How to Open the Control Panel in Windows 11 (9 Ways)

February 15, 2023

Microsoft is slowly working on removing settings from the Control Panel and moving them to Windows Settings. Some key settings have already been migrated, including Programs and Features, Disk Cleanup, Network Settings (DNS over HTTPS), and more. Having said that, Control Panel is here to stay for the foreseeable future and you can open Control Panel in Windows 11 right now. It contains all the legacy settings, including backup and restore, Network and Sharing Center, etc. So let's not waste time and learn how to find and open the Control Panel in Windows 11.

Open Control Panel in Windows 11 (2022)

In this article, we have mentioned 9 different ways to access the Control Panel in Windows 11. You can expand the table below to find out how to access the Control Panel using the Start Menu, Desktop Shortcut, Command Prompt and other easy ways .

1. First, press the Windows key and type "management". The control panel will appear in the search results at the top and you can click to open it.

2. The Control Panel will open right on your Windows 11 PC. You can now uninstall programs in Windows 11, access the Network and Sharing Center, and more.

3. You can click "View" in the upper right corner and change the appearance to "Large Icons". This will make the control panel look more like the Windows 10 control panel.

Open the Control Panel in Windows 11 using the Run dialog box.

1. You can also execute the Run command to quickly open the Control Panel in Windows 11. Use the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut "Win + R" to open the Run dialog box. Here, type control and press Enter.

2. This will instantly open the Control Panel in Windows 11.

Find Control Panel in Windows 11 from Windows Tools

1. Open the Windows 11 Start menu and click All Apps in the top right corner.

2. Then scroll down and find "Windows Tools". Click to open it.

3. In the Windows tool window, find and open the "Control Panel" on your PC.

4. This is how you can access Control Panel from Windows Tools in Windows 11.

Open Control Panel in Windows 11 from Command Prompt or PowerShell.

You can also open Command Prompt in Windows 11 from Command Prompt or PowerShell, whichever you prefer. I like using Windows Terminal because it offers me customization options and you can open many instances of different environment shells. In this tutorial, I'm using Command Prompt to open the Control Panel, but you can also use PowerShell or the Windows Terminal.

1. Press the Windows key, search for "cmd" and open "Command Prompt". You don't need to open CMD with admin rights, but if you want to always open apps with admin rights in Windows 11, follow the linked guide.

2. Once you are in the CMD window, type control and press Enter.

3. This will immediately open the Control Panel in Windows 11.

Open the Control Panel in Windows 11 using the Settings app.

1. Use the keyboard shortcut "Win + I" to quickly open Windows settings. You can also open Windows Settings from the Start menu.

2. In the Settings app, type "control panel" in the search box. You'll immediately get a "Control Panel" suggestion and you can click it to access legacy Windows settings.

3. This is how you can find the Control Panel using the Settings app in Windows 11.

Open Control Panel in Windows 11 from File Explorer.

1. Use the keyboard shortcut "Win + E" to open File Explorer in Windows 11. Here, under the address bar, click the down arrow and select "Control Panel" from the drop-down menu. You can do this from anywhere in File Explorer.

2. The control panel window will open immediately.

Open the Control Panel in Windows 11 from the Task Manager.

To access the Control Panel in Windows 11 from the Task Manager, follow these steps:

1. First, use the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl + Shift + Esc" to open the Task Manager. From the top menu, click File and select Run New Task.

2. Then type control and press Enter.

3. This will automatically open the Control Panel on your PC.

Create a Desktop Shortcut for Control Panel in Windows 11

While the above methods allow you to access the Control Panel in Windows 11, follow the instructions below if you want to create a desktop shortcut for the Control Panel on your desktop or anywhere else.

1. Press the Windows key and type "subject". Now tap on Themes and Related Settings to open the Settings app.

2. Here, scroll down and click "Desktop Icon Settings".

3. A pop-up window will open. Here check the "Control Panel" box and click "OK".

4. Now a shortcut to the control panel will be added to the desktop. Double click it to open the control panel.

5. If you want to create your own command shortcut, right-click on the desktop and select New -> Shortcut.

6. Below the text box, enter the path below and click Next.

%windir%System32control.exe

7. On the next page, give the shortcut a name. I entered the Control Panel. Now click "Finish".

8. The shortcut will be added to the desktop or wherever you create your own shortcut.

9. Now click on the shortcut and the Control Panel will appear on the screen.

Open Control Panel Tools in Windows 11 in God Mode

God Mode in Windows 11 doesn't exactly open up the Control Panel, but it contains a lot of important Windows tools and settings that are usually available in the Control Panel. For example, with this feature, you can access Backup and Restore, Devices and Printers, Internet Options, Programs and Features, and more.

We have already written a detailed guide on how to enable God Mode in Windows 11, so you can follow the link to enable this great feature. However, here are the short instructions you should follow.

1. Right-click on the desktop and select New -> Folder.

2. Then rename it to the line below and press Enter.

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

3. The folder will turn into an icon that looks like a control panel. Now open it and you will find all the Control Panel tools and settings right there.

Find Control Panel in Windows 11 with Ease

So, these are nine methods that you can use to find the Control Panel in Windows 11. From the looks of it, Mircosoft is not ready to remove the Control Panel from Windows 11 anytime soon. Of course, Microsoft is working on porting many features, but I'm sure there will be new workarounds to access the legacy menu. However, this is all from us. If you want to find the MAC address in Windows 11, we have a handy guide for that. And for the best registry hacks for Windows 11, follow our linked guide. Finally, if you have any questions, please let us know in the comments section below.