Policy CSP - ADMX_ControlPanel

Tip

This CSP contains ADMX-backed policies which require a special SyncML format to enable or disable. You must specify the data type in the SyncML as <Format>chr</Format>. For details, see Understanding ADMX-backed policies.

The payload of the SyncML must be XML-encoded; for this XML encoding, there are a variety of online encoders that you can use. To avoid encoding the payload, you can use CDATA if your MDM supports it. For more information, see CDATA Sections.

DisallowCpls

Scope Editions Applicable OS
❌ Device
✅ User
✅ Pro
✅ Enterprise
✅ Education
✅ Windows SE
✅ IoT Enterprise / IoT Enterprise LTSC
✅ Windows 10, version 2004 with KB5005101 [10.0.19041.1202] and later
✅ Windows 10, version 20H2 with KB5005101 [10.0.19042.1202] and later
✅ Windows 10, version 21H1 with KB5005101 [10.0.19043.1202] and later
✅ Windows 11, version 21H2 [10.0.22000] and later
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ControlPanel/DisallowCpls

This setting allows you to display or hide specified Control Panel items, such as Mouse, System, or Personalization, from the Control Panel window and the Start screen. The setting affects the Start screen and Control Panel window, as well as other ways to access Control Panel items, such as shortcuts in Help and Support or command lines that use control.exe. This policy has no effect on items displayed in PC settings.

If you enable this setting, you can select specific items not to display on the Control Panel window and the Start screen.

To hide a Control Panel item, enable this policy setting and click Show to access the list of disallowed Control Panel items. In the Show Contents dialog box in the Value column, enter the Control Panel item's canonical name. For example, enter Microsoft. Mouse, Microsoft. System, or Microsoft. Personalization.

Note

For Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and earlier versions of Windows, the module name should be entered, for example timedate.cpl or inetcpl.cpl. If a Control Panel item doesn't have a CPL file, or the CPL file contains multiple applets, then its module name and string resource identification number should be entered, for example @systemcpl.dll,-1 for System, or @themecpl.dll,-1 for Personalization. A complete list of canonical and module names can be found in MSDN by searching "Control Panel items".

If both the "Hide specified Control Panel items" setting and the "Show only specified Control Panel items" setting are enabled, the "Show only specified Control Panel items" setting is ignored.

Note

The Display Control Panel item can't be hidden in the Desktop context menu by using this setting. To hide the Display Control Panel item and prevent users from modifying the computer's display settings use the "Disable Display Control Panel" setting instead.

Note

To hide pages in the System Settings app, use the "Settings Page Visibility" setting under Computer Configuration.

Description framework properties:

Property name Property value
Format chr (string)
Access Type Add, Delete, Get, Replace

Tip

This is an ADMX-backed policy and requires SyncML format for configuration. For an example of SyncML format, refer to Enabling a policy.

ADMX mapping:

Name Value
Name DisallowCpls
Friendly Name Hide specified Control Panel items
Location User Configuration
Path Control Panel
Registry Key Name Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Registry Value Name DisallowCpl
ADMX File Name ControlPanel.admx

ForceClassicControlPanel

Scope Editions Applicable OS
❌ Device
✅ User
✅ Pro
✅ Enterprise
✅ Education
✅ Windows SE
✅ IoT Enterprise / IoT Enterprise LTSC
✅ Windows 10, version 2004 with KB5005101 [10.0.19041.1202] and later
✅ Windows 10, version 20H2 with KB5005101 [10.0.19042.1202] and later
✅ Windows 10, version 21H1 with KB5005101 [10.0.19043.1202] and later
✅ Windows 11, version 21H2 [10.0.22000] and later
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ControlPanel/ForceClassicControlPanel

This policy setting controls the default Control Panel view, whether by category or icons.

  • If this policy setting is enabled, the Control Panel opens to the icon view.

  • If this policy setting is disabled, the Control Panel opens to the category view.

  • If this policy setting isn't configured, the Control Panel opens to the view used in the last Control Panel session.

Note

Icon size is dependent upon what the user has set it to in the previous session.

Description framework properties:

Property name Property value
Format chr (string)
Access Type Add, Delete, Get, Replace

Tip

This is an ADMX-backed policy and requires SyncML format for configuration. For an example of SyncML format, refer to Enabling a policy.

