The end is nigh for Control Panel as Microsoft says that it plans to deprecate the 39-year-old settings interface. Regardless of how everyday users and IT personnel have accessed it, Windows Control Panel has been a staple for many over the decades to access essential links for making system changes. First introduced in 1985 with Windows 1.0 the interface would progressively be updated giving users a quick and easy means to configure their PCs as needed. Microsoft has long been making changes in how to find the aging, but still useful, interface and has now officially announced its end is forthcoming.
Per Microsoft (via support page):
“The Control Panel is a feature that’s been part of Windows for a long time. It provides a centralized location to view and manipulate system settings and controls. Through a series of applets, you can adjust various options ranging from system time and date to hardware settings, network configurations, and more. The Control Panel is in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app, which offers a more modern and streamlined experience.”
Microsoft says in a tip for users that the interface is still included in Windows for compatibility reasons while it works to migrate more settings to the Settings App, users are advised to use the newer app as much as possible. This is likely so that users not yet familiar with the app can become more acquainted with it. Microsoft has not indicated exactly when it will remove the Control Panel from Windows 10 and 11 but this move could include other changes as well. From its push for AI via CoPilot, and Recall, to removing other apps like Paint 3D, Microsoft has been tweaking its current operating systems over the last few months. With EOL support on the horizon for Windows 10 more changes are likely to happen.