While you have the Settings app, the Control Panel is still the king thanks to its easy-to-use UI and quick access to various tools. To open various Control Panel tools, you don’t necessarily have to open the Control Panel, instead, you can simply use a Run command. This makes it easy to open your favorite Control Panel tools. For example, if you frequently open Sound or Printer settings, opening them using the Run commands is pretty handy. After all, it eliminates the need to open the Control Panel window and then open the tool of your choice.
Here are all the Run commands to open various Control Panel tools on both Windows 10 & 11.
Before You Begin
While any user can execute the below Run commands, some Control Panel tools require administrator rights to open.
Also, some tools are migrated from Control Panel to Settings. So, when you use the corresponding Run command of a migrated Control Panel tool, it will open in the Settings window. To better help you, they are highlighted in the list.
Run Commands to Open Control Panel Tools
Below is the list of all useful Run commands to open different Control Panel tools. The first column has the Control Panel tool and the second column has its corresponding Run command.
| Control Panel Tool or Utility | Run Command |
|---|---|
| Add or Remove Programs | appwiz.cpl |
| Power Options | powercfg.cpl |
| Devices and Printer* | control printers |
| Scanners and Cameras | control sticpl.cpl |
| Internet Options | inetcpl.cpl |
| Keyboard Settings | control main.cpl keyboard |
| Mouse Properties | control main.cpl |
| Game Controllers | control joy.cpl |
| Accessibility Options | control access.cpl |
| Sound Settings | control mmsys.cpl |
| Network Connections | ncpa.cpl |
| Network and Sharing Center | control.exe /name Microsoft.NetworkandSharingCenter |
| System Properties | sysdm.cpl |
| Region / Regional Settings / Time & Date Format | intl.cpl |
| Fonts Folder | fonts |
| Date and Time Settings | timedate.cpl |
| Administrative Tools | control admintools |
| Component Services | dcomcnfg |
| Device Manager | devmgmt.msc |
| Remote Desktop | mstsc |
| Security and Maintenance | wscui.cpl |
| User Accounts / User Accounts Management | control nusrmgr.cpl |
| Windows Firewall | firewall.cpl |
| Color Management | colorcpl |
| Credential Manager | control.exe /name Microsoft.CredentialManager |
| Default Programs* | control.exe /name Microsoft.DefaultPrograms |
| Folder Options / File Explorer Options | control folders |
| Indexing Options | control.exe /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions |
| Recovery Options | control.exe /name Microsoft.Recovery |
| Taskbar and Navigation* | control.exe /name Microsoft.TaskbarandStartMenu |
| Sync Center | mobsync |
| Windows Mobility Center | mblctr |
| Display Settings* | desk.cpl |
| File Signature Verification Tool | sigverif |
| Print Management | printmanagement.msc |
| Services | services.msc |
| Local Security Policy | secpol.msc |
| Performance Monitor | perfmon.msc |
| Resource Monitor | resmon |
| Event Viewer | eventvwr.msc |
| Disk Management | diskmgmt.msc |
| Computer Management | compmgmt.msc |
| Windows Memory Diagnostic tool | MdSched |
| iSCSI Initiator | iscsicpl |
| ODBC Data Source Administrator | odbcad32 |
| Windows Firewall with Advanced Security | wf.msc |
| System Configuration | msconfig |
| Shared Folders/MMC | fsmgmt.msc |
| Certificates | certmgr.msc |
| DirectX Diagnostic Tool | dxdiag |
| Driver Verifier Manager | verifier |
| Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool | mrt |
* The Run command opens the Settings app instead of the Control Panel tool.
How to Use the Run Commands to Open Control Panel Tools
Once you have the run command of a control panel tool, there are three ways you can use it to open the cpl tool. Each method is useful in a different way. So, take a look at each method and follow the one you like.
1. Use the Run Dialog Box
You can directly execute a run command in the Run dialog box to open a Control Panel tool. Here’s how.
1. Press Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog box.
2. Type the Control Panel tool’s run command in the blank field and press Enter.
Note: To open it as an administrator, press Shift + Enter.
As soon as you press the Enter button, the control panel tool should be opened automatically.
2. Use the Command Prompt
You can also execute a run command directly in Command Prompt. This method is especially useful for those who regularly use command line tools or create scripts for specific use cases.
1. Click the Start button on the taskbar.
2. Search for Command Prompt in the Start menu and click Open.
3. Type the Run command and press Enter.
Note: To open a Control Panel tool as admin, open Command Prompt as admin and then execute the run command.
3. Create a Desktop Shortcut for Your Favorite Control Panel tool
Alternatively, you can also create desktop shortcuts for your favorite Control Panel tools using the run command. This allows you to open them using your mouse instead of manually typing the commands.
1. First, right-click on the desktop, and select New & then Shortcut.
2. Type the run command of your Control Panel tool in the blank field and click Next.
3. Give it a name of your choice and click Finish.
From now on, double-click on the shortcut, and your Control Panel tool will open immediately.
Related: Create a desktop shortcut for Control Panel.
Wrapping Up – Opening Control Panel Tools with Run Commands
As you can see from the list I provided, there is a run command for almost every tool in the Control Panel. While Microsoft is slowly migrating to the Settings app, you can still access a vast majority of Control Panel tools using the run commands. For example, I regularly use the wf.msc to open the Advanced Windows Firewall settings tool.
If you think I missed any of the run commands for control panel tools, comment below and share them. I will add them to the list.
Also, check out the list of Windows App URI commands.
Please consider diskmgmt.msc also.