Windows 10 Add Remove Programs Control Panel

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Windows 10 control panel add remove programs

If there’s a program lingering on your Windows “Add or Remove Programs” list that doesn’t belong, there are two easy tricks you and use to purge it from the list and tidy things up. The “Add or Remove Programs” list shows all the installed software on your Windows computer. The Add/Remove Programs icon is missing in Control Panel. When trying to add a program on your computer system, you may find that the Add/Remove Programs icon is missing. This can be due to a missing or damaged file - Appwiz.cpl This applet is stored under the name appwiz.cpl in the system 32 folder. First, open the Start menu and click Run. Then, in the open window, type: appwiz.cpl (See below). Windows 10 still includes the classic Uninstall Programs panel, also known as the “Programs and Features” window. But it’s buried by default, as Microsoft really wants you to use the Apps Apps & features page in the new Settings interface instead.

If, for security reasons, you wish to hide, show, add or remove the specified or the EXISTING DEFAULT Control Panel Applets Control Panel Applets in Windows 10/8/7, or for convenience sake add YOUR OWN applets to the Control Panel, here is how you can do it.

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 not be displayed, IF this is enabled. You will have to ADD the control panel applet’s NAME, (eg: appwiz.cpl) which you WANT 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 Programs
  • Add Hardware
  • Administrative Tools
  • AutoPlay
  • Backup and Restore Center
  • Color Management
  • Date and Time
  • Default Programs
  • Device Manager
  • Ease of Access Center
  • Folder Options
  • Fonts
  • Game Controllers
  • Indexing Options
  • Internet Options
  • iSCSI Initiator
  • Keyboard
  • Mail
  • Mouse
  • Network and Sharing Center
  • Offline Files
  • Pen and Input Devices
  • People Near Me
  • Performance Information and Tools
  • Personalization
  • Phone and Modem Options
  • Power Options
  • Printers
  • Problem Reports and Solutions
  • Program Updates
  • Programs and Features
  • Regional and Language Options
  • Scanners and Cameras
  • Security Center
  • Sound
  • Speech Recognition Options
  • Sync Center
  • System
  • Tablet PC Settings
  • Taskbar and Start Menu
  • Text to Speech
  • User Accounts
  • Welcome Center
  • Windows Anytime Upgrade
  • Windows CardSpace
  • Windows Defender
  • Windows Firewall
  • Windows Sidebar Properties
  • Windows SideShow
  • Windows 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.cpl
  • Administrative Tools – control admintools
  • Add Hardware – hdwwiz.cpl
  • Appearance Settings – control color
  • Audio Devices and Sound Themes – mmsys.cpl
  • Bluetooth Devices – bthprop.cpl
  • Date and Time – timedate.cpl
  • Display Settings – desk.cpl
  • ODBC Data Source Administrator – ODBCCP32.cpl
  • Firewall – firewall.cpl
  • Folder Options – folders
  • Game Controllers – joy.cpl
  • Infocard – control infocardcpl.cpl
  • Internet Options control – inetcpl.cpl
  • Keyboard – control main.cpl Keyboard
  • Mouse – control main.cpl
  • Network Connections – ncpa.cpl
  • Pen and Input Devices – tabletpc.pcl
  • People Near Me – collab.pcl
  • Phone and Modem Options – telephon.cpl
  • Power Options – powercfg.cpl
  • Printers and Faxes – control printers
  • Regional and Language Options – intl.cpl
  • Scanners and Cameras – sticpl.cpl
  • Windows Security Center – wscui.cpl
  • Task Scheduler – control schedtasks
  • Text to Speech – control speech
  • System – sysdm.cpl
  • User Accounts – lusrmgr.cpl

Add Your Own Control Panel Applets

Adding & Registering YOUR OWN applet & tasks to Control Panel is easier in Windows 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 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 7 Shell Commands.

How To Remove Unwanted Programs

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 7 / 8.

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 which do that, but this way you can hide any, manually.

Lets 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.

Windows 10 Add Remove Programs Control Panel Email Settings

On being taken to a new window, check ‘Enabled’. Then, show list of disallowed Control Panel items > Add > Folder Options > OK > Apply > OK.

If your edition of Windows does not include the Group Policy Editor, you may to see this post on how to hide Control Panel Applets using Windows Registry. Go here if your Control Panel or System Restore window is blank.

Post posted from WVC, updated and posted here.

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