Windows 7: Control Panel Category View Shortcut - Create

   Information

This will show you how to create a Control Panel shortcut that will always open in Category view in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

OPTION ONE

To Download the "Control Panel Category View" Shortcut

1. Click on the download button below to download the file below

Control_Panel_Category_View.zip

2. Save the .zip file to the desktop.

3. Open the .zip file and extract the Control Panel Category View shortcut to the desktop.

4. Right click on the Control Panel Category View shortcut, and click on Properties, General tab, and on the Unblock button. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you do not have a Unblock button under the General tab, then the shortcut is already unblocked and you can continue on to step 5.

5. In Windows 7, you can now Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

6. In Windows 8, you can Pin to Taskbar on desktop, Pin to Start screen, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .zip file on the desktop if you like, or save it to use again.

OPTION TWO

To Manually Create the "Control Panel Category View" Shortcut

1. Right click on a empty area on desktop, and click on New and Shortcut.

2. Type the location below into the location area, and click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)

%windir%\explorer.exe shell:::{26EE0668-A00A-44D7-9371-BEB064C98683}

3. Type Control Panel Category View for the name, and click on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can name this anything you would like though.

4. Right click on the new Control Panel Category View shortcut on the Desktop and click on Properties.

5. Click on the Shortcut tab, then click on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)

6. In the line under "Look for icons in this file", type in the location below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

%windir%\System32\imageres.dll

7. Select the icon highlighted in blue above and click on OK. (see screenshot above)
NOTE: You can use any icon that you would like instead though.

8. Click on OK. (see screenshot below)

9. In Windows 7, you can now Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

10. In Windows 8, you can Pin to Taskbar on desktop, Pin to Start screen, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.