How to hide Settings pages in the Windows 10 Creators Update
Microsoft moved even more Control Panel features to the Settings application in the Windows 10 Creators Update.
While administrators and users still have to juggle between the Control Panel and the Settings application in the latest version of Windows 10, it is only a matter of years at the current migration speed until the Control Panel is put to rest for good.
The Windows 10 Creators Update comes with an important change for organizations especially. It allows administrators to hide Settings pages on devices running the Creators Update so that they are not shown to users who open the Settings application the device.
Hide Settings pages
You need to have access to the Group Policy editor to make the changes. Please note that the editor is only part of professional versions of Windows, and not Home editions.
- Tap on the Windows-key on your keyboard, type gpedit.msc, and hit the Enter-key on the keyboard.
You find the new policy under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Settings Page Visibility.
Specifies the list of pages to show or hide from the System Settings app.
This policy allows an administrator to block a given set of pages from the System Settings app. Blocked pages will not be visible in the app, and if all pages in a category are blocked the category will be hidden as well. Direct navigation to a blocked page via URI, context menu in Explorer or other means will result in the front page of Settings being shown instead.
The new Settings Page Visibility police has two modes. Administrators may use it to specify pages to hide, or specify pages to show.
The policy displays a form that you need to add the to hide or to show Settings pages to. If you want to create a whitelist, use showonly: followed by a list of pages that you want users to see when they open the Settings application on the Windows 10 device.
If you want to create a blacklist instead, use hide: followed by the list of pages. The specified pages are hidden from the Settings application, but any page not blacklisted is shown. You separate pages with a comma.
Examples
- showonly: bluetooth, backup
- hide: cortana, display
If you hide a page, it won't show up anymore when you open the Settings regardless of whether you navigate the Settings application manually, use the built-in search, open the page from a pinned location on Start, or try to open it in any other way imaginable.
Supported pages
Here is a list of supported pages (note that it may not be complete. If you notice any missing pages, let me know in the comment section and I add the missing entries to the listing).
Tip: You can run these directly from Run (Windows-R shortcut) by adding ms-settings: before the page identifier, e.g. ms-settings:about.
- about
- activation
- appsfeatures
- appsforwebsites
- backup
- batterysaver
- bluetooth
- colors
- cortana
- datausage
- dateandtime
- defaultapps
- developers
- deviceencryption
- display
- emailandaccounts
- extras
- findmydevice
- gaming-broadcasting
- gaming-gamebar
- gaming-gamemode
- gaming-gamedvr
- lockscreen
- maps
- network-ethernet
- network-mobilehotspot
- network-proxy
- network-vpn
- network-directaccess
- network-wifi
- notifications
- optionalfeatures
- powersleep
- printers
- privacy
- personalization
- recovery
- regionlanguage
- storagesense
- tabletmode
- taskbar
- themes
- troubleshoot
- typing
- usb
- windowsdefender
- windowsinsider
- windowsupdate
- yourinfo
Closing Words
A list of supported pages in the policy's description would be more than useful. Other than that, it is a pretty straightforward option to hide Settings pages on Windows 10 systems running the Creators Update. (via M.Niehaus)
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help