Control Panel View - Category or Icons

How to Set a Default Control Panel View in Windows 7 and Windows 8​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to set the Control Panel to always open by default with a Category, Small icons, or Large icons view for all or specific users in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

This only affects what view the Control Panel opens to by default. All users will still be able to change the Control Panel view to what they like in the Control Panel.

OPTION ONE

Set Default Control Panel View in the Control Panel

NOTE: This option will only affect your user account.
1. Open the Control Panel in Windows 7 or Windows 8.

2. Do step 3, 4, or 5 below for what you would like to do.

3. To Have the Control Panel with the Category View
A) Click/tap on the View by drop down menu arrow, select (dot) Category, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot above)

4. For All Control Panel Items with Large Icons View
A) Click/tap on the View by drop down menu arrow, select (dot) Large icons, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot above)

5. For All Control Panel Items with Small Icons View
A) Click/tap on the View by drop down menu arrow, elect (dot) Small icons, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot above)

6. Close the Control Panel when done.
NOTE: The Control Panel will open to the same view as it was in when last closed by default.

OPTION TWO

Set Default Control Panel View in Group Policy

NOTE: This option requires that you are logged in as an administrator to do. You can apply this option to all or specific users.
1. Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2. In the left pane, click/tap on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Control Panel.

3. In the right pane of Control Panel, double click/tap on Always open All Control Panel Items when opening the Control Panel to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5, 6, or 7 below for what you would like to set.

5. To Force Icons as the Default Control Panel View
A) Select (dot) Enabled, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below step 8)
6. To Force Category as the Default Control Panel View
A) Select (dot) Disabled, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below step 8)
7. To Unforce All Views as the Default Control Panel View
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Select (dot) Not Configured, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below step 8)
8. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

9. You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.

10. If open, close and reopen Control Panel to see changes.

OPTION THREE

Set Default Control Panel View using a REG File Download

NOTE: This option requires that you are logged in as an administrator to do. This option will be applied to all users on the computer.
1. Do step 2, 3, or 4 below for what you would like to do.

2. To Force Icons as the Default Control Panel View
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.
Force_Control_Panel_Icons_View.reg

Download


3. To Force Category as the Default Control Panel View
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.
Force_Control_Panel_Category_View.reg

Download


4. To Unforce All Views as the Default Control Panel View
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.
Unforce_Control_Panel_View.reg

Download


5. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

6. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

7. Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

8. If open, close and reopen Control Panel to see changes.

9. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

OPTION FOUR

Set Default Control Panel View in Registry Editor

NOTE: This option requires that you are logged in as an administrator to do. This option will be applied to all users on the computer.
1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and press Enter.

2. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

3. Do step 4, 5, or 6 below for what you would like to do.

4. To Force Icons as the Default Control Panel View
A) In the right pane of Explorer, right click on a empty area and click on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value. (see screenshot above)
NOTE: If you already have the ForceClassicControlPanel DWORD entry, then go to step 4C instead.

B) Type ForceClassicControlPanel and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

C) Right click on ForceClassicControlPanel and click on Modify. (see screenshot above)

D) Type 1 and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

E) The registry will now look like this. (see screenshot below)

F) Go to step 7 below.
5. To Force Category as the Default Control Panel View
A) In the right pane of Explorer, right click on a empty area and click on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value. (see screenshot above)
NOTE: If you already have the ForceClassicControlPanel DWORD entry, then go to step 5C instead.

B) Type ForceClassicControlPanel and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

C) Double click/tap on ForceClassicControlPanel to modify it. (see screenshot above)

D) Type 0 and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

E) The registry will now look like this. (see screenshot below)

F) Go to step 7 below.
6. To Unforce All Views as the Default Control Panel View
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) In the right pane of Explorer, right click on ForceClassicControlPanel and click/tap on Delete. (see screenshot above)

B) Click/tap on Yes to confirm deletion, and go to step 7 below.
7. Close Regedit.

8. If open, close and reopen Control Panel to see changes.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Open the Control Panel in Windows 8
• How to Add or Remove "Advanced User Accounts" to Control Panel in Windows
• How to Add or Remove "Local Group Policy Editor" to Control Panel in Windows
• How to Pin the Control Panel to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Create a Control Panel All Tasks List Shortcut in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change the Default Icons in the Windows 7 Control Panel
• How to Change or Restore the Default Control Panel Icons in Windows 8
• How to Change the Default Control Panel Icon in Windows 7
• Create a Control Panel Shortcut that Always Opens to Icons View in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• Create a Control Panel Shortcut that Always Opens to Category View in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Enable or Disable the Control Panel in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Access to Control Panel and PC settings in Windows 8
• How to Hide or Show a Control Panel Icon in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome rwmol. I'm happy to hear that you like it.

 

[njb52]

Thanks for this tip, it was driving me nuts everytime I opened Control Panel it would open in the Category View.

FYI - If you create a desktop shortcut to Control Panel when it is in Category View and then change it to All Items by any method the shortcut will still open in Category View. You have to delete the shortcut and create a new one to have it open correctly.

Wierd.

I am running Win 7 Pro, version 6.1, Service Pack 1, Build 7601:

Here is what finally worked for me, to change Control Panel to small icons.
1. I deleted my Control Panel desktop icon (thanks very much Ivan05 )

2. I then Expanded Control Panel in Start Menu (thanks to malektips.com/windows-7-control-panel-expand-start-menu.html):
a. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and choose "Properties".
b. The "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" multi-tabbed dialog box appears. Click the "Start Menu" tab.
c. Click customize button, The "Customize Start Menu" dialog box appears. Underneath "Control Panel" click the "Display as a menu" radio button.
d. Click "OK" on the dialog boxes to close them.
3. Now when you hit Start you will see the Control Panel with a little arrow to the right, so if you hover it will show all items.
4. Now just right click the Control Panel line, and choose "Show On Desktop". Open the desktop icon and you will see the small icons view.

Thanks everyone for all your help. I can finally sleep at night

 

[sstowell]

Options 1 & 2 don't apply to my Windows 7 Home Edition. Control panel always reverts to "category" view for me... and no C:\Windows\System32\gpedit.msc. Given this, I am NOT going to try the registry script!
But deleting the desktop icon was the key, it did save the last set view once I deleted it. I have the menu view on by Start menu, but generally prefer to grab that shortcut.

So delete the shortcut, open the control panel via the start menu, set to view (small icons or whatever), and close. Go back and create a new shortcut and that should open with the view you wnat.

So thank you! Ivan05 & njb52!!!

 

[Brink]

Hello sstowell,

If that's what you want, then you'll need to use OPTION THREE or OPTION FOUR to do so.

While W7 Home Premium doesn't have Group Policy included in it, you can still set the same policies, but must use the registry instead though. That's why I included the .reg file in OPTION THREE to make it easier and available to do in all editions of Windows 7.

 

[PeterCCC]

Control Panel View

A very late comment. Go to Start then Settings and hover above "Control Panel".
Right click on that and select "Create Shortcut" which will be on the Desktop.
Double-click on that and it will open CP at Small Icons.