You might have heard about Microsoft killing the classic Control Panel in Windows 11. The idea is to move items in the Control Panel to the Settings app. While that has been happening incrementally for years, it may take longer than you think. One important reason is that the classic Control Panel includes system settings unavailable in the modern Settings app.

Microsoft has been transitioning items from the legacy Control Panel to Settings for years, but we still have both. The company confirmed the legacy settings experience is being deprecated, but it will remain part of Windows for compatibility reasons. That gives Windows purists who like using the Control Panel the option to make it more accessible. While the menu system differs from previous Windows versions, it's possible to add the Control Panel to the context menu in Windows 11 by tweaking the Windows Registry.

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Add the Control Panel to the context menu in Windows 11

Use Windows Registry to add it

If you like to do things in an old-school way in Windows 11 or want easy access to the Control Panel from the context menu, tweaking the Registry allows you to do just that. This will add easier access to the classic version of system tools and settings.

Tweaking the registry isn't for the faint of heart. Making incorrect modifications can cause your system to become unstable. Before proceeding, back up your PC or, at the least, create a restore point to recover your system if something goes awry.

Press Win+R, type regedit, and click OK to open Registry Editor. Head to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell Right-click the shell key and select New -> Key from the menu. Name the key as Control Panel. Right-click the Control Panel key you just created and select New -> Key. Name the key as Command. Select the command key and double-click the (Default) string value on the right. Type rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL in the Value data field and click OK.

Once you have made the adjustments, close out the Registry Editor, and you should immediately notice the Control Panel option on the context menu. However, it's important to note that since it has a newer menu system, you must select See more options or press Shift+F10 to see it. Speaking of the menu system, get the classic context menu on Windows 11 if you prefer it to the new experience.

Easier access to the Control Panel on Windows

Clicking the Control Panel entry from the context menu opens and displays the classic user interface in its full glory. You won't find it everywhere, but it does appear in the context menu on the desktop or while in File Explorer. Since some settings aren't available in the Settings app on Windows 11, you might want quick access to the classic Control Panel when needed. Plus, it lets you open it while working with files and folders.