How to open the Windows Control Panel

The Control Panel is a central location in Microsoft Windows where you can adjust your system settings. If you're unsure how to open the Control Panel, select your version of Windows from the list below for instructions.

How to open the Control Panel in Windows 11

In Windows 11, the Control Panel is largely superseded by the Settings app. To open the Settings app, open the Start Menu and click the Settings app, or press Windows key+I (hold down the Windows key and press "i").

However, the traditional Control Panel is still available.

There are several ways to open the Control Panel in Windows 11:

Using the Windows key

Press the Windows key, type Control Panel, and press Enter.

From the Windows search bar

1. Click the magnifying glass icon on the taskbar, next to the Start Menu button, to access the Windows search box.

2. Type the word control in the Windows search box, and in the search results, select Control Panel.

From the Run box

The control command can open the Control Panel from the Windows Run box.

1. Open the Run box by pressing Windows key+R
2. Type control and press Enter.

As mentioned in the Windows command line section below, you can also run the control command from the Windows 11 Command Prompt.

How to open the Control Panel in Windows 10

In Windows 10, the Control Panel has largely been superseded by the Settings app. To open the Settings app, open the Start Menu and click the gear icon (⚙), or press Windows key+I (hold down the Windows key and press "i").

However, the traditional Control Panel is still available.

There are several ways to open the Control Panel in Windows 10:

Using the Windows key

Press the Windows key, type Control Panel, and press Enter.

From the Start Menu

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Scroll down to W, click Windows System.
3. Click Control Panel.

From the Cortana search bar

1. The Cortana search bar is on the left side of the taskbar, next to Start Menu button. Click the search bar to place your cursor in this box.
2. Type the word control. Cortana lists best matches above as you type. In this list, select Control Panel.

From the Run box

The control command can open the Control Panel from the Windows Run box.

1. Open the Run box by pressing Windows key+R
2. Type control and press Enter.

As mentioned in the Windows command line section below, you can also run the control command from the Windows 10 Command Prompt.

How to open the Control Panel in Windows 8 and 8.1

1. Move the mouse to the bottom left corner of the screen and right-click.
2. In the Power User Menu, select Control Panel.

How to open the Control Panel in Windows Vista and 7

1. On the Windows desktop screen, click Start.
2. Click Control Panel on the right side of the Start Menu.
3. You may see a window similar to the following image. You may also see the expanded version of the Control Panel, with icons for all the various utilities available.

Microsoft Windows 7 Control Panel

How to open the Control Panel in Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, and XP

1. Click Start.
2. Click Settings, then Control Panel.
3. You should see a window that resembles one of the following images.

Microsoft Windows XP Control Panel

Windows Classic View vs. Windows Category View

Windows XP introduced different ways to display the Control Panel: Classic View and Category View. By default, Windows displays the Control Panel in Category View (shown above), listing icons under broad categories rather than each one individually. For example, clicking Appearance and Themes lets you adjust the theme, background, screen saver, and screen resolution. You can switch between these two views by clicking the link in the top-left section of the Control Panel window.

Microsoft Windows 98 Control Panel

How to open the Control Panel from the Windows command line

You can use the control command to open the Control Panel, and many of the Control Panel icons through the command line.

How to open the Control Panel in Windows 3.x

In Microsoft Windows 3.x, you can open the Control Panel window through the Main folder in Program Manager.