Control Panel may soon be removed from Windows 11. Microsoft has been migrating the Control Panel for nearly a decade now.
As Neowin The report, an update of a document on Microsoft's support portal, was filed under System Configuration Tool It says that “Control Panel is being removed and replaced by the Settings app, which offers a more modern and streamlined experience.”
It also explains why the legacy app hasn't been removed yet. “While Control Panel still exists for compatibility reasons and to provide access to some settings that haven't yet migrated, you're encouraged to use the Settings app whenever possible.”
Technically, there's no telling when the Control Panel is going to go away. Are we there yet? It's been coming since 2015, when Microsoft confirmed that the Settings app would replace the Control Panel. But, the classic version has escaped the axe, although some changes were made to it, such as removing the ability to uninstall updates from the CP, making it now only possible through the Settings app.
The Windows Settings app still has a long way to go
As someone who uses both Windows 11 and macOS 14 every day, I find the Settings app to be the same in both operating systems, and they both suck. Sure, the Settings app lets you search for what you need via the search bar. But this isn't a good design, it's more useful on a phone than a computer. If the search doesn't show what the user wants, they have to search again, which is a waste of time. You could argue that it was designed for beginners, but any options are buried under multiple menus, making it very difficult to navigate.
I still prefer to modify network settings or uninstall programs through the Control Panel, it's much easier to do so through CP. The Settings app still lacks many options that are available in the Control Panel, you may want to read Martin's article on why the old Programs and Features still provide a better experience. Hopefully users will be able to use the Registry Editor to change things that the Settings app cannot.
The good old Control Panel still works perfectly, maybe it needs a redesign, I don't think it needs a refresh, but Microsoft wants everything to have a “fluid design, and mica effects, ooh!” A pleasant UI and a functional app can exist together, it's just that the designs are inconsistent in many areas of the operating system.
Oh, and a reminder that the Redmond company will remove three apps when Windows 22H4 arrives: Tips, Cortana, and WordPad.
I'm not against every change, I like what Microsoft has done with Notepad, tabs, auto save, spell-check, these are great improvements. But, removing useful tools and options in favor of a half-baked idea is bad, it feels like change is being made for the sake of change. Speaking of controversial things, Microsoft is bringing back the Windows recall in October.
What do you think of the Settings app? Do you prefer using the Control Panel?
Thanks for reading..
