Microsoft is phasing out the classic Control Panel in favor of the Settings app in Windows 10. Yes, the Control Panel that you know and love is still included, but the company is burying it deeper into the OS with each feature update. Instead, more of the classic options are converted to the modern design in the Settings app. In fact, there might come a point where the classic Control Panel is completely removed. If you’re a long-time user of Windows, but new to Windows 10, this is one change that takes getting used to.
The good news is the Start menu in Windows 10 has a lot more options and features than previous versions. In addition to pinning items like websites and apps, you can pin individual or groups of settings to the Start menu, too. If you want a faster way to access specific settings or a group of them, here’s how to pin them to the Start menu.
Pin Windows 10 Settings to Start Menu
First, open the Settings app by hitting the Windows key and then clicking Settings (gear icon) located just above the power button on the left side. Or, if you’re a keyboard kung fu practitioner, use the Windows key + I shortcut to open the Settings app directly.
Now you can navigate your way through various settings. Right-click on the one you want and then click Pin to Start. For each one, you’ll be prompted to verify you want to take the action.
The pinned settings will show up as a tile on the Start menu. Another thing you might want to do is create a tile group like I did in the image below.
It’s also worth pointing out that you can pin entire categories of Settings, too. When you first open the app just right-click the one you want. While you can pin the entire root category, narrowing it down to individual items makes this feature the most useful.
Another thing you might want to do is pin a link to the classic Control Panel to Start. Or, you can pin specific items from it, too. For example, I find that pinning Programs and Features to the Start menu is handy for when I want to uninstall an app or turn a Windows feature on or off.
Hit the Windows key and type: control panel and hit Enter or choose the result from the search results. Then, right click the item you want and select Pin to Start.
This should save you a lot of wasted time of clicking through several pages of Settings and get you directly to where you need to be. This is also handy for having a direct path to settings you only need to change occasionally. Creating a link in the Start menu is easier than trying to remember where it is. You just need to remember to pin it when you’re there.
What do you think of the new Settings structure in Windows 10? Do you prefer it or the classic Control Panel? Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts on the matter.
R. Prabakaran
September 12, 2017 at 9:04 am
My personal opinion is , the classic control panel is alright . My brain does not accept frequent changes.
Thanks,
aarpee.
Ron Lund
September 12, 2017 at 11:50 am
Ditto on pinning the Control Panel to the Start Menu. Being an old user of the Control Panel and not happy with Window 10 replacement I figured out how to do this “pinning” a really long time ago. Makes it easy to get to a familiar place quickly. I’ll have to look into your suggestions of creating “groups” with these sort of items up on the Start Menu Thanks Brian…….
Dale Lillie
September 12, 2017 at 4:17 pm
I like the old control panel. Windows 10 does a lot of things automatically that I would rather set myself. It also hides things that should be readily accessible. I usually can’t find the workaround from Windows, but have to use a search engine to find the answer.
I’ve been using win 10 for over a year and a few days ago used win 7. It was as nice and comfortable as sitting on my Mothers lap when I was a child.
Mark Giles
September 13, 2017 at 8:40 am
Good tips. For specific items, I also prefer the classic Control Panel; it’s far more intuitive than digging through Microsoft’s menus. I therefore like to pin the Control Panel to Start.
Char
September 15, 2017 at 6:29 am
I also prefer using the Control Panel that we all seem to be so fond of. Thanks for the tips on pinning it and other settings to the Start Menu. Really helpful!
Jane
September 17, 2017 at 8:03 am
just discovered a new app called ‘godmode’ for windows 10. puts all your control panel stuff in one place
Steve Krause
September 18, 2017 at 8:28 am
Yes – it’s a great feature – Here’s a write-up on it >> https://www.groovypost.com/howto/enable-god-mode-windows-10/
Char
September 19, 2017 at 1:51 pm
Thanks, Jane, for introducing me to God Mode in Windows 10. It’s certainly going to make changing many Windows settings that much easier… So quick and easy to find everything under one roof!! Super!!
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