Create Control Panel Shortcut on Windows 10 Desktop

By Jennifer | Last Updated March 05, 2025

The Control Panel is an essential tool in Windows that allows users to manage system settings, hardware, and software configurations. While Windows 10 and Windows 11 emphasize the Settings app, the Control Panel is still widely used. The article illustrates how to manually create a shortcut for Control Panel on desktop in Windows 10 computer, for you to quickly open Control Panel, as exhibited in the following picture.

Method 1: Create a Control Panel Shortcut via Desktop

Step 1: Right-click any blank area on the desktop, choose New in the context menu and select Shortcut to continue.

Step 2: In the Create Shortcut window, type %windir%\system32\control.exe in the empty box and tap Next.

Step 3: Enter Control Panel in the name box and select Finish.

Method 2: Add Control Panel from Desktop Icon Settings

This method will place the Control Panel icon directly on your desktop alongside system icons like This PC and Recycle Bin.

Step 1: Right-click on the desktop and select Personalize.

Step 2: In the Settings interface, click Themes on the left side. Then click Desktop icon settings on the right panel.

Step 3: In the Desktop Icon Settings window, check the box for Control Panel. After that, hit the Apply > OK button.

Method 3: Pin Control Panel to Taskbar

This method will pin Control Panel icon directly on Taskbar. So that you can quickly find and open it.

Step 1: Search Control Panel on your Windows 10 search box.

Step 2: From the result, right-click the Control Panel and choose Pin to taskbar. After that, you can directlly find Control Panel on the taskbar.

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