The Future of Windows Control Panel: Microsoft’s New Strategies

Microsoft’s Development of Windows and the Future of the Control Panel

As Microsoft continues to test the Windows operating system and add new features, it is deciding to eliminate some older details that it no longer deems necessary. The latest feature to be lost is Paint 3D, as announced by the company. However, the loss of Paint 3D does not mean that Microsoft is going through old and unused features. Another notable loss is the Windows Control Panel. Reports on this date back to 2011, to a screenshot of Windows 8, where it was seen that Microsoft planned to rename the Control Panel to PC settings.

Although the Control Panel is still actively present, it was initially designed in a touch-screen-friendly format. However, interest in touch-screen PCs has diminished over time, and the significance of this feature of the Control Panel has faded. Turmoil Within Microsoft In 2015, a Microsoft executive stated that PC Settings would one day replace the Control Panel. At that time, Microsoft’s internal structure was quite chaotic; during the period managed by Steve Ballmer, Windows 9 was canceled, and Ballmer left his position in the company to buy a basketball team. Insufficient investment was made in mobile operating systems and touch-screen phones, which drew the ire of shareholders. Microsoft followed a series of complex strategies that led to the acquisition of Nokia at a record price, followed by its closure. During this process, Apple rapidly grew to become the world’s most valuable company, and Microsoft’s shareholders watched this situation with concern. Therefore, no executive was in a position to focus on the Control Panel.

These days, Microsoft seems to be preparing to finally launch a much more effective, detailed, and content-rich settings application. The company confirmed in a published support article that the Control Panel would be removed, and in its place PC Settings would come. If you wake up one morning and cannot find the Control Panel on your computer, do not panic right away. Instead, you might try searching for an application like Settings. However, it was noted that the Control Panel would remain in the background of Windows for a while longer to avoid panicking users.