Control Panel Quick Access

Control Panel is full of specialized tools that are used to change the way Windows looks and behaves.

Control Panel is very useful for any new Hardware Connections as it installs the driver files for the particular hardware etc..

Control Panel applications end with .cpl extensions. Thus for quick access Click Start --> Run.. or Win + R to get the Run Window

If You type the following commands then you can get to the particular application very quickly..


ac3filter.cpl :

AC3 Filter - Configures speaker configuration and other parameters of AC3 decoder filter


access.cpl :

Accessibility Options - used for adjusting computer settings(vision, hearing, mobility)


appwiz.cpl :

Add/Remove Programs - installs or remove programs and windows component.


timedate.cpl :

Date And Time Settings


hdwwiz.cpl :

Add Hardware Wizard - Installs hardware


bthprops.cpl :

Bluetooth Properties


desk.cpl :

Display Properties - changes the appearance of user Desktop


firewall.cpl :

Firewall Properties - Configures the Windows Firewall


joy.cpl :

Game Controllers - Add/Remove games based hardware like joystick,gamepads etc..


inetcpl.cpl :

Internet Options - Configure Internet Connections, here the history and cookies etc can be flushed or the cache is being refreshed here..


main.cpl :

Mouse Properties


main.cpl keyboard :

Keyboard Properties


ncpa.cpl :

Network Connections - connects to other PC, networks and the Internet.


netsetup.cpl :

Launches the Network Setup Wizard


powercfg.cpl :

Power Options - configures the energy-saving settings for your PC


intl.cpl :

Regional and Language Options


mmsys.cpl :

Sound and Audio Devices Properties


sysdm.cpl :

System Properties


telephon.cpl :

Telephone and Modem Properties


nusrmgr.cpl :

User Accounts - Change user accounts settings and passwords.


irprops.cpl :

Wireless Link - set up or add to a wireless network of users home or office.


Here some of the other commands which must be preceded by 'control '..


admintools - Administrative Tools ( type 'control admintools' in Run Window)

panel - Control Panel

desktop - Desktop Properties

color - Desktop Appearances Properties

fonts - Fonts Folder (type 'control fonts' or simply 'fonts' in the Run Window)

printers - Printers Folder

schedtasks - Schedule Tasks

userpasswords2 - User Accounts Advanced settings

userpasswords - User Passwords

Thus by using the keywords in Run Window users can access control panel applications quickly..

Microsoft Powertoys

Powertoys are default programs with some additional features.Once the programs are released, then also programmers work on it and release the enhanced version of the same program in their website.These enhanced versions are called the Powertoys.

Microsoft also provided powertoys for its Windows XP Operating System in website.Powertoys can be downloaded from the link

Download Link

From 2002 onwards, the powertoys are being provided in website.For Windows XP, more programs are being added and published in the website.Let us see some of the powertoys programs

Power Calculator :
Its a powerful calculator.Apart from the scientific calculations, lot of conversion formulations are available.We can also view the history of the calculations(operations performed).

Image Resizer :
After installation, you can resize your photos to desired size. More than one image can be resized at a time.

CD Slideshow Generator :
Using this powertoy, you can view images from CD/DVD in slideshow manner.This powertoy even works in all Windows 9x versions.

Virtual Desktop Manager :
From Windows taskbar, four or more virtual desktops can be managed at a time.

Taskbar Magnifier :
Using this powertoy, a part of screen can be magnified. This process of magnifying can be done from Taskbar too.

Web Camera Timershot :
If your computer has web camera, then this powertoy helps in generating photos in particular intervals of time and stored in folders.

Tweak UI :
If you are using Windows XP, then you are not allowed to access all the system settings. By using this powertoy, mouse settings,explorer settings, taskbar settings are displayed in addition to normal display.

Some of the other Powertoys are
Alt-Tab Replacement, Open Command Window Here, HTML Slideshow Wizard, Clear Type Tuner, RAW Image Thumbnailer, Sync Toy, Color Control Panel Applet, etc..

