to Start.»
The Control Panel shortcut tile will now appear in the pinned tile section of the Start menu. Click it to launch the Control Panel.
Ask Cortana
If your PC has a microphone, you can ask Cortana to open File Explorer. To do so, click the Cortana icon (the circle) in the taskbar.
The voice command for Control Panel is a bit different. Normally, when you want to open an app through Cortana, you’ll say «Open .» But if you say «Open Control Panel,» you’ll receive an error.
To launch the Control Panel with Cortana, click the Microphone icon and just say «Control Panel»—don’t say «Open» before it. Cortana will launch the Control Panel.
If you don’t have a microphone, you can just type «Control Panel» into the Ask Cortana text box, too.
Use the Settings Search Box
You can find Control Panel with a Start menu search, but you can also search for it in the Settings window—if you happen to have the Settings window open.
In Settings (which you can also open by pressing Windows+i on the keyboard), click the search box at the top of the window, type «Control Panel,» and click the «Control Panel» search result.
Create a Desktop Shortcut
For quicker access to the Control Panel, you can create a desktop shortcut. To do so, click the Start button at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
In the app list, scroll down and click «Windows System.» In the submenu, click and drag «Control Panel» to the desktop. You can also drag and drop Control Panel from the pinned app tiles on the right.
You can also open Command Prompt from File Explorer’s Address bar. First, open File Explorer—you can press Windows+E to quickly open it. Click the arrow to the left of «This PC» in the address bar at the top of the window and select «Control Panel» in the menu.
You can also add a Desktop menu («toolbar») to your taskbar. To do so, right-click in an empty space on the taskbar, hover your cursor over «Toolbars,» then click «Desktop» from the submenu.
The Desktop toolbar will now appear at the right side of the taskbar to the left of the notification area icons. Click the icon with two right arrows, then click «Control Panel» from the menu to open Control Panel.
Run the Control Panel’s EXE File
By default, Windows stores the Control Panel’s EXE file in C:\Windows\System32.
To find it, launch File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32. Find «control.exe» in the long list—you can click in the right pane and start typing its name to skip to it. Double-click the shortcut to open Control Panel.
Run It From the Task Manager
Task Manager isn’t just for shutting down apps or monitoring processes and performance—you can also launch apps from it. To launch Control Panel this way, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc or right-click the taskbar and select «Task Manager» to open the Task Manager. Click «File» and select «Run New Task.»
The Create New Task window will appear. Type «Control Panel» in the Open box and click «OK» to launch the Control Panel.
Use the Run Window
You can also launch Control Panel using the Run window. Press Windows+R to open the Run window. In the Open box, type «Control Panel» and click «OK» to open it.
Run a Command in Command Prompt
You can launch almost any app on your PC, including Control Panel, from the Command Prompt. To do so, type «cmd» in the Windows Search box, then select «Command Prompt» from the search results to open it.
In Command Prompt, type this command and press Enter:
control panel
Control Panel will open.
Run a Command in PowerShell
You can also launch Control Panel from PowerShell. To do so, type «PowerShell» in the Windows Search box, then select «Windows PowerShell» from the search results to open a PowerShell window. (You can also press Windows+X or right-click the Start button and select «Windows PowerShell» to open it.)
In PowerShell, type the following command, then press Enter to open a Control Panel window:
control panel
Windows 10 is packed with different ways to accomplish common tasks. For example, there’s a wide variety of ways to launch File Explorer, open a Command Prompt window, or lock your PC. Explore all the options to find those that work best for you and your workflow.
Where is the Control Panel in Windows 10? How do you open it and is there any Control Panel shortcut you can use for that? To answer these questions, I did a bit of testing and experimentation. I had to do that because in Windows 10, the Control Panel is hidden compared to Microsoft’s older operating systems, like Windows 7. I managed to compile a list of sixteen different ways to open the Control Panel. It includes methods to open this old and trusted tool in Windows using Control Panel shortcuts, keys, the Run window, CMD, and so on. Let’s see all of them, starting with the most useful ones and ending with the geekier methods:
1. Create and use a Windows 10 Control Panel shortcut
The method I find the most easy to use in the long term is to create a Control Panel shortcut and put it somewhere it’s convenient to use. It can be on your desktop, as well as in a folder. Here’s how:
Right-click or press-and-hold on an empty space on your desktop or in a folder, go to New in the context menu, and select Shortcut.
