Are you lost in the new Control Panel? Switch to the old one!

One of the most visible changes in Windows Vista is the complete redesign of the Control Panel. Lots of things were moved and now you have very easy access to some configuration options while others seem to be hidden deep in the Control Panel menus.

If you have a hard time finding things, don’t worry. Windows Vista gives you the option to switch back to the old Control Panel and this is how you do it:

Go to Start -> Control Panel .

Windows Vista Control Panel

If you look carefully, you will notice that in the left side of the screen there is a panel with two options. The first option is Control Panel Home and the second is Classic View.

Click on Classic View and the Control Panel will be reloaded and will look just like the old one from Windows 2000 and XP.

Windows Vista Control Panel - Classic View

Related articles:
How to switch back to the Classic Start Menu

9 thoughts on “Are you lost in the new Control Panel? Switch to the old one!”

  1. How can i change the language setting using vista.
    I wish to know how can I change the language setting in my new computer which I currently bought in france. It seems that it is not possible in vista. I had a windows XP before.

    • i have that same problem
      i have that same problem with the my new laptop, the language on mine is french and people get confuse that its also an Operating System (F1). That`s what i`m been trying to do for the past 2 weeks, turn my French laptop to an English laptop.

      The first time the new laptop is turn on, it`ll show two Operating Systems, and they are Operating System E1, and Operating System F1. I didn`t know what they meant so i clicked on Operating System F1 and my whole laptop turn into french, i can`t even read anything or change settings, i was blind as a bat luckily my cousin had a french and english dictionary and i manage to restore my laptop, but that doesn`t work. So far i made several restore operations but all failed. The French laptop still reminds the same. I think it is not possible to change the Operating System F1 unless it is loaded again in the factory where it came from. But if i learn how its done i`ll write back.

  2. lost control panel
    I’ve got no access to my control panel (its dissapeared) and each time I try going to set program access and default I get a message saying ” The operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on ths computer. Please contact your system administrator.”

    Also when I start up I get a message saying windows cannot find ‘C:/WINDOWS/system32/printer.exe’.

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Many Thanks

    christopher

    • if you dont find contol
      if you dont find contol panel there are various reasons for one could be there is a spy ware attack or windows probably not insatlled properly ,you can try doing a system restore if you havent tried reinstalling the operating system it will work.

    • Fix
      A) you have a corrupt printer driver

      B)you are using your parents computer and are not not using the default account. You are in limited mode which is not allowing you access to control panel. Its there, you are just locked out

  3. Control Panel
    For some reason, I only have classic view for my control panel. The other disappeared a few days ago. Wasn’t sure if I liked it at first, now I am wondering how to get it back….???

  4. Can’t go back…
    I can’t get back to the newer view. I’m stuck on the classic view and I can’t find out how to go back. The whole side bar where the option to go back should be, is gone.

  5. I have the new version of
    I have the new version of windows vista and I am very lost in it. I want the original one that you wanted to change. Do you know how I could get that?

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