Apps & Features (Settings) is no replacement for Programs & Features (Control Panel) in Windows 10
When Microsoft announced that it would replace the entire Control Panel with the Settings app in Windows 10, no one thought that it would take the company longer than five years to achieve that goal.
Microsoft migrated some Control Panel applets to the Settings application when it released feature updates for Windows 10, but the death blow never happened. The Control Panel is still there, even in Windows 10 version 2004 and the upcoming Windows 10 20H2.
Recent Insider builds of Windows 10 saw two applets being redirected to the Settings app. The first was the System applet that redirects to the System part of the Settings application now. More recent is the redirection of Programs & Features, the go-to section of the Control Panel when it comes to the uninstallation of software programs and the installation of Windows features.
Users who run the latest Insider builds will notice that the Apps & Features section is now opened when the Programs & Features section of the Control Panel is launched.
New is not always better, and in this particular case, some may criticize the migration as it goes hand in hand with a loss of usability.
When you compare Programs & Features with the Apps & Features section of the Settings application, you will notice differences immediately.
The Control Panel applet displays the installed programs in a compact format in a table. Each row displays the program name, publisher, installation date, size (if provided), and version by default. An option to add more data columns, e.g. "readme", which points to the readme file of the application, is available.
A click on a column header sorts the data accordingly, e.g. by installation date or size. The Apps & Features section of the Settings application lists programs, the installation size and installation date as well, but not in a table but in a list.
The design uses a lot of spacing and that reduces the number of programs and apps that are listed on the screen on a single page. Sorting options are provided, but a menu at the top needs to be used for that. You need to scroll all the way up to change the sorting, while the headers are always visible under Programs & Features. The Settings app provides no option to display more data, even if it is provided by the developer of the program.
The only feature that is exclusive to the Settings application is the ability to filter by drive; this allows you to display only apps and programs installed on the selected drive. The option to "move" apps is provided, but it works only for a small selection of them.
Apps & Features limits the display of data, and its design makes it harder to work with. It is possible that most users did not use the extra data columns option, but those who did, will surely miss that option once the system is updated to a newer version of Windows 10.
Users who want to retain the options may want to check out third-party program uninstallers, e.g. Revo Uninstaller or Geek Uninstaller as these provide an interface that is similar to the Programs & Features interface.
Now You: how do you uninstall software? What is your take on the redirection?
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