Microsoft has backtracked on its decision to kill off the 39-year-old Windows Control Panel.

Last week, Microsoft reported that In the support document Microsoft has officially announced the retirement of its 39-year-old Control Panel apps. But after widespread reports of the change, Microsoft has either backtracked or clarified its language to remove the note about the Control Panel being retired in favor of the Settings app. Here’s what the original post said, as well as Saved by the Wayback Machine on the Internet (Confirmation from us):

“Control Panel is a feature that has been part of Windows for a long time. It provides a central location to view and control system settings and controls,” the support page explains. “Through a series of small apps, you can adjust various options ranging from the system time and date to hardware settings, network configurations, and more. The Control Panel is being phased out in favor of the Settings app, which offers a more modern and streamlined experience.“

The last sentence in the current version of the page has been significantly changed. It now says,Many of the settings in the Control Panel are currently being moved to the Settings app, which provides a more modern and streamlined experience.“.”

It’s not clear if this reflects a policy change or just a clarification of language. We’ve asked Microsoft whether they’ve changed their plans to remove the control panel, or whether the original version of the support page was incorrect in the first place, and we’ll update if we hear back.

Regardless, the current language reflects what’s happened to Control Panels throughout the lifecycle of Windows 10 and Windows 11. More and more things have been moved to the Settings app over time, and individual Control Panel apps have been removed over the years — things like the Display panel, the Add/Remove Programs screen, and panels for legacy features like Home Groups. But most of the legacy Control Panels are still included in all current versions of Windows 11, including the upcoming 24H2 update, and they won’t suddenly disappear en masse.

The Settings app was initially introduced in Windows 8 in 2012 as a touchscreen-friendly replacement for some Control Panel apps, but during the Windows 10 era it began to take over more and more Control Panel settings, and by the time Windows 11 launched, it was feature-packed enough to serve as a full-fledged Control Panel replacement most of the time, with a few exceptions for particularly obscure changes (and those who simply prefer the old ways). Drivers for some older accessories — like trackpads or printers — may also include extensions to Control Panel apps rather than a standalone app.

What’s surprising about some of the control panels at this point is how old their designs are. You’re not far from a part of the user interface that’s been exactly the same since Windows NT 4.0 in 1996, when Microsoft’s more stable NT operating system was updated with the same user interface as Windows 95 (modern versions of Windows are descended from NT, not 95 or 98). The idea of ​​the control panel is even older, dating back to Windows 1.0 in 1985.

Most of the current Control Panel designs and icons were present in Windows Vista and Windows 7 back in 2006 and 2009, which explains why many panels still feature the circular glass look that was characteristic of those versions of the OS (see the clock shape in the screenshots above). It’s one of the few areas of the OS that hasn’t been improved for Windows 11, which is probably Microsoft’s most cohesive Windows design since 1995 and NT 4.0; even old apps like Paint and Notepad have gotten a facelift, while other Windows 7-era apps like WordPad have been ditched.

This post was updated on August 26 at 9:45 a.m., after Microsoft changed its support document to remove the note about the Control Panel being discontinued.