Since Microsoft is trying to slowly do away with the Control Panel in favor of the modern Settings app, the move makes sense. However, there are still several options that can only be accessed through the good old Control Panel. So if you use the Power User menu regularly and miss the Control Panel option, read on to find out how to add it with just a few clicks. There are two methods for adding the Control Panel to the Power User menu. This article will show you both ways; follow the one that is easiest for you.
Add the Control Panel Option to the Power User Menu Manually
By default, the Power User menu is divided into three groups, and the group numbering starts at the bottom. You can add the Control Panel to any group you want.
To add the Control Panel to the Power User menu, all you have to do is add a shortcut to the group of your choice. To do that, download this custom Control Panel shortcut and extract it to your desktop.
Once extracted, select and copy the shortcut using the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + C.” Now, press “Win + R,” enter the following path %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\WinX and press the Enter button.
The above action will open the Power User menu folder in File Explorer. Open the group folder of your choice and paste the downloaded shortcut.
In my case I copied my Control Panel shortcut to the “Group2” folder.
Just restart your system, and you will see the new Control Panel option in the Power User menu. Just to test the shortcut, I’ve copied the same shortcut to all three group folders. As you can see from the below image, the Control Panel option is visible in all three groups, as it should.
Add the Control Panel Option Using the WinX Menu Editor
Alternatively, you can do the same thing using a free and portable software called WinX Menu Editor. Besides letting you add the Control Panel option, this software gives you greater customization options to change the item order, change names, add individual control panel tools, create extra groups, etc. Download WinX Menu Editor, extract it to the Desktop, open the folder and execute the application.
In the main window select “Add a Control Panel item” from the “Add a program” drop-down menu.
Here, select “All Control Panel Items” and click on the “Select” button.
The Control Panel will be added to the Power User menu. However, the default name will be “All Control Panel Items.” To change the name, right-click on it and select “Rename.”
Now, change the name to “Control Panel” and click “OK” to save the changes.
To make the changes take effect, click on the “Restart Explorer” button.
The Control Panel will be added to the Power User menu.
If you want to delete the added item, select the item from the list and select the option “Remove.”
To reset the Power User menu to its default options, click on the option “Restore Defaults.”
Do comment below sharing your thoughts and experiences about using the above methods to add Control Panel to the Power User menu.