By using this enhanced versions of the normal Windows Programs, much amount of time is being saved..

Extensions (*.*)

There are 100+ file extensions in computer technologies. So for particular extensions, which application can be used is determined by users only (not in easy manner).

In our computer system, a file with particular extension is first determined and analyzed by Windows(or any operating system in this case) accordingly it uses application to open the file.In windows, certain file extensions are not defined.

In such case,that unknown file extension is first double clicked and then windows list out certain applications for opening the file.

For listing applications, Open With dialog box appears and from that user has to select the application.

In order to determine which application for which extension, you can refer many websites.There is a website with web address

Go to Link

in which if type the extension, the application names are listed for that particular file extension. Here the website of the organization(which developed the application for the particular extension file) is also given so that user can download applications from website and can run that particular file extension.

Thus user is getting relieved of issue of unknown file extensions..

Use Toggle Keys Option

Whenever we type characters, accidentally we click the Caps Lock key thus next characters appear in Capital letters(Uppercase). To overcome this problem, a clear solution is given below.

Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, Num Lock are all keys with two functions. If Kept On they perform certain actions and when kept Off perform certain other actions. Thus by the use of toggle keys, user can hear some sounds from keyboard if the keys like Caps Lock is pressed accidentally.

For enabling the use of toggle keys the option is given as follows :

Go to to Control Panel, In that select Accessibility Option. In this there are various tabs, out of these select the first window (which is the Keyboard Window).

In this Keyboard window there are three parts. In that select third part which show Toggle Keys.From that just click the checkbox "Use Toggle Keys".

Hereafter, if Caps Lock or Num Lock is being pressed then sound is heard. This sound can keep users alert of characters change(meaning changing in the case of letters Upper or Lower)..

Windows Shortcut keys

Here are some shortcut keys based on manipulating windows

Shift + Delete :
When pressed, files are permanently deleted.
These selected files are not sent to Recycle Bin..

F2 :
When file or folder is to be renamed then this key can be used.
If extension of file is also there, then extensions can also be renamed..

Ctrl + Right Arrow :
When pressed, takes cursor one by one cell in right direction..

Ctrl + Up Arrow :
When pressed, takes the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph..

Ctrl + Down Arrow :
When pressed, takes cursor to the beginning of next paragraph..

Ctrl + A :
When all the files and folders has to be selected then this combination is being used..

F3 :
when pressed, searching files and folders can be done.
Search Results Folder dialog appears..

Alt + Enter :
When pressed, we can view selected file properties.
Can also view more about description of the file..

Alt + F4 :
When pressed, closes the currently selected window.
At some time Turn OFF window appears..

Alt + Spacebar :
Whichever window is present, a shortcut to the window is opened.

Ctrl + Esc :
When pressed, opens the Start Menu.
These keys can be pressed instead of WIN key..

F10 :
when pressed in folder or file then it selects the menubar..

Ctrl + Shift + Esc :
When pressed, Task Manager Window is being opened..

Learn to use these Window Shortcut keys..

Windows Key And Its Shortcuts

If we press the Windows key with other keys we can do some processing in a short cut way
win key and its short cuts are given as follows:

WIN Key :
when pressed Start Menu appears.

WIN + M key :
when pressed all windows will be minimized.

WIN + SHIFT + M :
when pressed all the windows can be viewed at a time.

WIN + Tab :
when pressed will display the windows status that available in Taskbar

WIN + E :
when pressed My Computer will be opened(Explorer Window is opened)

WIN + F :
when pressed File(or)Folder can be searched(Find Window can be opened)

WIN + F1 :
when pressed Help Window is opened

WIN + L :
Windows Keyboard gets Locked.

WIN + BREAK :
when pressed System Properties Dialog box is opened

WIN + R :
when pressed in Start Menu, Run box can be opened

Thus try to use these short cuts for ur easiness...