Two Minute Drill: New Commands for Old Tasks in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

Microsoft

Mar 16, 2019

First published on TECHNET on Apr 07, 2009

Good Morning AskPerf! Blake Morrison here once again with a quick note on some new ways to do familiar Control Panel tasks. Prior to Windows Vista, if you wanted to launch a Control Panel applet using command-line syntax, you could simply invoke the .CPL file either by using the control <applet name> syntax or just by typing in the name of the .CPL file in the Run line – for example, sysdm.cpl launches the System Properties applet.

In Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, some of these .CPL modules have been replaced by executable files. The result of this is that standard users are prompted for credentials when trying to launch these executables. Options that do not require extra security can be accessed using the same command-line syntax used in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Below is a list of commands used in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 to access specific Control Panel tabs.

Personalization

Font size and DPI: %windir%\system32\DpiScaling.exe
Screen resolution: %windir%\system32\control.exe desk.cpl,Settings,@Settings
Display settings: %windir%\system32\control.exe desk.cpl,Settings,@Settings
Themes: %windir%\system32\control.exe desk.cpl,Themes,@Themes
Screensaver: %windir%\system32\control.exe desk.cpl,screensaver,@screensaver
Multi-monitor: %windir%\system32\control.exe desk.cpl,Monitor,@Monitor
Color Scheme: %windir%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.Personalization /page pageColorization
Desktop background: %windir%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.Personalization /page pageWallpaper

System

Performance: %windir%\system32\SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe
Remote access: %windir%\system32\SystemPropertiesRemote.exe
Computer name: %windir%\system32\SystemPropertiesComputerName.exe
System protection: %windir%\system32\SystemPropertiesProtection.exe
Advanced system properties: %windir%\system32\SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe

Programs and Features

Add or remove programs: %windir%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.ProgramsAndFeatures
Windows features: %windir%\system32\OptionalFeatures.exe

Regional and Language Options

Keyboard: %systemroot%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.RegionalAndLanguageOptions /page /p:"keyboard"
Location: %systemroot%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.RegionalAndLanguageOptions /page /p:"location"
Administrative: %systemroot%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.RegionalAndLanguageOptions /page /p:"administrative"

Folder Options

Folder searching: %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Options_RunDLL 2
File extension associations: %windir%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.DefaultPrograms /page pageFileAssoc
View: %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Options_RunDLL 7
General: %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Options_RunDLL 0

Power Options

Edit current plan settings: %windir%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.PowerOptions /page pagePlanSettings
System settings: %windir%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.PowerOptions /page pageGlobalSettings
Create a power plan: %windir%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.PowerOptions /page pageCreateNewPlan

Note that there is no canonical command for the Advanced Settings page, it is accessed in the older manner: %windir%\system32\control.exe powercfg.cpl,,3

As I said, just a quick post for today – take care!

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