Control Panel has all the options you need. Though Microsoft removed it, you can add the Control Panel option to the WinX power user menu.
Microsoft is heavily focusing on the PC Settings app and even prominently presenting it as an alternative to the Control Panel. In fact, unless you specifically search for it in the start menu, you will not find the Control Panel. Though the PC Settings app in Windows 10 is growing with every new upgrade, it is nowhere near complete or refined as the Control Panel.
In previous versions of Windows 10, the Control Panel is available as an option in the Power User Menu that appears when you right-click on the Start Menu or press the Win + X keyboard shortcut. However, Microsoft chose to remove the option for whatever reason.
Personally, I use the WinX menu all the time to access various core system tools and to shut down or put the system to sleep. As such, having the Control Panel option in the menu lets us open it with just a click or two. Thankfully, it is pretty easy to add new options to WinX or Power User Menu.
So, if you are like me who likes to have quick access to the Control Panel then let me show how you can add it to Win + X Power User Menu in Windows 10.
Add Control Panel Option to Win + X or Power User Menu in Windows
All the options you see in the WinX menu are just shortcuts in a folder. To be more precise, the shortcuts are divided into three groups called Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 and are placed in folders with the same name inside the WinX folder. So, when you add a new shortcut to one of the Group folders, it will appear in the WinX menu. Though sounds complicated, it is pretty simple to do.
1. The first thing you need to do is download the Control Panel shortcut. So, download the zip file and extract the shortcut on to the desktop.
Now, you might be wondering why can’t you create a simple shortcut and point it towards the control.exe file in the C drive. The problem is, it won’t appear in the WinX menu if you add a general Control Panel shortcut. That’s because the WinX menu requires a special kind of shortcut.
2. Once you have the shortcut, press Win + R, copy and paste the below path in the blank field and click on the “Ok” button.
%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\WinX
3. This action will open the WinX menu folder. Here, open the group folder of your choice. Group 1 and Group 3 contains shortcuts related to bottom and top sections of the WinX menu.
In my case, I want to add the Control Panel shortcut to the middle section of the WinX menu. So, I opened the Group 2 folder.
4. In the folder, drag and drop the shortcut you downloaded. Alternatively, you can also copy and paste the shortcut.
Restart Explorer
To make the changes take effect, you need to restart the explorer process.
5. To do that, right-click on the taskbar and select the “Task Manager” option.
6. The above action will open the Task Manager. Here, go to the “Processes” tab, select the “Windows Explorer” process and click on the “Restart” button.
7. The desktop may briefly go blank but it will restore itself within a second. Close the Task Manager.
That is it. Open the WinX menu and you should see the new “All Control Panel Items” option.
Click on the option top open the Control Panel WinX Power User menu.
Hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.
