Control Panel (Windows)
Control Panel is a component of Microsoft Windows that provides the ability to view and change system settings. It consists of a set of applets that include adding or removing hardware and software, controlling user accounts, changing accessibility options, and accessing networking settings. Additional applets are provided by third parties, such as audio and video drivers, VPN tools, input devices, and networking tools.
Overview
Control Panel has been part of Microsoft Windows since Windows 1.0, with each successive version introducing new applets. Beginning with Windows 95, the Control Panel is implemented as a special folder, and as such only contains shortcuts to various applets such as Add or Remove Programs and Internet Options. Physically, these applets are stored as .cpl files so that they can be shown on the Control Panel. For example, the Add or Remove Programs applet is stored under the name appwiz.cpl in the SYSTEM32 folder.Starting with Windows Me, the Control Panel home screen was changed to present a categorized navigation structure reminiscent of navigating a web page. Users can still switch back to the grid-based Classic View and the category view via a link on the Web view panel on the left-hand side or on a drop-down menu on the top-right corner of the window. In Windows Vista onwards, additional layers of navigation were introduced, and the Control Panel window itself became the main interface for editing settings as opposed to just launching separate dialogs. Many of the individual Control Panel applets can also be accessed in other ways. For instance, Display Properties can be accessed by right-clicking on an empty area of the desktop and choosing Properties. The Control Panel can be accessed from a command prompt by typing control; optional parameters are available to open specific control panels.
On Windows 10, Control Panel is deprecated in favor of Settings app, which was originally introduced on Windows 8 as "PC Settings" to provide a touchscreen-optimized settings area using its Metro-style app platform. Some functions, particularly the ability to add and remove user accounts, were moved exclusively to this app on Windows 8 and cannot be performed from Control Panel. Beginning with the October 2020 update of Windows 10, the System applet in Control Panel now redirects to the About section of the Settings app. The page for the applet in Control Panel still exists even in current versions of Windows 10 and can still be accessed via workarounds, however Microsoft is actively trying to block various shortcuts and third-party apps that can access the aforementioned page, which could potentially lead to a permanent removal of said page from Control Panel in future versions of Windows.
List of Control Panel applets
The applets listed below are components of the Microsoft Windows control panel, which allows users to define a range of settings for their computer, monitor the status of devices such as printers and modems, and set up new hardware, programs and network connections. Each applet is stored individually as a separate file, folder or DLL, the locations of which are stored in the registry under the following keys:- HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Cpls
This contains the string format locations of all.cpl files on the hard drive used within the control panel. - HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ControlPanel\Namespace
This contains the location of the CLSID variables for all the panels not included as cpl files. These are commonly folders or shell applets, though Windows Vista allows physical programs themselves to be registered as well. The CLSID then allows items such as the icon, infobox and category to be set and gives the location of the file to be used.
Standard applets
Peripheral devices
These are options in the control panel that show devices connected to the computer. They do not actually offer a direct interface to control these devices, but rather offer basic tasks such as removal procedures and links to wizards. Such applets include Scanners and Cameras, Game Controllers, and Portable Media Devices.Other Microsoft-distributed applets
Third-party applets
Third-party software vendors have released many applets. Although it is impossible to mention all of them, some of them are listed here:| Icon | File name | Description |
| AC3 Filter | ac3filter.cpl | Configures speaker configuration and other parameters of the AC3 decoder filter. |
| Adobe Gamma | Adobe Gamma.cpl | For altering the screen display with Adobe Systems Imaging Software such as Photoshop. |
| Adobe Version Cue CS2 | VersionCueCS2.cpl | To configure Adobe Version Cue. |
| Application paths | apppaths.cpl | Sets application paths, start-up commands and system services, coded by Gregory Braun. |
| ATI DVD Player | QISWCINE.CPL | Changes settings for your DVD decoding. |
| AudioHQ | AudHQ.cpl | Creative Labs Soundblaster Audio HQ. |
| Autodesk Plotter Manager | plotman.cpl | Adds, remove and changes plotters properties for AutoCAD products. |
| AvantGo Connect | agcpl.cpl | Synchronizes mobile versions of websites to a smartphone or PDA, see AvantGo. |
| Avira AntiVir PersonalEdition | avconfig.cpl | Configures Avira Antivirus program. |
| BACKPACK Finder | bpcpl.cpl | To configure the Micro Solutions BackPack CD driver. |
| BDE Administrator | bdeadmin.cpl | To configure the Borland Database Engine. |
| Boot Camp Control Panel | Setting for Mac OS X based computers. | |
| Broadcom Advanced Control Suite | BACSCPL.cpl | Enables Broadcom network cards testing and diagnostics. |
