Remove or Hide Control Panel Applets
Type gpedit.msc in Windows Start Menu Search Bar, hit Enter, to open the Group Policy Editor > User Configuration. Expand Administrative Templates > Click Control Panel > Show only specified Control Panel Applets > Properties. A dialog box will open. Click on Enable. The Show button will come alive. Click on Show and a new dialog box will open. Those items which are NOT on this list WILL NOT be displayed IF this is enabled. You will have to ADD the control panel applet’s NAME, (eg: appwiz.cpl) which you WANT to be displayed in the Control Panel. But this is easier said than done, and it is rather painstaking work, as you need to KNOW the names! Do click and read whatever is written in the ‘Explain’ tab. This way you can choose which applets to hide or show in the Control Panel. Here is a non-exhaustive list of all Windows Control Panel applets.
Add Remove ProgramsAdd HardwareAdministrative ToolsAutoPlayBackup and Restore CenterColor ManagementDate and TimeDefault ProgramsDevice ManagerEase of Access CenterFolder OptionsFontsGame ControllersIndexing OptionsInternet OptionsiSCSI InitiatorKeyboardMailMouseNetwork and Sharing CenterOffline FilesPen and Input DevicesPeople Near MePerformance Information and ToolsPersonalizationPhone and Modem OptionsPower OptionsPrintersProblem Reports and SolutionsProgram UpdatesPrograms and FeaturesRegional and Language OptionsScanners and CamerasSecurity CenterSoundSpeech Recognition OptionsSync CenterSystemTablet PC SettingsTaskbar and Start MenuText to SpeechUser AccountsWelcome CenterWindows Anytime UpgradeWindows CardSpaceWindows DefenderWindows FirewallWindows Sidebar PropertiesWindows SideShowWindows Update
To find out the Control Panel applet names, open your system32 folder and search for *.cpl. Your results will throw up the Control Panel Items. I have tried to compile a list of some of them below for ready reference:
Add or Remove Programs – appwiz.cplAdministrative Tools – control admintoolsAdd Hardware – hdwwiz.cplAppearance Settings – control colorAudio Devices and Sound Themes – mmsys.cplBluetooth Devices – bthprop.cplDate and Time – timedate.cplDisplay Settings – desk.cplODBC Data Source Administrator – ODBCCP32.cplFirewall – firewall.cplFolder Options – foldersGame Controllers – joy.cplInfocard – control infocardcpl.cplInternet Options control – inetcpl.cplKeyboard – control main.cpl KeyboardMouse – control main.cplNetwork Connections – ncpa.cplPen and Input Devices – tabletpc.pclPeople Near Me – collab.pclPhone and Modem Options – telephon.cplPower Options – powercfg.cplPrinters and Faxes – control printersRegional and Language Options – intl.cplScanners and Cameras – sticpl.cplWindows Security Center – wscui.cplTask Scheduler – control schedtasksText to Speech – control speechSystem – sysdm.cplUser Accounts – lusrmgr.cpl
Add Your Own Control Panel Applets
Adding & Registering YOUR OWN applet & tasks to Control Panel is easier in Windows 10/8/7. Software developers can easily add their own applets and tasks to Control Panel. There are three types of Control Panel applets: Command objects, shell folders, and CPLs. Command objects are applets that run commands specified in the registry. Shell folders are applets that open up in the Control Panel. CPLs implement the CplApplet function. Command objects are the easiest to implement. The process of adding applets to the Control Panel in previous versions of Windows is not as easy as using command objects because the applets have to implement the CplApplet interface. Although the CplApplet interface is still supported in Windows Vista, using command objects is encouraged since it is easier to implement. Now, in Windows, you can just write an executable (.exe), register it as a command object and the applet appears in Control Panel. For more information on how to add and register your own applet in Control Panel, see Developing for the Control Panel. You want to also see Windows Shell Commands. Under conditions, where computers over a network are not much used other than for official purposes, it is best to hide some Control Panel items (applets). Doing so helps you prohibit users from making unwanted administrative changes thereby keeping basic settings the same. Here is a small tutorial that shows you how to hide Control Panel Applets in Windows 10/8/7.
Remove or Hide Control Panel Applets
Some of us may or may not want some applets (icons) showing in the control panel, for security or any reasons whatsoever. Here is a small tutorial to show how to hide them. There are tools that do that, but this way you can hide any, manually. Let us say you want to hide the ‘Folder Options’ applet in the control you can do so thus : Open Group Policy editor : Click Start > Run > gpedit.msc > OK. Open group policy editor, click on ‘User Configuration’ and choose ‘Administrative Templates’.
Next, select the ‘Control Panel’ item and choose the ‘Hide specified control panel Items‘ option.
On being taken to a new window, check ‘Enabled’. Then, show list of disallowed Control Panel items > Add > Folder Options > OK > Apply > OK.
Go here if your Control Panel or System Restore window is blank.
