Microsoft is trying to make the user interface of its new operating system, Windows 11, more consistent by getting rid of the old operating system applications and features, replacing them with new ones with a modern design that better matches the look of Windows 11, or by moving it to a new place to group the features in one place, and make them tidy and easy to access. Among the things that Microsoft is trying to get rid of, is the famous Control Panel application, which has accompanied Windows since its beginning.
In the latest preview version of Windows 11 for those involved in the Insider program, with build number 22523, which the company introduced a few days ago, the company mentioned a new change that threatens the near disappearance of the control panel from the system permanently and forever, and it comes to linking the applications and features section from the panel to the Settings > Apps > Installed Apps page, which means that when you click now on the "Programs and Features" section on the control panel, you will be redirected to the "Installed Apps" under the "Apps" in the modern Settings app.
In this build, Microsoft is also moving "Uninstall Updates" (for cumulative updates, etc.) from Control Panel to a new page in Settings under Settings > Windows Update > Update History.
Earlier this month, the company had moved a set of other settings, in Windows 11 Insider build number 22509, including the advanced sharing settings (such as Network discovery, File and printer sharing, and public folder sharing) to a new page in the Settings app under Advanced Network Settings. Some entry points for network and devices settings in Control Panel will redirect users to the corresponding pages in Settings as well.
Microsoft had introduced the new Settings app with Windows 8 along with the Control Panel, allowing users to use either of them to set up and control their devices. Later, with the announcement of Windows 10, the company announced its intention to move all Control Panel settings to the Modern Settings application, to get rid of the Control Panel in a later version of Windows 10. The company has already begun to do so at the beginning of the Windows 10 development by moving the personalization page to the Settings app, but after then, the company didn't seem to be giving this much importance, until Windows 11 came along.
Microsoft's recent effort to get rid of everything classic in Windows 11 is certainly a commendable move to solve one of the biggest problems that plagued its predecessor Windows 10, system consistency.
Which one do you use the most? Control Panel or Modern Settings App? And which one do you prefer? Let us know what you think in the comments section at the bottom of this post.
