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Make Control Panel Applets More Accessible

Intended For
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Windows 2003
Windows 2000
Windows Me
Windows 98
Windows 95
When you open the Control Panel, you are presented with a few dozen icons allowing you to control many aspects of the Windows environment. Here is a tip that not only makes these Control Panel Applets more quickly accessible, but allows you exclude the ones you don't want, and add your own custom icons:


Solution #1:

  • Open Control Panel and Explorer.
  • Make a new folder directly underneath the Start Menu called "Control Panel".
  • Select some or all of the icons in Control Panel, and drag them into this new folder.
  • Windows will make a shortcut to each icon you drop into the folder, forming a new menu right off the Start Menu.
  • Not only can you rename or remove any of the entries you wish, but you can add non-Control Panel items to the list, such as the Volume Control and Dial-up Networking (which should have been in the Control Panel in the first place).


Solution #2 (Windows Me/2000/XP only):

  • Select Settings in your Start Menu, and then select Taskbar & Start Menu.
  • In Windows Me and Windows 2000, choose the Advanced tab, and turn on the Expand Control Panel option. In Windows XP, choose the Start Menu tab, choose Classic Start Menu, and click Customize.
  • Now, the Control Panel menu (in Settings) will display a list of its contents, rather than just opening a separate window.


Solution #3:

  • Create a new folder in your Start Menu, and name it "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
  • This has the same result as the above, except that it is automatic, and you can't change its contents.

  • You can also do the same with the following virtual folders:
    Dial-Up Networking.{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}
    Printers.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
    Inbox.{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
    My Computer.{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
    Recycle Bin.{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
    Network Neighborhood.{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
    Desktop.{00021400-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
    Briefcase.{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}
    Fonts.{BD84B380-8CA2-1069-AB1D-08000948F534}

  • Note: These system objects are also discussed in Change the Icons of Desktop Items.

  • Note: The process described in Solution #1 can also be applied to other parts of Windows, such as the drive icons in My Computer. Just drag them all into the Start Menu folder in Explorer to provide quick access to all your drives.


Written by: Annoyances.org
Last updated: Wednesday, February 7, 2007

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