Start creating a Control Panel shortcut
Then, in the Create Shortcut wizard, point your new shortcut to:
control
or
%windir%\System32\control.exe
… and press Next.
Type control and press Next
Give your Control Panel shortcut a name. Control Panel will do nicely, for instance. 🙂 Then, press Finish to save it.
Give a name to the Control Panel shortcut
The end result? A neat Control Panel shortcut you can double-click or double-tap anytime you want to access this tool on your Windows 10 computer.
The shortcut to open Control Panel in Windows 10
TIP: If you’d like more detailed instructions on creating shortcuts in Windows 10, check out this guide: How to create shortcuts for files, folders, apps, and web pages in Windows.
2. Make and use a Control Panel keyboard shortcut
If you’re a fan of the keyboard, you could also make a custom Control Panel keyboard shortcut. For that, follow the same steps shown in the previous method in this guide to create a regular Control Panel shortcut. Then, right-click or press and hold it to access its context menu and select Properties in the list of options.
Open the Properties of the Control Panel shortcut
In the Shortcut tab of the Control Panel Properties window, click or tap the field next to Shortcut key. On your keyboard, press the keys you want to assign as a keyboard shortcut for the Control Panel. For example, in the next screenshot, you can see that the Shortcut key I created for the Control Panel is Ctrl + Alt + P. Once you’ve chosen the keys, press OK to save your new Control Panel keyboard shortcut.
Assign a Control Panel shortcut key
From now on, it suffices to press the Control Panel shortcut on your keyboard to launch it. However, remember that you shouldn’t delete the shortcut you’ve created on your desktop, or the keyboard shortcut will stop working too.
3. Download our Control Panel shortcut for Windows
If you’d rather get an already-made Control Panel shortcut, know that we’ve assembled one of the most extensive collections of shortcuts for Windows. Download and extract it, and, inside, find the shortcut for the Control Panel in the Windows Shortcuts > Administration Tools folder.
The Control Panel shortcut found in our collection
You can copy the Control Panel shortcut we made for you anywhere you like. For instance, on your desktop or in a special Tools folder you may keep on your Windows 10 computer.
4. Use Windows 10’s Control Panel shortcut from the Start Menu
Another straightforward way of opening the Control Panel in Windows 10 is from the Start Menu. Click or tap the Start button or press the Windows key on your keyboard. In the Start Menu, scroll down to the Windows System folder. There, you will find a Control Panel shortcut.
There’s a Control Panel shortcut in Windows 10’s Start Menu
Click or tap the shortcut and the Control Panel launches instantly.
5. Pin a Control Panel shortcut to the Start Menu or to the taskbar
If you want to access the Control Panel quickly, you might want to pin a shortcut for it in a place where you get to see it without effort. Some areas where you should consider pinning it are the taskbar or the Start Menu.
In order to do that, go to the Control Panel shortcut like I’ve shown you in the previous method. Then, right-click or press-and-hold the Control Panel shortcut, and select Pin to Start if that’s where you want it.
Pin a Control Panel shortcut to the Start Menu
In an instant, a Control Panel shortcut appears on your Start Menu. 🙂
Control Panel shortcut pinned to the Start Menu
If you’d rather have it on your taskbar, right-click or press and hold the Control Panel shortcut in the Start Menu, go to More, and choose Pin to taskbar.
Pin a Control Panel shortcut to the taskbar
And there you have it: a Control Panel shortcut on your taskbar.
Control Panel shortcut pinned to the taskbar
TIP: Are you interested in learning more about pinning? Here’s a complete guide on how to pin to the Start Menu in Windows 10.
6. Make Windows 10 add a Control Panel icon on the desktop
You can also add a Control Panel icon on your desktop. Start by opening the Settings app (Win + I), then go to Personalization, access Themes, and click or tap the Desktop icon settings link.
Getting to the Desktop icon settings
In the Desktop Icon Settings window, select the Control Panel desktop icon and press OK.
Adding a Control Panel shortcut using the Desktop Icon Settings
It will take just a moment for the Control Panel shortcut to show up on your desktop.
The Control Panel shortcut on the desktop
TIP: Here’s a handy guide if you want to know more about the other desktop icons: How to add or remove desktop icons (shortcuts) in Windows.
7. How to open Control Panel using Run in Windows 10
Press the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run window. Then, type:
control
…and hit Enter on your keyboard or press OK.
