Why is Microsoft’s war on the Windows Control Panel taking so long?

Microsoft first started trying to get rid of the Control Panel in 2012, with the launch of Windows 8. More than a decade later, it’s still working on migrating all the old Control Panel elements to the modern Settings app in Windows 11. While there have been hints that the Control Panel might finally be going away, the reality is more complicated for Microsoft.

“We do this carefully because there are a lot of different network devices, printers and drivers that we need to make sure the process is not interrupted.” Mars Rogers explainsPartner Director of Design at Microsoft. I could be wrong, but I think this is the first full explanation we’ve gotten from Microsoft as to why it’s taking so long to get rid of the Control Panel.

It seemed like Microsoft was about to finally break off the Control Panel in 2024, years after Microsoft push aside Control Panel in the latest Windows 11 updates. But a support note hinting at the imminent removal of Control Panel was quickly updated to confirm that Microsoft is still in the process of migrating Control Panel to the Settings app.

last year Microsoft also migrated Clock settings, keyboard character repeat delay, mouse cursor blink rate, and time, number, and currency format in the Settings app. There are also a lot of Other mouse settings In the main Settings app that lets you avoid the Control Panel these days.

I can’t remember the last time I used the Control Panel thanks to Microsoft’s recent mouse and keyboard improvements to the main Settings app, but many Windows users have grown accustomed to preferring the old interface simply because you don’t have to dig down multiple levels to find different controls.

Microsoft ‘focusing on the craft of design in Windows for now’ According to Rogers. The Settings interface will be “redesigned” for clarity this month, along with other improvements to Windows 11 that are part of a broader effort to… Repair the operating system.