Microsoft has confirmed that the iconic Windows Control Panel will soon be removed, replacing its functions with Settings instead.
The Windows operating system is an ever-evolving beast. A vast number of new features have been added and removed since it was first introduced in 1985 with Windows 1.0. Through all the revisions, the Windows Control Panel has persevered, but not for much longer.
A new support page forWindowsconfiguration tools states the Control Panel is “in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app.”
The beginning of the end for Control Panel began back whenWindows 8was launched.
Some of the functions that had previously belonged in the Control Panel were moved over to the PC Settings menu. This was done to make theOSmore usable for touch-based interfaces.
The Control Panel persevered, however, and many of the functions that let users tweak the settings, behavior, and hardware of their PC were awkwardly split between the old Control Panel and the new Settings menu.
Microsoftsays on the official support site that the two remain running in parallel due to various compatibility issues. This doubtless refers to various legacy software applications that rely on the behavior of the old Control Panel to function.
As theofficial blog explains: “The Control Panel is in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app, which offers a more modern and streamlined experience.
Related:
While the Control Panel still exists for compatibility reasons and to provide access to some settings that have not yet migrated, you’re encouraged to use the Settings app, whenever possible.”
Rebecca Hills-Duty was a Tech Writer on Dexerto’s UK Team, specializing in PC components, VR, AMD, Nvidia and Intel. She has previously written for UploadVR and The Escapist, hosts a weekly show on RadioSEGA and has an obsession with retro gaming.
