Microsoft backtracks on deprecating the 39-year-old Windows Control Panel
arstechnica.com
The Settings app has taken over, but Control Panels aren't going anywhere yet.

Last week, Microsoft mentioned in a support document that it was formally deprecating Windows’ 39-year-old Control Panel applets. But following widespread reporting of the change, Microsoft has either backtracked or clarified its language to remove the note about Control Panel being deprecated in favor of the Settings app. Here’s what the original post said, as also preserved by the Internet Wayback Machine (emphasis ours):

“The Control Panel is a feature that’s been part of Windows for a long time. It provides a centralized location to view and manipulate system settings and controls,” the support page explains. “Through a series of applets, you can adjust various options ranging from system time and date to hardware settings, network configurations, and more. The Control Panel is in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app, which offers a more modern and streamlined experience.”

The current version of the page has changed that last sentence considerably. It now says that “many of the settings in Control Panel are in the process of being migrated to the Settings app, which offers a more modern and streamlined experience.”

It’s not clear whether this reflects a policy change or just a clarification of language. We’ve asked Microsoft whether it has changed plans to deprecate the Control Pane or if the original version of the support page was just incorrect in the first place, and we’ll update if we receive a response.

  • RickRussell_CA@lemmy.worldEnglish
    40·
    4 months ago

    Then they would have to remove the various hooks in the Settings app that actually call and open the Control Panel.

    How many are there? I can think of several (advanced mouse settings, advanced network settings, printer properties, date & time has a callout back to the old panel…)

    Windows 10 came out nine years ago, so they don’t seem in any particular rush.

    • Hawke@lemmy.worldEnglish
      13·
      4 months ago

      Sound is in there too. The one that annoys me is the printer settings being under “Bluetooth” instead of “printers”.

    • ayyy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      4·
      4 months ago

      The excellent built in audio compressor called Reduce Loud Noises is buried in the Enhancements audio Control Panel.

  • flop_leash_973@lemmy.worldEnglish
    37·
    4 months ago

    Someone found something that still depends on the control panel that will not be easily moved or done away with I bet.

  • ikidd@lemmy.worldEnglish
    36·
    4 months ago

    “Streamlined”

    What a fucking load of steaming bullshit. The Settings app is complete dogshit compared to Control Panel. If I want to click through 6 pages of nested settings pages for Networking, or 1 screen of all the settings in one place, I think I know which one I would call “streamlined”.

    Jackasses.

  • daggermoon@lemmy.worldEnglish
    331·
    4 months ago

    I don’t even use Windows anymore and I cringe at the thought of being forced to use the Settings app over Control Panel.

    • ayyy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      81·
      4 months ago

      As an occasional windows user I was trying to come up with a counter-example for you but I couldn’t think of one lol.

      Edit: oh it’s cool that it supports night/dark mode!

      • pycorax@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        4 months ago

        I found it easier to search for settings that are supported by it. It tends to catch things even if the wording you use isn’t the exact name of the setting. The Windows search to bring up the control panel options from before they implemented the Settings app search has never really been reliable unless you recall what it’s actually called.

        • QuarterSwede@lemmy.worldEnglish
          31·
          4 months ago

          Agreed. The new settings window is a vast improvement over the classic control panel. It’s about the only place search is good in Windows and that’s probably why I prefer it when many don’t. 🤷🏼‍♂️

  • RobotToaster@mander.xyzEnglish
    21·
    4 months ago

    “deprecated” doesn’t usually mean removed, just that new things shouldn’t use it because they may remove it at some unspecified time in the future. Some programming languages have had deprecated features for over a decade.

  • Feathercrown@lemmy.worldEnglish
    19·
    4 months ago

    Knew it. They won’t dare invalidate the 35-year-old government PDFs instructing people on how to enable their firewall or whatever.

  • Bobby TurkalinoEnglish
    17·
    4 months ago

    The updated language is what they’ve been saying since a couple years after Windows 10 came out. This story just went back to not being news lol

  • raldone01@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    27 days ago

    The biggest offenders for me are:

    • I struggle to navigate and make out alle the controls of the settings app. Somehow finding the settings visually is very difficult.
    • The new settings app is single instance. The control panel had lots of popup windows and you could open it multiple times which allowed parallel open settings windows.
  • underthesign@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    4 months ago

    Why not just enable both? Have the control panel be available but more of a power user kind of thing, where the new Settings page is what gets pushed to the average user. Of course it’s more work to maintain both but last time I checked MS were doing alright for themselves and could probably afford it.

    • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      4 months ago

      It’s still better than the registry. Or worse, some newfangled management abstraction that tries to be helpful but just makes everything opaque. Looking at you, systemd.