Microsoft to remove Windows feature that’s been in OS for 39 years

Microsoft has confirmed that the iconic Windows Control Panel will soon be removed, replacing its functions with Settings instead.

The Windows operating system is an ever-evolving beast. A vast number of new features have been added and removed since it was first introduced in 1985 with Windows 1.0. Through all the revisions, the Windows Control Panel has persevered, but not for much longer.

A new support page for Windows configuration tools states the Control Panel is “in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app.”

The beginning of the end for Control Panel began back when Windows 8 was launched.

Some of the functions that had previously belonged in the Control Panel were moved over to the PC Settings menu. This was done to make the OS more usable for touch-based interfaces.

The Control Panel persevered, however, and many of the functions that let users tweak the settings, behavior, and hardware of their PC were awkwardly split between the old Control Panel and the new Settings menu.

From as far back as 2015, the intention was to remove the Control Panel entirely in favor of Settings. However, there are some obstacles still in place.

Microsoft says on the official support site that the two remain running in parallel due to various compatibility issues. This doubtless refers to various legacy software applications that rely on the behavior of the old Control Panel to function.

As the official blog explains: “The Control Panel is in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app, which offers a more modern and streamlined experience.

While the Control Panel still exists for compatibility reasons and to provide access to some settings that have not yet migrated, you’re encouraged to use the Settings app, whenever possible.”