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Where Did the System Control Panel Go on Windows 10?

Oct 23, 2020

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Are you looking for the classic System pane in the Control Panel? Well, if you’ve updated to Windows 10’s October 2020 Update, you can stop looking: It’s gone. Here’s why—and what you should use instead.

Say Goodbye to the System Page in the Control Panel

Don’t worry—in the October 2020 Update, only one page has vanished from the Control Panel. That page is the System page, which was located at System and Security > System.

This page showed information about your installed version of Windows as well as details about your PC, including the CPU it has, your installed RAM, whether you’re using a 64-bit operating system, and so on.

It also provided links to other relevant tools, including the Device Manager and System Restore settings.

Once you install Windows 10’s October 2020 Update, this pane is gone—but that’s it.

RELATED: What’s New in Windows 10’s October 2020 Update (20H2), Available Now

Why Did Microsoft Remove the System Control Panel?

Microsoft is gradually shifting features from the classic Control Panel to the Settings app. The Settings app now has the same features the old System page did in the Control Panel.

It’s doing this very, very gradually. Remember, Microsoft started this project with Windows 8, which was released in 2012 and was in development for a few years before that. A decade into Microsoft’s “let’s replace the Control Panel” project, the company is still making very slow progress.

The Control Panel isn’t going away any time soon.

RELATED: Don’t Worry: Windows 10’s Control Panel Is Safe (For Now)

What to Use Instead of the System Control Panel

If you’re looking for the System page, you’ll find the new version in Settings. Just head to Settings > System > About. You can also open your Start menu, search for “About,” and launch the “About Your PC” tool.

Whenever an application tries to open the System page, Windows will open the About page in the Settings app instead. You can try it yourself: The Windows+Pause/Break keyboard shortcut now opens the About page instead of the old System Control Panel. Running the ” control /name Microsoft.System ” command also opens the About page in Settings.

This page in Settings has basically all the information from the old Control Panel. including device (PC) specifications and Windows operating system details. You can copy-paste this text into other apps too—either select it with your mouse or use the “Copy” button to copy it all.

Scroll down and you’ll see related settings link to launch tools like Device Manager, Remote Desktop settings, System Protection settings, and advanced system settings—just like the links at the left side of the System window.

So there you go. Windows still shows all the same information in a different place.

But why did Microsoft remove this one page from the Control Panel when other pages in Settings are still duplicated in the Control Panel?

That’s a good question, but many tools in the Control Panel still have a wider variety of options that aren’t found in the new Settings app. In this case, Microsoft was able to remove a page from the Control Panel without losing features.