How to Open Control Panel in Windows 10? [Easy Fixes]

Windows 10 is the newest Operating System from Microsoft. This OS has gained more popularity due to its new user interface and the introduction of different types of applications. Out of all those applications, Windows Settings is the one that you think has replaced the good old ‘Control Panel’. Since the ‘Settings’ is mostly seen on the ‘Start menu’, ‘Notifications area’ and the Control Panel is nowhere to be seen.

However, the fact is that ‘Control Panel’ is present within the Windows 10, but it is not readily available like before. In order to know the process to launch the Control Panel on Windows 10, follow the article.

About the Control Panel

Control Panel is a program that allows you to adjust the settings for the computer. You can control every aspect of the Windows with the help of this program and set the computer according to your preference. Some of the things that you can change with the Control Panel are as follows – ‘installation or update device drivers’, ‘software removal’, ‘alter the network settings’ and etc.

How to open Control Panel in Windows 10?

There are a plethora of ways to open the Control Panel within Windows 10. Here, you will get information about those ways in detail. Thus, follow all the methods and increase the knowledge level.

Use the Quick Access Menu

Here, you will get information to open the Control Panel via the Quick Access Menu.

First, tap on the combination of ‘Windows + X’ simultaneously.
This action will open up the ‘Quick Access Menu’ on the bottom-right edge of the screen, just above the Windows logo.
From that menu, locate and choose the ‘Control Panel’ option.

From ‘Run’ open Control Panel

Get steps here to open the Control Panel program from the ‘Run’.

Press on both the keys ‘Windows + R’ keys together, to open a new ‘Run’ dialog box.
Inside that dialog box, write the following text “control panel” on the blank area beside the ‘Open:’ label.
At last, click on the ‘OK’ button to start the Control Panel program.

Utilize the Search Area

In here, you will get a process to access the Control Panel via the ‘Search’ area. This is one of the most efficient ways to get the Control Panel within the Windows 10 OS. So follow it accordingly.

Click on the search area beside the ‘Windows’ logo on the taskbar.
Once a blank search area comes up, next, type in the text “control panel”.
Lastly, from the search output click on the ‘Control Panel option.

Using a Control Panel Shortcut

To open Control Panel there is another way, which by using the shortcut present on the ‘Start’ menu. This is one of the slowest ways to launch the Control Panel program. But, yet you get the steps below.

First, tap on the ‘Windows logo’ on the taskbar. As soon as you click on it, then the ‘Start’ menu will appear.
Next, inside that menu move down the list of all the applications and folders present within the computer until you get see the ‘Windows System’.
Once you get the ‘Windows System’ folder, next, click on the down arrow key to reveal the contents within that directory on a sublist.
Now, from that sublist, locate and choose the ‘Control Panel’ option.

Use the Command Prompt

You can use the Command Prompt application and open the Control Panel. For that follow the steps below.

Press the following keys ‘Windows + S’ to open the search section of the Windows OS.
After that, within that section, enter the text as follows “command prompt”. Next, from that search results page locate the ‘Command Prompt’ option and right-click on it.
Next, from the popup menu that comes up find and click on the ‘Run as Administrator’ option. As soon as you do that, then a new window with a black background and white text will come up.
Inside that menu, type in the following command “control panel” and then press the ‘Enter’ button.
This action will open the Control Panel window immediately.

Via Task Manager

Task Manager is yet another method to launch the Control Panel window within the Windows 10 OS. For that to happen, follow the steps below.

First, hit the three keys – “Ctrl + Alt + Delete” simultaneously. This action will open a screen with five options.
Out of those five options, select the one that says ‘Open Task Manager’. As soon as you click on that option, then a new window having the title ‘Task Manager’ will come up.
Now, if the window is presented to you in compact form, then to make it normal tap on the ‘More details’ button.
At this time, go to the upper section and then from the menu bar choose the ‘File’ button. This will open a drop-down menu.
From that menu choose the ‘Run new task’ option. Next, a new dialog box with the name ‘Create new task’ will come up.
Within that dialog box, enter the text “control panel” and press the ‘Enter’ button.

Execute the file “control.exe”

This is the longest way among all the methods presented here to launch the Control Panel application. To know the process, follow the steps below.

First, from the desktop locate the ‘This PC’ icon and then double-click on the same to open the folder.
Next, within this folder, locate the ‘C:’ drive partition and then double-click on it to open the same.
Now inside that partition, find and double-click on the ‘Windows’ folder. After that, scroll down all the contents within the Windows folder and double-click on the ‘System32’ subfolder.
Inside the ‘System32’ subfolder move down a little until you get to the “control.exe” folder.
Once you have got the “control.exe” file, next double-click on the same.
As soon as you do that, then a new Control Panel window will open up.

Access Control Panel from Desktop Toolbar

You will get the process to access the Control Panel from the ‘Desktop Toolbar’ here. But first, there is a need for you to add the ‘Desktop Toolbar’ on the taskbar.

Add Desktop Toolbar

Get steps here on how to add the Desktop Toolbar.

First, on the taskbar locate the blank space and right-click to open the popup menu.
Next, from that popup menu go to the ‘Toolbar’ option, in order to open a sub-menu. After that, from the sub-menu and appears, choose the ‘Desktop option.
As soon as you click on that option, then a ‘Desktop Toolbar’ will come up on the right side of the taskbar before the system tray.
Now, click on the ‘Desktop Toolbar’ to open a popup menu.
At last, from that menu, locate the ‘Control Panel’ option and click on it to open a new window having the same name.