Microsoft is gearing up for a minor revolution with the upcoming release of the 24H2 update for Windows 11.
Year after year, the slow evolution of Windows has been both its main asset and its major handicap. The main advantage is that, by slowly improving its operating system in small steps, Microsoft is able to maintain compatibility with previous generations. Whereas Apple, for example, was forced to wipe the slate clean with the launch of Mac OS X in 2001 - forcing it to rebuild part of its community - Microsoft has always been able to count on the support of its users, able to retain their tools from previous generations. This is a major handicap, however, as it forces Microsoft to keep checking this famous compatibility, and prevents it from starting afresh on a sound footing.
Goodbye to the control panel © Microsoft
As a result, many bricks from Windows 10, but also Windows 8, Windows 7 and even older versions, find their way to Windows 11. Among these bricks are many more or less aging modules such as the emblematic Control Panel, which should finally bow out with the release of the 24H2 update for Windows 11. The Control Panel almost disappeared for the first time with the launch of Windows 8 and the PC Settings module. Users wanted otherwise, and the Control Panel remained widely used. However, Microsoft has repeatedly stated that it wants to get rid of these old bricks, which are more relics of the past than solutions for the future.
Relayed by the Neowin site, a Microsoft announcement published just a few days ago clarifies matters. It states: " The Control Panel is in the process of being deprecated in favor of the Settings app, which offers a more modern and streamlined experience. Tip: while the Control Panel still exists for compatibility reasons and to provide access to some settings that have not yet migrated, you're encouraged to use the Settings app, whenever possible ". In other words, the Control Panel will disappear and be definitively replaced by the Settings module. Microsoft stresses that, while the Control Panel will still be present to provide access to certain settings that have not yet been migrated, it is the Settings application that is to be preferred. The history of Windows is about to open a new page.
