Windows Control Panel Refuses to Disappear Despite Being 39 Years Old

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While the Windows operating system has undergone many changes over the course of its existence, there are certain elements that have been there since the launch of the first version in 1985, and that are still there in 2024. And among these elements, there is the Control Panel. This is an application on Windows that some users know by heart, since it is through it that we manage the settings of the device and the operating system. And today, although Microsoft seems to want to get rid of the Control Panel, in favor of a more modern interface, it is resisting.

Two apps with the same function, but different interfaces

On Windows 11, there are two applications that have, more or less, the same utility: the good old Control Panel and the Settings application. And recently, Microsoft caused a stir by announcing, on a support page, that the Windows Control Panel is being deprecated. “The Control Panel is being deprecated in favor of the Settings application, which offers a more modern and simplified experience”, we read on a support page of the Redmond firm. But faced with the debate that this announcement sparked, the firm corrected this support page so as to no longer mention the deprecation. As a reminder, the deprecation of a feature on a system is a first step, during which it continues to be available, before its disappearance.

In any case, Microsoft does not hide its intention to completely replace, sooner or later, the Control Panel, with Settings app. “While the Control Panel still exists for compatibility reasons and to provide access to some settings that have not yet been migrated, we encourage you to use the Settings app whenever possible,” Microsoft advises Windows 10 and Windows 11 users.

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Hard Habits to Change

The same Microsoft support page states that on Windows, Settings is the “main application” for customizing and managing the operating system. As mentioned above, this is a more modern and easier-to-use interface, according to the Redmond firm. However, it will be difficult for the company to convince all Windows users to adopt this newer application and abandon the Control Panel. Indeed, someone who has been used to using the old interface for years (or decades) may have a hard time using Settings, even though it is theoretically a more intuitive interface.

It’s like asking someone to ditch the QWERTY keyboard for a key layout that, in theory, improves typing speed.

• Microsoft wants you to use Windows Settings instead of the old Control Panel
• But it’s having a hard time getting users to accept this decision
• Recently, the company modified a Windows support page that indicated that the Windows Control Panel is being deprecated
• While Windows Settings offers a more modern and, in theory, more intuitive interface, the Control Panel has been present on the operating system since version 1.0, which was released in 1985
• Even if they are offered a more optimized interface, some people prefer to keep the tool they have been used to for years

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