How to open Control Panel via Run
Now that you know how to open the Control Panel via Run, wouldn’t you also like to know what the Control Panel command is? Here’s how to…
8. Open Control Panel using CMD or PowerShell
If you like Command Prompt or PowerShell, you should know that the command for starting the Control Panel is (surprise, surprise!):
control
So type control in your favorite command-line app, and then press the Enter key on your keyboard.
How to open Control Panel using CMD
This command opens the Control Panel immediately.
9. How to open Control Panel in Windows 10 using search
Another way to start anything in Windows 10 is to use the search feature. Click or tap the search box from the taskbar or just press the Windows key on your keyboard. Then start typing:
control panel
…and click or tap the Control Panel search result.
Open Control Panel in Windows 10 using search
TIP: Is your search bar missing? Here’s how to get search back on your Windows 10 taskbar.
10. Use Windows 10’s Settings to open Control Panel
An alternative, yet a bit lengthier way of using search to open the Control Panel involves using the Settings app. Open Settings and type “control panel” in the search field found at the top-center area of the app. Once the search results are shown, click or tap Control Panel.
Open Control Panel in Windows 10 from Settings
As expected, this launches the Control Panel. 🙂
11. Open Control Panel using File Explorer’s address bar
An ingenious way to start the Control Panel is to use the File Explorer. Open File Explorer and click or tap on the first caret button from the folder path bar at the top. In the menu that shows up, select Control Panel.
Starting the Control Panel from File Explorer
The Control Panel is now open, and you can use it as required.
12. Get Control Panel in File Explorer’s folders list
File Explorer offers yet another easy method to open the Control Panel. Open File Explorer’s Folder Options window, select the View tab, enable Show all folders at the end of the Advanced settings list, and then click or tap OK.
Enable Show all folders in File Explorer
As soon as you do that, File Explorer shows an entry point for the Control Panel in the navigation area.
A Control Panel shortcut is found in File Explorer’s navigation pane
Click or tap it, and the Control Panel opens.
13. Open Control Panel using Task Manager
One other way to open the Control Panel is to use the Task Manager. Launch Task Manager — a quick way is to press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard. If the Task Manager opens up in compact mode, click or tap on More details. Then, open its File menu and click or tap the Run new task option.
Run new task in Task Manager
In the Create new task window, type:
control
…and press the Enter key or OK.
Opening Control Panel using the control command in Task Manager
14. Use Control Panel’s shortcut in the taskbar’s Desktop toolbar
This method is less intuitive, but the result might please some users. Go to the Desktop and right-click or press and hold an empty space on the taskbar. Then, go to Toolbars and select Desktop.
Adding the Desktop toolbar to the taskbar
This adds a Desktop toolbar to the right side of the taskbar. Click or tap on it and then double-click on the Control Panel to open it.
The Control Panel menu from the Desktop toolbar
What is nice about this toolbar is that, if you just hover the mouse cursor on it, it also displays the main sections and shortcuts from the Control Panel. It can be a productive tool for many users.
Control Panel shortcuts are shown in separate lists
TIP: There are other taskbar toolbars available in Windows 10. To find out more about them, check out this guide on how to customize the taskbar.
15. Open Control Panel by running the control.exe file
The executable file for the Control Panel is control.exe. You can find it in the System32 subfolder of the Windows folder:
C:\Windows\System32\control.exe
The control.exe file in Windows 10
Double-click or double-tap it and the Control Panel is launched immediately.
16. Open Control Panel using the WinX menu from Windows 10
In old versions of Windows 10, the WinX menu included a Control Panel shortcut by default. Although it’s not the case anymore, if you’re feeling a bit geeky today, you can enable Control Panel in Windows 10’s WinX menu by following these steps.
Adding a Control Panel shortcut in the WinX menu from Windows 10
That’s it, folks!
How do you open the Control Panel on your Windows 10 computer?
These are all the methods I know of starting the Control Panel in Windows 10. Some of them are easy, while others are not as straightforward. I like having a keyboard shortcut for Control Panel and I also use the search rather regularly to open this tool. What about you? Which of these methods is your favorite? The ones that let you launch Control Panel without using the keyboard maybe? Or is it the opposite, opening the Control Panel via CMD? Let me know in the comments section below, and if you know other methods too, don’t hesitate to include them.
If you’ve upgraded from a previous version of Windows to Windows 10, you’ll find that most features of the Control Panel have now been moved to the Settings app. It’s now your go-to app to configure any settings for your computer.
