Control Panel is a dashboard in Windows that hosts a long list of applets that controls your Windows experience. Even though it seems to be replaced by the Settings app in Windows 10 I don’t see its core functions will ever vanished. Since it’s such an important piece to both Windows and user experience, do you know that Microsoft has dumped a number of ways for you to open it easily?
Well, even though I hoped, Microsoft doesn’t actually have a specific keyboard shortcut assigned to take you straight to Control Panel. But here is how you can create one on your own
From Start Menu
In Windows 7, Control Panel is right in the Start Menu. It’s simple like that.
But in Windows 8.1, you will either right-click the Start orb or press Win+X key to get the Win+X menu that has control panel in it.
What about Windows 10? It’s called Settings and you can find it right in the Start Menu.
From Windows/File Explorer
In Windows 8.1, press Win+E to open File Explorer and you will find that you can open Control Panel right from the Computer ribbon. Heck, you can even Uninstall programs, open System properties dialog, and Computer Manage console right from there too.
In Windows 7, it’s much plainer, just called Open Control Panel on the toolbar
However, you will need to be in This PC in Windows 8.1 or Computer in Windows 7 to be able to see these options.
From Keyboard Shortcut
On your desktop, create a shortcut that opens Control Panel. Right-click that shortcut and go toProperties. In Shortcut key box, assign any letter you want to use as a keyboard shortcut key. For example, I assigned the letter “c” to this shortcut and in result, when I press Ctrl + Alt + C, it will open Control Panel for me.
In Windows 7 and 8.1, you can always press Windows key, start typing control, and pressEnter to launch Control Panel as well. That’s actually what I do most of the times.
What about the Run menu? Press Win + R, type in Control, hit Enter, and Control Panel opens.
Last but certainly not least, each Control Panel applet can be launched directly from Win+R (Run) menu.
