How to Open Control Panel on Windows 11 Using 4 Easy Ways

Although the Control Panel is still there in Windows 11, Microsoft has made it difficult to access. It doesn’t appear in all application areas of the new Windows 11 Start menu. In this guide I’ll show you 4 ways to get around Open the Control Panel on Windows 11 and how to pin it to the taskbar and create a desktop shortcut for it.

4 ways to open Control Panel on Windows 11

Windows 11 comes with a new “Settings” app experience that is very different from Windows 10 Settings and the old Windows 7 Control Panel. Microsoft seems to be taking full advantage of Windows 10’s settings and control panel. Windows 7 control and started the setup application in Windows 11.

Microsoft mentioned that all of the Control Panel functions are in the Settings application and are easier to navigate and configure. The navigation menu on the left lists all of the main options and the window on the right contains all of the sub-options of the selected main option. Each main option has a prominent icon and title.

Although you have the Windows 11 Settings app in front of you and you want to keep using the Control Panel, there are four ways you can use the Control Panel on Windows 11 to open and use.

Method 1. By searching in the start menu

You are still using the control panel. You can easily access Control Panel from the Start menu on Windows 11 if you don’t know how to find it.

  • Tap that begin Key or press the Windows key.
  • Next, type “Control Panel” in the Start menu search box and hit Enter.
  • Now Windows will look for the Control Panel application and open it.

Method 2. Using a run dialog

Another easy way to start the Control Panel on Windows 11 is to search for it with Run. How to proceed:

  • Press the Windows key and R to open the Run dialog.
  • Next, enter the following command: control
  • This will open up good ol ‘Control Panel for you.
Open the Control Panel with Run
Carry out ‘Control’

Method 3. Using Command Prompt

You can also use Command Prompt to access and use Control Panel. Follow the steps below:

  • Tap the Start button to open the start menu, enter cmd in the search box and click command prompt to open it.
  • Art Switchboard in the command prompt window and press Enter.
Open the control panel in Windows 11 with CMD
Enter Control Panel in CMD. a

Method 4. Via Windows PowerShell.

If you can do this with Command Prompt, you can do it with PowerShell too.

  • To access Control Panel using PowerShell, tap the Start button and choose Windows PowerShell enter it.
  • Entrance Switchboard in the Windows PowerShell window and press Enter.
Open the Control Panel in Windows 11 with PowerShell
Enter Control Panel in PowerShell

Frequently asked Questions:

How do you pin the control panel to the taskbar in Windows 11? To pin it to your system tray for easy access, when it opens, right-click the Control Panel’s system tray icon, then tap “Pin to System Tray”. After that, you can easily open it right from your system tray.

How do I create a desktop shortcut for the control panel? To create a desktop shortcut, you must first open the start menu, scroll to the end of the apps list in the left pane and click on the “Windows System” folder. Drag and drop the “Control Panel” shortcut onto your desktop. After that, you can easily access it from your desktop.

last words

I often use the Control Panel to open the Network and Sharing Center. Although Microsoft has worked a lot on its app for network-related settings. If you think you’re the only one using the Control Panel, it’s not! Good luck!


Also read:

  • Access and use emojis in Windows 11
  • How to change your hosts file on Windows 11
  • How to change your PC or laptop name in Windows 11