One of the novelties that Windows 10 brought with it was a new configuration panel. From it we can configure many of the operating system options very quickly and easily. This panel is very similar to the “Settings” panel that we can find in any mobile operating system, something necessary to modernize Windows 10. However, many of the options that we can find in this Configuration menu are now redundant, since they are also found in one of the oldest tools in the operating system: the Control Panel . And therefore one of the two has to die.
It’s no secret that Microsoft has been trying to get rid of the classic Control Panel for a long time. Most of the options that we can find in it are already available within the Settings menu . In addition, these are much clearer and more intuitive than those of this other panel. For example, from the Configuration panel we can configure the networks, access the security options of the operating system, manage users, customize the appearance and, of course, uninstall programs.
Although in the background, the Control Panel is still available in the operating system . The user is always taken to the Configuration menu to make adjustments to the system, unless this panel is manually opened. However, starting with the next big update to Windows 10, this control panel may die.
Uninstalling programs will not be possible from the Control Panel
The Windows Control Panel works through small tools called “applets”, or applets. When we choose one of the configurations in this panel, this tool opens, and from it we can make the corresponding configuration.
Although Microsoft did not indicate it in its list of changes, Windows 10 21H1 build 20211 brought with it a novelty that, in the coming weeks, will give a lot to talk about. The “RedirectProgramsAndFeatures” function means that when a user tries to uninstall a program from the Control Panel, instead of opening the familiar page of this panel, the applications section of the Configuration menu opens.
In the end, from both places we can do the same. Either from the classic control panel, or from the Settings menu, we will be able to uninstall without problems any program that we have installed. What’s more, the Control Panel does not display Windows 10 UWP apps , while the Settings menu does.
A necessary cleaning, but to everyone’s liking?
If this new Windows 10 feature is well suited to the operating system ecosystem, it is very likely that Microsoft will soon create new features to continue redirecting the Control Panel applets to the respective settings in the Settings menu.
The truth is that having repeated functions in the operating system can become confusing, and even unproductive. But what about advanced users used to this control panel?
Microsoft should consider one thing: the most basic configuration options should make the leap to the Settings menu, available to everyone, to be able to use them in a simple and intuitive way. However, other tools offered by this dashboard should remain in it. For example, BitLocker’s credential manager, certificates, or encryption , to name a few of these applets, should remain in Control Panel. So only knowledgeable users who really need these tools can access them.
At the moment we will have to wait, but it is very likely that in the coming weeks, or months, we will see new changes that revolve around this panel. And even for its possible demise, which could be a reality in the 2022 or 2023 updates of Windows 10 .