14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has released the very first preview build of Windows 11, and while I was dissecting the new operating system, I noticed something that many long-time Windows users might find consider to be pretty good news.
The classic Control Panel is still there, so despite Windows 11 coming with a completely new Settings experience, the two continue to be offered side by side just like in Windows 10.
Back in 2015 when it officially rolled out Windows 10 with a modern approach and a redesigned Settings menu, Microsoft pledged to completely ditch the classic Control Panel and therefore step away from the traditional Windows experience once and for all.
To do this, the company embarked on a years-long adventure that required a thorough transition of every single feature from the classic Control Panel to the new Settings app. And of course, this couldn’t just take place overnight, so every new Windows 10 feature update marked another step towards the complete demise of the Control Panel.
The transition to Settings continues
But here we are six years later and the Control Panel is yet to go dark, and what’s more, it’s still around in the first Windows 11 preview build.
Of course, this doesn’t change much regarding the future of the Control Panel, as it’s still a very limited part of the operating system given most options have already been moved to the Settings app. And needless to say, there’s a chance Microsoft completely retires the Control Panel by the time Windows 11 is ready for launch if the company has enough time to move the remaining options to Settings.
In the meantime, however, the classic Control Panel has made its way to another Windows 11 version, though it’s obviously just a matter of time until Microsoft kills it off once and for all.