Windows Help & Advice - UK (2020-05)

Anyonecandoit

Straightforward

Trickyin parts

Windows 10

Windows8.1

Windows^7

At a glance

Skill level...

Suitable for...

Jargonbuster!

Control Panel

A central hub for

settings and options

that can be used to

configure Windows

10, control hardware,

and change the way

things look, feel

andfunction.

Settings

Windows 10’s take

on the Control Panel

is the Settings app

where you can

access almost all of

the same settings as

intheControlPanel.

Applets

The individual

components of the

Control Panel,

applets function like

miniature programs.

9 Customise desktop icons
A slightly hidden Control Panel applet lets you choose
which icons appear on your desktop, including adding a Control
Panel shortcut. Right click the desktop and select Personalise
before moving to the Themes section. Click the Desktop icon
settings link on the right, hen use the tick boxes to choose which
icons – This PC, Recycle Bin, etc – should be displayed.

10 Helpful shortcuts (and screensavers!)

If you use some Control Panel applets frequently, you can

create shortcuts to jump straight to them. Right click on an applet

and select Pin to Start to add it to the Start menu, or Create

shortcut to add it to the desktop instead. You can also access a

hidden screensaver applet by creating a desktop shortcut that

points to “rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL desk.cpl,,1” Q

THE PANEL

Each icon in the

Control Panel

represens an applet

that can be used to

change endless

system settings.

VIEW MENU

You can view the

Control Panel in

different ways: all

the applets at once,

or grouping them by

type of setting.

APPLETS

Some applets open

within the Control

Panel itself, while

others will open

in separate

dialog windows.

CATEGORIES

Whatever view you

choose, you can

browse the Panel in

Category mode by

clicking the arrow in

the address bar.

PANEL SEARCH

A quick and easy

way to jump to a

particular setting in

the Control Panel is

to search for it using

the search box.

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Explore

The Control Panel’s secrets

May 2020 | |^27