How to run Control Panel tools by typing a command

Summary

This article describes how to run Control Panel tools in Windows by typing a command at a command prompt or in the Open box.

More Information

To run a Control Panel tool in Windows, type the appropriate command in the Open box or at a command prompt.

NOTE: If you want to run a command from a command prompt, you must do so from the Windows folder. Also, note that your computer may not have all of the tools listed in this article, as your Windows installation may not include all of these components.

   Control panel tool             Command

   -----------------------------------------------------------------

   Accessibility Options          control access.cpl

   Add New Hardware               control sysdm.cpl add new hardware

   Add/Remove Programs            control appwiz.cpl

   Date/Time Properties           control timedate.cpl

   Display Properties             control desk.cpl

   FindFast                       control findfast.cpl

   Fonts Folder                   control fonts

   Internet Properties            control inetcpl.cpl

   Joystick Properties            control joy.cpl

   Keyboard Properties            control main.cpl keyboard

   Microsoft Exchange             control mlcfg32.cpl

      (or Windows Messaging)

   Microsoft Mail Post Office     control wgpocpl.cpl

   Modem Properties               control modem.cpl

   Mouse Properties               control main.cpl

   Multimedia Properties          control mmsys.cpl

   Network Properties             control netcpl.cpl

                                  NOTE: In Windows NT 4.0, Network

                                  properties is Ncpa.cpl, not Netcpl.cpl

   Password Properties            control password.cpl

   PC Card                        control main.cpl pc card (PCMCIA)

   Power Management (Windows 95)  control main.cpl power

   Power Management (Windows 98)  control powercfg.cpl

   Printers Folder                control printers

   Regional Settings              control intl.cpl

   Scanners and Cameras           control sticpl.cpl

   Sound Properties               control mmsys.cpl sounds

   System Properties              control sysdm.cpl

NOTE: The Scanners and Cameras applet (sticpl.cpl) cannot be run in Windows Millennium. It has been replaced by the Scanners and Cameras Folder, which is similar in function to folders like Printers and Dial-up Networking.

Windows substitutes the name of the tool you want to run for %1%. For example:

"rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL appwiz.cpl".

To run the Users tool in Control Panel, type control Ncpa.cpl users, and then press ENTER.

To run the Users tool for Windows 95/98/Me, type "control inetcpl.cpl users" (without the quotation marks) and then press ENTER.