How to pin Control Panel to the Windows 10 Start menu

By Ed Bott

Microsoft really, really wants you to use the new Settings app in Windows 10 instead of the traditional Control Panel. In fact, you have to dig pretty deep to find it in the alphabetical list of Programs on Windows 10's Start screen, under the Windows System heading. And then, if you right-click that shortcut and choose Pin To Start, Windows 10 unhelpfully adds a shortcut to Computer Management instead.

To add a real, honest-to-goodness Control Panel shortcut to Start, follow these steps:

1. Type control in the search box on the taskbar.

2. From the list of search results, right-click Control Panel, which is identified as a "desktop app."

3. Click Pin To Start from the shortcut menu.

Now click the Start button and look for the newly added shortcut. You can drag it to any location on the right (tiles) side of Start that's convenient, where it will never be more than two clicks away.

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