Microsoft begins killing off the Control Panel in Windows 10

Control Panel has been around for a while, being the default location to find all the settings to control your PC, but Microsoft seems determined to migrate users over to the Windows 10 settings app for all their tinkering needs.

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Microsoft has shifted the Control Panel UI over the years, trying to push users towards the Settings app, but the old system has a staunch fanbase of older users who preferred its 'function over fashion' approach.

Sadly, in the recent October 2020 Windows update, trying to click into the System page of Control Panel will redirect users to the Windows 10 Settings app.

It looks like we don't have much of a choice in using the new UI either, regardless of stubborn determination. According to Windows Latest, Microsoft is also blocking properties shortcuts and third-party applications that could have been used as a workaround to access the retired System page.

The end of an era

This isn't to say that the new Settings app doesn't have any appeal, with its touch-friendly functionality and nice modern theming, but there was always something familiar about the Control panel. A faithful and unchanged friend through the many developments of Windows over the years.

It’s understandable that Microsoft would want a more user-friendly interface for the future of Windows 10, and makes no sense to hold on to the old UI. After all, Control Panel is ancient at this point, and can be incredibly confusing for folks that haven't grown up with Windows.