14 DAY TRIAL // We’ve known for a while that Microsoft wants to replace the classic Control Panel with the new modern Settings experience, and by the looks of things, this plan advances these days.
First of all, some context on the whole thing.
Back in March 2015, Gabriel Aul, the head of the Windows Insider program at that point, confirmed that the plan was to replace the classic Control Panel with the Settings app.
The Redmond-based software giant wanted to do the whole thing gradually, all by moving every option available in the Control Panel to the Settings app gradually, thus making the transition as smooth as possible.
Needless to say, because the Control Panel was an important part of the classic Windows experience, this migration is still under way these days, and more recently, the software giant moved another section to Settings.
It’s the Programs and Features screen in Control Panel, as the change has recently been introduced in a Windows 10 preview build shipped as part of the Windows Insider program.
In other words, if you’re trying to launch the Programs and Features applet of the classic Control Panel, you are automatically redirected to the Apps and Features page in the Settings app.
Many long-time Windows users might not like this, and it’s all for a good reason.
Moving from Windows 7 to Windows 10, for example, which is something that many people do these days because Microsoft has already pulled the support for the 2009 operating system, could be quite a struggle for some users, and it’s all because of the modern experience in the new OS.
Users who previously wanted to stick with Windows 7 for as long as possible aren’t the biggest fans of things like the Microsoft Store, Cortana, the Settings app, or the Control Center. So what they want on Windows 10 is an experience that gets as close as possible to the classic approach available on Windows 7.
Not having a Control Panel and using the Settings app might not be everybody’s cup of tea, there’s no doubt about it.
But at the end of the day, it’s a change that must happen, and it’s all because Microsoft must make Windows 10 feel like a modern operating system from one end to another. And the classic Control Panel has no place in this modern world.
Earlier this year, Microsoft has also moved the System page in Control Panel to the About screen in the Settings app on Windows 10.
“We’re continuing to work on bringing capabilities from Control Panel forward into Settings. As part of this ongoing effort, we are migrating information found in Control Panel’s System page into the Settings About page under Settings > System > About. Links that would open the System page in Control Panel will now direct you to About in Settings. We are also bringing new improvements like making your device information copyable and streamlining the security information shown. And don’t worry—if you’re looking for more advanced controls that lived in the System page in Control Panel, you can still get to them from the modern About page if you need them!” Microsoft said.
There’s no doubt that the Control Panel would be retired sooner or later, only that at this point, there’s no ETA as to when the whole thing is supposed to happen. On the other hand, the Control Panel is pretty much useless right now given that more and more features are migrated to Windows 10, so Microsoft should just rip off the bandaid and just let everybody get used to the new modern experience on the desktop.