However, drastic changes have been made to it to support more manageability and its interface. In Windows 8, Microsoft began shifting some controls from the Control Panel to the new “PC Settings app” which had a richer vibe with a user-friendly interface. The changes continue to Windows 10 and Windows 11, as Microsoft plans to ditch the Control Panel and shift all controls to the Settings app. That said, the Control Panel still plays a significant role in the Windows operating system as many configurations are still handled through it. In this post, we are going to discuss what the Control Panel consists of and how you can quickly access the individual applets through the command line.
What are Control Panel Applets
Applets, or small applications, are pieces of tiny software within a bigger software that form up to create the parent software. An application, such as the Control Panel, can consist of multiple applets, each capable of handling different aspects of the operating system.
What are Control Panel Applets What are CPL Files How to Open Control Panel Applets (CPL Files) in Windows Complete List of Control Panel Applets Control Panel Applets with CPL Files Control Panel Applets without CPL Files Control Panel Applets with Standalone Executable Files Control Panel Applets with RunDLL32 Accessibility Third-Party Control Panel Applets How to List All CPL Files Difference Between CPL and MSC Files When to Open Control Panel Applets using Commands Final Thoughts
What are CPL Files
CPL files are Control Panel Files are binary-coded files that are responsible for running the different applets inside the Control Panel. These can be found at the following path inside your OS: Note: Since these are system files, we suggest you steer clear of them and do not make any modifications, as deleting or renaming them will remove the respective applet from the Control Panel. The locations of these CPL files are stored at the following locations within the Windows Registry: Whereas the locations of the Class ID (CLSID) variables for the Control Panel applets that do not have a dedicated CPL file are saved at the following location within the Windows Registry: Note: Control Panel applets with no CPL files have been discussed further down the article where you will also find the canonical names for them. You can open these applets quickly through the Windows Command Line Interface (CLI) simply through the file names discussed further down this post. There are 18 CPL files by default (Windows 11). However, older Windows versions may likely have more, since they do not include the Settings app, and most Controls are still present in the Control Panel. Furthermore, third-party applications can also add their own .CPL files as applets, so they can be managed through the Control Panel. An example of this can be seen in the image above, where “AxSWindCx64.cpl” is an applet by “Alcohol iSCSI Sharing Center”.
How to Open Control Panel Applets (CPL Files) in Windows
Control Panel files can be opened using Windows CLI. This is a quick and handy method we often use ourselves to quickly access certain components of the Control Panel. Using the Command Prompt, Windows PowerShell, or even the Run dialog box (Windows Key + R Shortcut keys), you can enter the name of the CPL file that you want to run to open them. Furthermore, you can also type in the name of the CPL file in the Start menu to run it, or simply navigate to the System32 folder using File Explorer and double-click on the CPL file you want to run. Note: The names and the details of the different CPL files have been discussed in the next section which you can use to open the applets directly. It doesn’t end here. There are certain applets in Windows that do not have a dedicated CPL file. Instead, they are saved in a folder or a DLL file. They can be accessed using their canonical names. Using these, you can open a page inside a Control Panel file directly without having to navigate through it. Here is an example: Using the command above, you can access the RemoteApp and Desktop Connections page inside the Control Panel directly through the Command Prompt, PowerShell, and the Run box. However, this will not work through the Start Menu as there are no respective files to run. This can also be combined with the “/page” parameter that will allow you to open a specific step inside the Control Panel. Here is an example: Entering this command will directly open the “Edit plan settings” inside Power Options Control Panel. We have also provided a list of the canonical names you can use in Windows further down this post. Now that you know how to open these Control Panel applets, let’s move on to the list of commands you can use in Windows to open the respective applet.
Complete List of Control Panel Applets
Control Panel Applets with CPL Files
Below we have listed the details of the different Control Panel applets and their names in Windows: Note: Some of these applets may have been replaced with their respective page in the Settings app for Windows 11 and 10. However, we have still added them to the list as they are still valid for older versions of Windows. If you want to open the parent Control Panel, simply type in control in the Run box, Command Prompt, or Windows PowerShell.
Control Panel Applets without CPL Files
We have listed the details for the CPL files commonly found on a Windows PC. However, you can also use the canonical names of certain Control Panel applets, which will take you directly to a certain Control Panel page, for which no CPL files are available. Here are the details: Note: Some of these applets may have been deprecated for Windows 11 and 10. However, we have still added them as they may still be valid for older Windows versions. You can now run these canonical names to open the respective Control Panel applets or concatenate the “/page” parameter to open a page within the applet directly.
Control Panel Applets with Standalone Executable Files
Some Control Panel applets, which do not have a CPL file, have an executable (.exe) file instead. These can be launched directly using Windows CLI. Below is a list of the applets and their associated cmdlets, which will open without having to use any prefixes:
Control Panel Applets with RunDLL32 Accessibility
As mentioned, some Control Panel applets are saved in DLL files. Here is a list of the applets alongside their respective cmdlets to run them:
Third-Party Control Panel Applets
As we already mentioned, some third-party applications come with their own Control Panel applets and CPL files. We cannot list them all, but here are a few common ones: You can use the above-mentioned file names the same as other CPL files to open them using Windows CLI. However, this will only work if the respective program is installed and/or the CPL file is available on your PC in the correct directory.
How to List All CPL Files
Although we have already listed the CPL files found in Windows, you can obtain a complete list of the available .CPL files by running the following command in Windows PowerShell in case you forget a name: Furthermore, the directory containing the CPL files (System32) also contains all of the Microsoft Saved Console (MSC) files that are used for managing the things which the Control Panel cannot, such as Group Policies, Windows Services, disk management, etc.
Difference Between CPL and MSC Files
Both CPL and MSC files can be found in the same directory in Windows, i.e. C:\Windows\System32. However, both of these file types have different functions. Control Panel Files are vastly used for OS configurations, such as network card configurations, power management, hardware, attached peripherals, etcetera – things are mostly related to the host device. Whereas the MSC files are mostly used for the rules and policies your device adheres to, and how it behaves. Microsoft Management Consoles (MMCs) are considered more advanced than the Control Panel as they offer more control and manage the significantly complex aspects of the operating system. Now that you completely understand what CPL files are and what they do, when do you need them?
When to Open Control Panel Applets using Commands
There may be scenarios where you are unable to access the Control Panel using the Graphical User Interface (GUI). Your mouse may have stopped working and cannot navigate through the control panel when you open the control panel applet with the command line that comes in handy. Some users may even find it more convenient to access a Control Panel applet by entering the CPL file’s name in the Run box instead of navigating and searching for the Control Panel settings manually.
Final Thoughts
Depending on which version of Windows you are using, you may see more or fewer default CPL files and Control Panel applets than which we have mentioned above in this post. The number of these also depends on the apps and programs on your computer, as third-party applications can also bring in their own CPL files. With that said, we hope that this article helped you understand the Control Panel files and what each of them is responsible for. If you believe that we have missed any, do let us know in the comments section so that we may provide better information for our audience.
