Friday, August 23rd 2024
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Windows Control Panel Faces Sunset After Nearly Four Decades, Settings App to Succeed It
Microsoft has officially confirmed plans to phase out the Windows Control Panel, a feature that has been a key to the operating system since its inception in 1985. The tech giant recently stated on its support website, "The Control Panel is in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app, which offers a more modern and streamlined experience." The Control Panel has undergone numerous transformations over its 39-year lifespan and has been a familiar tool for Windows users across generations. Its impending retirement signifies a major shift in Microsoft's approach to user interface design and system management. The Settings app, introduced with Windows 8 in 2012, has gradually absorbed the functionalities of the Control Panel. Despite rumors of its demise circulating for a while, this is the first time Microsoft has officially acknowledged the Control Panel's deprecation.
The company still needs to specify an exact timeline for the complete removal of this legacy feature. Microsoft is encouraging users to utilize the Settings app whenever possible, stating, "While the Control Panel still exists for compatibility reasons and to provide access to some settings that have not yet migrated, you are encouraged to use the Settings app, whenever possible." The Control Panel's longevity can be attributed primarily to two factors: ongoing compatibility concerns and the presence of certain functions not yet available in the Settings app. Microsoft's need to maintain backward compatibility with older software and hardware configurations has been a critical driver behind the Control Panel's continued inclusion in Windows. This legacy support ensures that users can still access essential system settings and utilities that still need to be successfully migrated to the more modern Settings interface. However, the complete transition is now seemingly ready.
Source:
via Tom's Hardware
The company still needs to specify an exact timeline for the complete removal of this legacy feature. Microsoft is encouraging users to utilize the Settings app whenever possible, stating, "While the Control Panel still exists for compatibility reasons and to provide access to some settings that have not yet migrated, you are encouraged to use the Settings app, whenever possible." The Control Panel's longevity can be attributed primarily to two factors: ongoing compatibility concerns and the presence of certain functions not yet available in the Settings app. Microsoft's need to maintain backward compatibility with older software and hardware configurations has been a critical driver behind the Control Panel's continued inclusion in Windows. This legacy support ensures that users can still access essential system settings and utilities that still need to be successfully migrated to the more modern Settings interface. However, the complete transition is now seemingly ready.
43 Comments on Windows Control Panel Faces Sunset After Nearly Four Decades, Settings App to Succeed It
'What have you been playing lately?'
'Control Panel bruh, nostalgia ftw'
But what is disappointing, but not surprising is that M$ has still NOT fully or properly implimented anywhere near enough enough of the control panel functions in settings for the change over, its a running joke. Just looks at the sound settings in settings versus CP - its a shitshow.
I imagine the enterprise version/s of windows/server will retain the CP for years.
All that said Control Panel or better yet ncpa.cpl and appwiz.cpl are basically the first things you'll learn as a sysadmin for a reason. THEY JUST WORK!!!
Good riddance to the Control Panel. It's an eyesore and hasn't been needed for a while apart from extremely rare circumstances. Once the remaining handful of settings are migrated they can kill this thing once and for all.
I just hope they update all the other legacy utilities like Disk Management, Device Manager, Event Viewer, Services and Task Scheduler. There so much room for improvement here in terms of ease of use and UI design.
I also like that you have a quick access to some functionality
So true.
I add things like gpu-z, and winsetview to the control panel. so will use it for as long as it exists. I expect it will carry on existing just there wont be a way to open it easily.
The new settings applet, I dont hate it, its ok, I think its main downside vs the control panel is it has a lot of padding so more space is needed to fit things, and not everything adjustable is migrated over from the control panel. Control panel arguably though with its compact design people will prefer larger text and widgets which easily confirm the state a setting is in. For things that exist in both the control panel and settings, most of the time if its muscle memory I use the control panel, but if its things, that I have never bothered touching in control panel, then I will use the settings applet.
The observant may notice some things are missing like the device manager, if I access things via another way I have removed them from the control panel, device manager can be access by right clicking the start menu, and I also have it in my quick launch tray, I have some things I added to this which I never use like the windows defender hardening tools, so those I might remove as well. But can see gpu-z, cpu-z and other useful tools are in here. I tend to put things in here which are system configuration or system debug related. Inspectre I think is obsolete now as was never updated for the newer mitigations, and since I have mitigations status in there (which does get updated), I might remove inspectre as well. Also anything in here that I added that requires elevation, they are linked to a scheduled task which can launch them without elevation prompts, so gpu-z e.g. I launch it via control panel, there is no UAC prompt.
Easy examples: adjusting power plans, changing laptop open/close behaviour, advanced / explicit firewall settings, etc.
Only when MS have faithfully put all that back in should they sunset it. It's not liked they nuked VB/C-script whilst still working on PowerShell whilst it's missing basic command/control items....
Same reason computer domain names are still limited to 15 characters.