Windows 11 Update Tests Phasing Out Control Panel

Microsoft might finally be getting rid of its Control Panel

By
Allison Murray
Allison Matyus
Allison Murray
Tech News Reporter
  • Southern Illinois University
Allison reports on all things tech. She's a news junky that keeps her eye on the latest trends. Allison is a writer working out of Chicago, IL, with her only coworker: her cat Norbert.
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Published on December 17, 2021 12:20PM EST
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Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Fact checked by Jerri Ledford
  • Western Kentucky University
  • Gulf Coast Community College
Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others.
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Microsoft seems to be finally working on fully phasing out the Control Panel in a new Windows 11 update. 

According to a post published on the Windows Insider Blog, the company is working to move settings from the Control Panel into the Settings app. Right now, the switch appears to be a test only available to the company’s software testing program, Windows Insider. 

Microsoft Windows 11

Microsoft

“We have moved the advanced sharing settings (such as Network discovery, File and printer sharing, and public folder sharing) to a new page in Settings app under Advanced Network Settings,” the blog post reads. 

“We’ve made some updates to the device-specific pages under Printers & Scanners in Settings to show more information about your printer or scanner directly in Settings when available.”

Microsoft added that some of the entry points for the network and devices settings in the Control Panel would now redirect to the corresponding pages in Settings so that you wouldn’t be brought to the Control Panel.

The move away from Microsoft’s Control Panel has been a long time coming and has been in the works since at least Windows 8, according to The Verge. Microsoft introduced the Settings app in 2012 in the hopes of eventually replacing the Control Panel. 

It makes sense that Windows 11 may finally be the system update to officially phase out the Control Panel since Microsoft has focused on modernization and a clean design for Windows 11. 

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