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How to Pin a Control Panel Setting to the Start Menu in Windows 10
To pin an individual Control Panel setting in Windows 10, open Control Panel, change View by to Small icons or Large icons, then right-click the applet and select Pin to Start. The Start menu tile opens that applet directly, so you can get back to a frequently used page such as Power Options without browsing through Control Panel each time.
Show individual Control Panel applets
Control Panel has two common layouts. Category view groups settings under headings such as Network and Internet or Hardware and Sound. The groups are useful for browsing, but the category names themselves are not the shortcuts you want to pin. For a direct list of applets, use the View by menu in the upper-right corner and choose Small icons or Large icons.
Applet availability can vary between Windows editions and devices. Some entries depend on installed hardware or drivers, and Windows has moved some older Control Panel tasks into the Settings app. If you do not see a particular item, it may not be available on that PC under that name.
Pin a setting to the Start menu
- Open Control Panel. Select Start, type Control Panel, and choose the matching app. You can also press Windows+R, enter
control, and press Enter. - Switch to an icon view. Set View by to Small icons or Large icons. If Control Panel is still showing categories, use the menu in the upper-right corner.
- Find the applet. Scan the list for the setting you use. For example, choose Power Options for power plans, Sound for playback and recording devices, or Network and Sharing Center for classic network controls.
- Pin it. Right-click the applet name and select Pin to Start. If a confirmation prompt appears, approve it. The command may be lower in the context menu, so check the full menu before concluding that it is missing.
- Open the tile. Select Start and look in the pinned tile area. Select the new tile to open the applet in a Control Panel window.
What the pinned tile does
A pinned tile is a shortcut to a Control Panel applet; it does not apply a setting or change your configuration on its own. Open it, then make and apply changes in the applet as usual. The tile typically opens the applet in a new window, while the exact controls shown there depend on the device and Windows build.
You can organize the tile with other Start tiles by dragging it to a new position or grouping it with related shortcuts. For example, a laptop user might keep Power Options near other maintenance tools, while a desktop user might pin Sound or Programs and Features. Pin only the applets you return to often so the Start area stays easy to scan.
Remove a tile or fix a missing Pin to Start command
To remove the shortcut, open Start, right-click its tile, and choose Unpin from Start. This removes only the tile; the Control Panel applet and its settings remain on the PC. You can also right-click the applet in Control Panel and choose the unpin command if Windows offers it there.
If you do not see Pin to Start, first make sure you are right-clicking an individual applet in icon view, not a category heading or blank area. Try the other icon size and check whether the item is present. Context-menu choices can differ by applet and system configuration. If that applet cannot be pinned directly, search for Control Panel in Start, right-click the app result, and pin the Control Panel app itself as a fallback. That shortcut opens the main Control Panel rather than the specific setting.
Windows 10 support status
These steps apply to Windows 10's classic Start menu and Control Panel. Microsoft ended standard Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025; the pinning shortcut still helps with navigation, but it does not provide security updates or technical support. Check Microsoft's current guidance if you need to confirm support or Extended Security Updates options for your device.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Customize the Windows Start menu — pinning and removing Start shortcuts.
- Microsoft Support: Fix File Explorer if it won’t open or start — opening Control Panel from search and choosing an icon view.
- Microsoft Learn: Canonical Names of Control Panel Items — Control Panel item availability and names.
- Microsoft Support: Windows 10 support has ended.
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