However, if you must open the Control Panel in Windows 10 for some reason, you can still do it as it hasn’t fully been removed, yet. There are actually a number of ways to launch this traditional utility on Windows 10.
Use Start Menu To Open Control Panel In Windows 10
You’re familiar with this method to launch the built-in tools in the Windows operating system. You can use the Start Menu to find and launch Control Panel as well as it’s located in one of the folders there.
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard to bring-up the Start Menu.
- Scroll down and find the entry that says Windows System. Click on the arrow icon next to it.
- Click on the Control Panel entry.
Using Cortana Search
Cortana lets you search for and launch many types of files and you can use it to open Control Panel in Windows 10 as well.
- Click on the Cortana search box.
- Type in Control Panel.
- The app will appear in the search results. Click on it and it’ll launch.
Using The Run Dialog Box
Like Cortana, the Run dialog box also lets you launch a number of features on your machine including the Control Panel app in Windows 10. You just need to type in the name of the utility and it’ll open it for you.
- Press the Windows + R keys at the same time and the box will open.
- Type in Control Panel and press Enter.
- The utility should launch.
Using Command Prompt
If you’re playing around with commands and need quick access to the Control Panel, you can use a Command Prompt window to open Control Panel in Windows 10. It’s basically just like running a command in your command line editor.
- Use the Cortana search to search for and open Command Prompt if it isn’t already open on your screen.
- Type in the following command and hit Enter.
control panel
- Control Panel should now be open on your screen.
Using PowerShell
The PowerShell method to open Control Panel in Windows 10 is similar to the Command Prompt one. This time around, though, you’ll use a different utility to open the menu.
- Open PowerShell on your computer by searching for and clicking on it in Cortana search.
- Type in the following command and press Enter.
control panel
- The utility should now be open on your screen.
Using Quick Access Menu
The Quick Access menu is a handy feature in Windows 10 that lets you access some of the built-in system tools with ease. The utilities that it hosts include Control Panel, Task Manager, Settings, and a few others.
- While on any screen on your computer, press both Windows and X keys at the same time. It’ll open the menu.
- Click on the Command Prompt or Command Prompt (Admin) option to launch it.
Using Cortana Voice Search
Cortana search can do much more than just helping you find information about a particular topic. You can use it to open various apps as well, and it’s a perfect way to open Control Panel in Windows 10 when you don’t want to use any of the keyboard methods.
- Click on the Cortana icon in the taskbar and it’ll launch.
- Ask Cortana the following.
open control panel
- It’ll find and launch the utility for you.
Using The Settings App
The Settings app more or less replaces the old Control Panel but this new replacement does have an option to launch the traditional settings panel. The method may not be ideal and quick unless you’re already in the Settings app and wish to use the traditional Windows settings menu.
- Open the Settings app if it isn’t already open.
- You can launch the Control Panel from any screen in the app. Put your cursor in the search box, search for Control Panel, and click on it.
Using File Explorer
If you’re inside a File Explorer window, you can launch the Control Panel from the address bar of the Explorer. It only requires you to type in the utility name and it’ll open it for you.
- Put your cursor in the address bar and type in Control Panel.
- Hit Enter and the utility will open.
- Another way you can use is head to the following path and double-click on the file named control.exe.
C:WindowsSystem32
Using Desktop Shortcut
If you need to open the Control Panel too frequently, you can actually add the panel icon to your desktop for easy access. Then all you need to do is double-click on the icon and the panel will open.
- Right-click on your desktop and select Personalize.
- Click on Themes from the left sidebar on the following screen.
- Click on Desktop icon settings in the right sidebar.
- Checkmark the option for Control Panel and click on Apply followed by OK at the bottom.
- You should now have the shortcut on your desktop. Double-click on it to open the utility.
Using a Keyboard Shortcut
There’s actually no keyboard shortcut by default to launch Control Panel in Windows 10, but you can create one for yourself using a few quick and easy steps.
- Use the File Explorer to head to the following path.
C:WindowsSystem32
- Right-click on the file named control.exe, select Send to, and choose Desktop (create shortcut).
- Right-click on the shortcut on your desktop and select Properties.
- Click on the Shortcut tab, put your cursor in the Shortcut key field, and create a new shortcut. Finally, click on Apply and then OK.
Which one’s your favorite way to open Control Panel on your Windows 10 PC? Let us know in the comments below.
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