There are many different ways to find and open the new Settings in Windows 10. Here are the must-know ways to open Settings in Windows 10.
Whether you like it or not, Windows 10 is moving towards the new Settings app from the old Control Panel. With each major update, the Windows Settings app is getting more and more options ported from the control panel. In fact, it is even being far more stable, snappy, and reliable compared to the earlier versions.
Considering how often you open and interact with the Settings app, Windows 10 has several different built-in ways to open it. Knowing one or more ways to open Windows 10 settings app is very helpful and useful in day to day usage.
To help you with that, here are some of the most useful and easy ways to open the Settings app in Windows 10.
How to Find & Open Settings in Windows 10
- Press Win + I keyboard shortcut
- Click the “Gear” icon in the Start menu
- Search for “Settings” in the Start menu
- Open Settings from the Notification center
- Open Settings from the File Explorer
- Use “ms-settings:” run command
- Open Settings from Command Prompt
- Open Settings from PowerShell
- Create Settings desktop shortcut
- Open Settings from desktop Right-click menu
1. Press Win + I keyboard shortcut
The easiest way to access the Windows 10 Settings is to press the “Win + I” kye binding. Just hold down the “Start” key and press “I” on your keyboard. This action will instantly open the Settings app.
2. Click the “Gear” icon in the Start menu
Windows 10 has a dedicated icon option directly in the Start menu too. This is very helpful if you are a heavy Start menu user.
First, press the Start button on your keyboard to open the start menu. Next, click on the Settings icon on the left panel. The icon will look like a gear icon. As soon as you click on the icon, the settings app will open itself.
3. Search for “Settings” in the Start menu
Open the Start menu, type “Settings” in the search field, and click on the “Settings” search result to open the app. If the setting icon is not available, searching for it should work.
4. Open Settings from the Notification center
The action center or the notification center has a dedicated button to access Windows 10 Settings.
First, click on the Notifications icon. You can find it at the bottom right corner of the screen. After opening it, click on the “All Settings” button. As soon as you click the button, Settings will open.
5. Open Settings from the File Explorer
Just like the old control panel, File Explorer has a dedicated option to access the settings app.
First, open the File Explorer and click on the “Computer” tab. Next, click on the “Open Settings” button. As soon as you press the button, Windows 10 Settings will open.
6. Use “ms-settings:” run command
When needed, you can use the settings app run command too.
To start off, press “Win + R” to open the Run window. Now, type “ms-settings:” and press Enter. As soon as you do that, the settings app will open itself.
7. Open Settings from Command Prompt
Open the Command Prompt window and execute the “start ms-settings:” command to open the Settings. When opening it using the CMD prompt, it will open with the current user privileges.
8. Open Settings from PowerShell
Open the PowerShell window and execute the “Start-Process “ms-settings:”” command to open the Settings. When opening it using the PowerShell, it will open with the current user privileges.
9. Create Settings desktop shortcut
If you are constantly accessing the Settings app, it is a good idea to create a desktop shortcut for Settings.
- Right-click on the desktop.
- Select the “New → Shortcut” option.
- Type “ms-settings:” in the blank field and click “Next“.
- Type “Settings” in the Name field and click “Finish“.
That is all. You’ve created a settings app shortcut. Whenever you want to open the Settings app, just double-click on the shortcut you just created.
10. Open Settings from desktop Right-click menu
Though a roundabout way, you can access the Settings from the desktop right-click menu.
Right-click on the desktop and select the “Display Settings” option. This will open the Display Settings window in the Settings app. Click on the “Home” button to go to the main Settings page.
That is all. I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible. If you know any other interesting ways to access the Settings, please let me show in the comments section. Did you know that you can open individual Settings pages using the app URI commands? This is very helpful to create custom shortcuts or scripts.
