Windows XP Pocket Reference

Name

Control Panel — \windows\system32\control.exe

Synopsis

Start → Control Panel (when using new Windows XP Start Menu)

Start → Settings → Control Panel (when using classic Start Menu)

The Control Panel has no settings of its own; it's merely a container for any number of options windows (commonly called applets or Control Panel extensions), most of which can be accessed without even opening the Control Panel folder.

TIP

A new optional feature in Windows XP divides the contents of the Control Panel into discrete categories. Unfortunately, these categories appear only when Control Panel is viewed as a standalone window (you won't see them in the Start Menu or in Explorer) and end up making the Control Panel more difficult to use. If you have Explorer's "Show common tasks in folders" option turned on (Explorer → Tools → Folder Options → General tab), the first entry in the tasks pane (named either "Switch to Classic View" or "Switch to Category View") allows you to turn categories off or on, respectively.

Table 3-3 shows how individual Control Panel icons are categorized, and how they can be launched from the command line.

Table 3-3. Control Panel applets and how to get to them

Applet name	Category	Command line[1]
Accessibility Options	Accessibility Options	control access.cpl
Add Hardware	n/a	control hdwwiz.cpl
Add or Remove Programs	Add or Remove Programs	control appwiz.cpl ...