ADMX mapping:

Name Value
Name ForceClassicControlPanel
Friendly Name Always open All Control Panel Items when opening Control Panel
Location User Configuration
Path Control Panel
Registry Key Name Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Registry Value Name ForceClassicControlPanel
ADMX File Name ControlPanel.admx

NoControlPanel

Scope Editions Applicable OS
❌ Device
✅ User
✅ Pro
✅ Enterprise
✅ Education
✅ Windows SE
✅ IoT Enterprise / IoT Enterprise LTSC
✅ Windows 10, version 2004 with KB5005101 [10.0.19041.1202] and later
✅ Windows 10, version 20H2 with KB5005101 [10.0.19042.1202] and later
✅ Windows 10, version 21H1 with KB5005101 [10.0.19043.1202] and later
✅ Windows 11, version 21H2 [10.0.22000] and later
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ControlPanel/NoControlPanel

Disables all Control Panel programs and the PC settings app.

This setting prevents Control.exe and SystemSettings.exe, the program files for Control Panel and PC settings, from starting. As a result, users can't start Control Panel or PC settings, or run any of their items.

This setting removes Control Panel from:

The Start screen.

File Explorer.

This setting removes PC settings from:

The Start screen.

Settings charm.

Account picture.

Search results.

If users try to select a Control Panel item from the Properties item on a context menu, a message appears explaining that a setting prevents the action.

Description framework properties:

Property name Property value
Format chr (string)
Access Type Add, Delete, Get, Replace

Tip

This is an ADMX-backed policy and requires SyncML format for configuration. For an example of SyncML format, refer to Enabling a policy.

ADMX mapping:

Name Value
Name NoControlPanel
Friendly Name Prohibit access to Control Panel and PC settings
Location User Configuration
Path Control Panel
Registry Key Name Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Registry Value Name NoControlPanel
ADMX File Name ControlPanel.admx

RestrictCpls

Scope Editions Applicable OS
❌ Device
✅ User
✅ Pro
✅ Enterprise
✅ Education
✅ Windows SE
✅ IoT Enterprise / IoT Enterprise LTSC
✅ Windows 10, version 2004 with KB5005101 [10.0.19041.1202] and later
✅ Windows 10, version 20H2 with KB5005101 [10.0.19042.1202] and later
✅ Windows 10, version 21H1 with KB5005101 [10.0.19043.1202] and later
✅ Windows 11, version 21H2 [10.0.22000] and later
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ControlPanel/RestrictCpls

This policy setting controls which Control Panel items such as Mouse, System, or Personalization, are displayed on the Control Panel window and the Start screen. The only items displayed in Control Panel are those you specify in this setting. This setting affects the Start screen and Control Panel, as well as other ways to access Control Panel items such as shortcuts in Help and Support or command lines that use control.exe. This policy has no effect on items displayed in PC settings.

To display a Control Panel item, enable this policy setting and click Show to access the list of allowed Control Panel items. In the Show Contents dialog box in the Value column, enter the Control Panel item's canonical name. For example, enter Microsoft. Mouse, Microsoft. System, or Microsoft. Personalization.

Note

For Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and earlier versions of Windows, the module name, for example timedate.cpl or inetcpl.cpl, should be entered. If a Control Panel item doesn't have a CPL file, or the CPL file contains multiple applets, then its module name and string resource identification number should be entered. For example, enter @systemcpl.dll,-1 for System or @themecpl.dll,-1 for Personalization. A complete list of canonical and module names of Control Panel items can be found in MSDN by searching "Control Panel items".

If both the "Hide specified Control Panel items" setting and the "Show only specified Control Panel items" setting are enabled, the "Show only specified Control Panel items" setting is ignored.

Note

The Display Control Panel item can't be hidden in the Desktop context menu by using this setting. To hide the Display Control Panel item and prevent users from modifying the computer's display settings use the "Disable Display Control Panel" setting instead.

Note

To hide pages in the System Settings app, use the "Settings Page Visibility" setting under Computer Configuration.

Description framework properties:

Property name Property value
Format chr (string)
Access Type Add, Delete, Get, Replace

Tip

This is an ADMX-backed policy and requires SyncML format for configuration. For an example of SyncML format, refer to Enabling a policy.

ADMX mapping:

Name Value
Name RestrictCpls
Friendly Name Show only specified Control Panel items
Location User Configuration
Path Control Panel
Registry Key Name Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Registry Value Name RestrictCpl
ADMX File Name ControlPanel.admx

Policy configuration service provider