The control panel contains various setting options or control panel extensions that you can use to change settings or control options on your computer. There are two ways to view the control panel contents. One is the standard view that has a menu style interface with a description of what is contained under each menu option and the other is known as the classic view because earlier versions of Windows used this style of control panel as the default layout. The classic view is similar to a regular folder containing shortcuts to the control panel extensions which can be run by doubleclicking the specific option that you want to configure,. The classic view can also be altered to your own preferences by changing the sort and grouping options as well as the style of button.
To get to the control panel you can do so easily by opening the start menu and clicking the control panel link item labeled Control Panel located on the right pane. Another way to get to the control panel is by typing in control into the search bar under the control panel. This can also be done with the command prompt by typing in the same command. You can also run some parts of the control panel by typing in the specific command such as control keyboard will bring up the keyboard applet through the control panel.
The various menu categories in the control panel include: System and Maintenance, User Accounts and Family Settings, Security, Appearance and Personalization, Network and Internet, Clock, Language ad Region, Hardware and Sound, Ease of Access, Programs and Additional Options. You will notice the new features of Vista such as the breadcrumb navigation when you go through the menus, so you can always get back a level by either clicking the back button or by clicking the previous item in the breadcrumb navigation.
