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Windows 10 Now Hides The SYSTEM Control Panel, How To Access It
~5.0 mins read
With the release of Windows 10 20H2, Microsoft is now preventing access to the venerable SYSTEM control panel and is instead redirecting users to the newly updated 'About' settings page.
The SYSTEM control panel was first introduced in Windows NT 3.51 and Windows 95 and provides information about the installed version of Windows, the bit-type of the operating system, the computer name, workgroup, CPU, and memory.
As the control panel provides a lot of information about a computer, it is commonly used when troubleshooting a Windows PC or determining a computer's basic information.
The SYSTEM control panelThe SYSTEM control panel
In July, BleepingComputer reported that Microsoft had updated their 'About' settings page to include most, but not all, of the information found in the SYSTEM page. At the time, Microsoft was also testing a hidden feature that would redirect a user to the About page when opening the SYSTEM control panel.
Updated About settings pageUpdated About settings page
With Windows 10 20H2, Microsoft drove another nail into the control panel's coffin and is now preventing users from accessing the SYSTEM control panel. Now, when a user tries to open it, they are brought to the About page instead.
With the testing of a modern Disk Management toolrefresh rate option, and a test that redirects the 'Program and Features' control panel to the 'Apps & Features' settings, we can see Microsoft's gradual killing off of the Control Panel.
Ultimately, this is good because Windows 10 is a confusing mess of settings being located in different places. By organizing them under the Settings feature, it will make it easier to find a particular setting.
The good news for those who routinely use the SYSTEM control panel is that there is still a way to access it, which we describe below.

How to access SYSTEM in Windows 10 20H2

While Microsoft is redirecting the SYSTEM control panel, there is a way to access it via a specially crafted Windows shortcut.
To create a shortcut that opens the SYSTEM control panel, please follow these steps:
  • Minimize all open applications and folders so that you see the Windows Desktop.
  • Right-click on the Desktop and select New > Shortcut, as shown below.
    Create a new shortcutCreate a new shortcut
  • When the Create Shortcut window opens, copy and paste explorer shell:::{BB06C0E4-D293-4f75-8A90-CB05B6477EEE} into the field. Then press the Next button.
    Creating the SYSTEM shortcutCreating the SYSTEM shortcut
  • You will now be at a page asking to name the shortcut. Enter SYSTEM as the name and press the Finish button.
    Naming the SYSTEM shortcutNaming the SYSTEM shortcut
  • A shortcut called SYSTEM will now have been created on your Desktop that can be used to open the SYSTEM control panel again.
    New SYSTEM shortcutNew SYSTEM shortcut
  • A video illustrating how to make this shortcut in Windows 10 20H2 can be seen below.
    This SYSTEM shortcut can also be launched directly from the Start Menu by searching for 'SYSTEM' and selecting the icon that appears under the Apps section.
    In the current Windows 10 Insider preview builds (tested on Windows 10 20231), all other ways to access the SYSTEM control panel redirect to the new About page.
    profile/9083IMG_20200816_194234.jpg
    Chidexstar
    Windows 10 October 2020 Update Could Have One Of The Fastest Installs Ever
    ~15.2 mins read
    Windows 10 October 2020 Update will install on your PC in just a few minutes, providing you’re upgrading from the latest version of Windows 10.

    The reason why the October 2020 Update can potentially install in pretty much a flash is because it’s simply an enablement package, meaning that the meat of the content for the update is already present in the OS, having been delivered in the previous May 2020 Update (with subsequent cumulative updates).

  • How to speed up Windows 10
  • How to work smarter from home with Windows 10
  • We solve 100 common Windows 10 problems
  • It’s just sitting there ready to be enabled, and the tiny (80MB) download and process to do this only takes a few short minutes, as Windows Latest observes (at least if you’re running an SSD on a relatively modern PC).

    Cumulative caveat

    The other caveat here is that you need to have all the cumulative updates for Windows 10 May 2020 Update installed up to and including the August update. If you don’t, you’ll need to download the standard October 2020 Update weighing in at 3GB.

    Furthermore, if you aren’t running the May 2020 Update, you’ll need to do a full feature update install with the October 2020 Update, a much longer process. This is just the same as how the November 2019 Update worked last year, relying on the previous upgrade to be installed and using an enablement switch.

    Just like the November 2019 Update, the imminent upgrade from Microsoft for October will be a relatively minor affair, although it does make a few more substantive changes than we saw last year, including a new look for the Start menu.

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