Farewell to the Control Panel: A Nostalgic Goodbye to a 39-Year-Old Windows Companion

Imagine if your favorite coffee shop, the one you've been going to since the '80s, suddenly decided to shut its doors. That's kind of what it feels like for many Windows users as Microsoft prepares to say goodbye to the Control Panel, a feature that's been with us since Windows 1.0 in 1985. Yep, the Control Panel has been a part of our tech lives for almost 40 years, and now it's being phased out.


In case you missed it, Microsoft dropped the news in a support document last Tuesday. The company is gently nudging—okay, maybe shoving—us toward the Settings app instead. For those who haven't been paying attention, this change has been creeping up on us since October 2020. That's when Microsoft started redirecting users away from the Control Panel, encouraging them to embrace the more "modern and streamlined experience" of the Settings app.

The Control Panel has been the go-to spot for adjusting everything from your desktop wallpaper to removing that stubborn program you downloaded by mistake. It's where you went to add devices, change the time, or personalize your Windows experience. But as with all good things, its time has come to an end. The Settings app, which launched with Windows 8 in 2012, has gradually taken over these functions, becoming the new home for managing your PC's settings.

So, when exactly is the Control Panel officially checking out? Well, Microsoft hasn't given a specific date, but they've made it clear that its days are numbered. This might not come as a huge surprise to many, considering the gradual shift that's been happening over the past few years. But for those of us who grew up with Windows and the Control Panel, it's a bittersweet farewell.

As we say goodbye to this nearly 40-year-old feature, it's a reminder that in the fast-paced world of technology, even the most familiar and trusted tools eventually make way for something new. So here's to the Control Panel—thanks for the memories, and for helping us navigate the Windows world all these years.

Want to read this in Spanish? Spanish Version >>