| CD/DVD Drive Acoustic Silencer | TOSCDSPD.cpl | Configures the rotation speed of CD/DVD drive. |
| ClearCase | cc.cpl | To configure IBM Rational ClearCase. |
| Color Settings | 3dcc.cpl | Changes the look and feel of Windows. |
| Compaq Diagnostics | cpqdiag.cpl | To view information a computer's hardware and software configuration, legacy application. |
| Control Panel | controlp.cpl | Control Panel Customization Toy, coded by Ali Lokhandwala. |
| Control Version System | cvsnt.cpl | Control Panel Customization Toy, by Brian Berliner. david d 'zoo' zuhn, Jeff Polk, Tony Hoyle |
| Creative Element Power Tools | To configure Creative Element Power Tools, a free-to-try program providing access to additional Windows tools. | |
| Corel Versions | verscpl.cpl | Configures Corel versions. |
| DANS | danetsvc.cpl | Configures the Shaffer Solutions DiskAccess Network Services, NFS client for Windows. |
| Diagnostics for Windows | cpqdiag.cpl | HP Diagnostics for Windows 4.15 replaces Compaq |
| Digidesign ElevenRack | DigidesignElevenRackControlPanelApplet.cpl | Launch Eleven Rack Control Panel |
| DiskAccess | dacfg.cpl | Configures how the Shaffer Solutions DiskAccess makes connections to remote NFS servers. |
| DS18x Applet | DS18xCPL.cpl | MR Soft DS18x Temperature Logging Service. |
| Flash Player | FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl | For changing settings for the Flash Player. |
| Folder size | FolderSize.cpl | Folder Size for Windows shows the size of folders in Windows Explorer. |
| FirebirdSQL Service Manager | fmmgr.cpl | Configures Firebird service options. |
| HP Jetadmin | jetadmin.cpl | HP Jetadmin configures and monitors HP printers. |
| HP Lock | Hplock.cpl | A Windows 95 utility to lock the PC keyboard, mouse and on/off switch in one click on legacy HP Vectra. |
| IconPackager | ipcpl.cpl | To customize Windows icons and cursors, see IconPackager. |
| ImDisk Virtual Disk Driver | imdisk.cpl | Administration of ImDisk Virtual Disk Driver. |
| InstallShield Update Manager | isuspm.cpl | The InstallShield Update Manager allows users to receive program updates and messages from software makers who use the service. |
| Intel Extreme Graphics | igfxcpl.cpl | To change advanced settings on systems using Intel GPUs. |
| Intel Product Improvement Program | executable | Installed with Intel Driver Update Utility version 2.4 |
| IP Office Voicemail Pro | ims.cpl | To configure Avaya IP Office Voicemail Pro. |
| Java | jpicpl32.cpl | For changing settings with Java Runtime Console. |
| JInitiator 1.x.y.z | plugincpl1xyz.cpl | To configure Oracle's JInitiator, note x.y.z are version numbers. |
| MLCFG32.cpl | Launches the Microsoft Outlook Profile Manager. | |
| MSConfig | MSConfig.cpl | Launches the Microsoft System Configuration Utility. |
| Multi-finger | ETDUI.cpl | Customize the Smart-Pad Multi-finger Setting. |
| MultiSite | ms.cpl | To configure IBM Rational ClearCase Multisite. |
| Nero BurnRights | NeroBurnRights.cpl | For specifying who is allowed to use the CD burner with Nero. |
| nVIDIA Control panel | nvidia.cpl | To change advanced settings on systems using nVIDIA GPUs. |
| Panda Media Booster | PMB.cpl | Panda Media Booster cache and network settings. |
| Parallel Port Joysticks | PPjoy.cpl | Configures Joysticks connected on the Parallel Port. |
| Pointer Devices | tbctlpnl.cpl | To configure the Touch-Base Universal Pointer Device Driver. |
| QuickTime | quicktime.cpl | For specifying settings of the Apple QuickTime Player. |
| RealPlayer | prefscpl.cpl | To configure the RealPlayer preferences, older versions. |
| Realtek AC97 Audio Control Panel | alsndmgr.cpl | To configure the Realtek audio controller. |
| Realtek HD-Audio Manager | RTSnMg64.cpl | To launch the Realtek HD-Audio Manager |
| RESTrick Control Panel | rest2.cpl | Windows Tuning and system restrictions setup, by Rtsecurity. |
| Safarp | safarp.cpl | Safarp is a small and fast alternative to the Add or Remove Programs applet. |
| ScrewDrivers Client | sdclient.cpl | From Tricerat, remote desktop print management solution. |
| Send To Toys | sendtotoys.cpl | To configure the Send To right click system menu in Microsoft Windows. |
| Services and Devices | pserv.cpl | From p-nand-q to manage Windows services and devices and uninstall applications. |
| Softex OmniPass | scurecpl.cpl | Softex OmniPass provides password management capabilities to MS Windows. |
| SNTP Service | sntpserv.cpl | From Dillobits Software, to manage the SNTP client service. |
| Soundscape | scurecpl.cpl | Adds, removes or changes settings of Soundscape devices. |
| Startup | startup.cpl | Control programs that run at system start-up, coded by Mike Lin. |
| Startup Disk | Startup Disk.cpl | Boot Camp drivers, when Windows runs on a Mac OS virtual machine. |
| Symantec LiveUpdate | s32lucp2.cpl | Configures the Symantec LiveUpdate update service. |
| System Change Log | scl.cpl | From Greyware Automation Products, monitors disks for changes and records a detailed log. |
| System Information | Sancpl.cpl | Launches SiSoftware Sandra utility. |
| System Info for Windows | siw.cpl | Launches the SIW application. |
| Trust-No-Exe | trustnoexe.cpl | Configures the Beyond Logic Trust-No-Exe executable filter. |
| VMware Tools | VMControlPanel.cpl | To configure VMware Tools. |
| WIBU-KEY | wibuke32.cpl | To configure the WIBU-KEY Software Protection. |
| Winlogos | wnlgo.cpl | To change the Windows start-up and shutdown screens in Windows 98 or ME, coded by Ali Lokhandwala. |
| X-Setup Pro | xqdcXSPApplet.cpl | Launches X-Setup Pro, a Windows tweaker application. |