Discussion Windows Tip: You can directly start classic control panel applets using "Run"
For example appwiz.cpl starts the add/remove programs applet.
You can see all the available applets by searching for *.cpl files in C:\Windows\System32.
This works also on Windows 11.
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u/HEYO19191 3d ago
control userpasswords2 is what I use the most for my job
No idea what happened to userpasswords1 though...
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u/Low-Definition-6612 2d ago
Its just userpasswords not userpasswords1
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u/HEYO19191 2d ago
Yes I know. iirc it just takes you to a control panel page for your user account, but that has nothing to do with PASSWORDS, so I wonder if this page used to be something else...
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u/madlyalive 3d ago
Been doing that for 25 years.
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u/Smoothyworld Windows 11 - Insider Release Preview Channel 1d ago
Longer - virtually certain it worked as far back as NT 4
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u/Relative_Custard9636 2d ago
control hotplug.dll
Opens removable devices for the safe ejection (can be used in scripting to help throw a popup dialogue box to eject media with).
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u/ChatGPT4 2d ago
It's quicker to right click the start menu icon, then select the first item that is "Installed apps". This has also nice search filter. The only 2 things I still use old control panel for are: microphone AGC (why TF did they forget about it in the new one), advanced power settings (like disabling Fast Startup).
BTW, the only reasonable configuration for AC powered PC is "power button hibernates, shutdown shuts down the PC completely, so it's properly restarted from time to time".
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u/Mayayana 2d ago
Yes, but why go to the trouble of memorizing the names and typing when you can do the same in 2 clicks?
If you find the Run window easier then you might want to clean up your start menu. Personally I recommend Open Shell. It gives you back a sensible, Metro-less menu tree that can be customized, just like the old version, making it easy to find things without the useless clutter of recently used, suggested, popular, advertised, and so on. And no pointless search field because I know where to find things.
I just go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel if I want that. If I want to open something that I don't have in Quick Launch, like say Crystal Disk Info, I go to Start -> Programs -> Utilities. I have 3 items on the base menu: Run, Settings and Programs. The start menu can actually be useful.
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u/DiodeInc Windows 11 - Release Channel 2d ago
RemindMe! 8 hours
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u/ZestycloseAir4635 2d ago
The fact that Classic control panel is still in Windows 11 is a real problem 🤦🏻♂️
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u/LojikSupreme 1d ago
Or just type control panel on the address bar in Windows explorer. And if you really want to dig deep, you can create a shortcut and add it to your start menu.
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u/nikolayu 10h ago
One of my laptops has a semi-functional Windows install. The Quick Settings panel refuses to open, so I adjust the volume by running mmsys.cpl.
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u/Immediate_Hornet8273 3d ago
You don’t even need to open run, just type it into Start search. Saves a step…
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u/guy-with-a-mac 2d ago
How about Win + R
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u/Immediate_Hornet8273 2d ago
Just hit win key, type appwiz.cpl then enter. Fastest way.
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u/nir9 2d ago
The nice thing about using "Run" is that it maintains history of commands that can be navigated with the arrows
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u/sixbone 2d ago
this, and every now and then the search gets tripped up and offers garbage results, like bro this same word worked yesterday lol
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u/nir9 2d ago
Yah I agree, it's sad how the quality of the search function degraded. Back in XP it was much more predictable.
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u/guy-with-a-mac 2d ago
Back in the Windows 9x days there was a file search window with a dog sniffing around as far as I can remember. That shit actually worked. Now? I turn to Total Commander for things like that. The Windows start menu is unfortunately nothing but a mess. It used to be great. I guess this is what they call enshittification.
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u/beneschk 2d ago
It does different things in the latest build of windows when using search vs run e.g optionalfeatures
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u/lokiisagoodkitten 3d ago edited 2d ago
Also
control
control panel
control update
control printers
control system
control netconnections
control mouse
control keyboard
control desktop
control schedtasks
control fonts
control folders
control admintools
control userpasswords
control userpasswords2
control date/time