The Windows Control Panel has been a familiar one for Windows users for years, but it appears to be going the way of the dinosaur, and in the latest preview version of Windows 10, this section appears to be even smaller.

The Control Panel has been removed piecemeal over time, with some options that used to be there being moved to "Settings". The latest loss of the Control Panel includes the "Programs and Features" tab. As of build 20211, users who attempt to open the "Programs and Features" area in the Windows 10 Control Panel are immediately redirected to the "Apps and Features" area in "Settings."

Apps & Features already contains the exact same features that are in Programs and Features. It seems that Microsoft is trying to reduce duplicate features throughout Windows. It is still difficult to shake off the feeling that this is the end of an era for what has long felt like the features that have shaped Windows.

This is not the first time that parts of the Control Panel have been removed. Previously, the System section was removed immediately, and then there were many indicators that Microsoft may be considering removing the menu from the system altogether in the future.

Of course, this does not mean that the features and options within the control panel will disappear. Of course, the functions and options within the control panel are not going away. The problem is that by going straight to the Control Panel, we can now quickly and easily see what is happening on any PC. Thanks to the control panel, I no longer have to search around (or at least lessen) the options I want to change. Even if I didn't know exactly what I was looking for, I could find it in the various menus in a short time.

If Microsoft plans to eliminate the control panel in the future, it would be desirable to provide a simple analog or way for more tech-savvy users to access the same set of options without having to slide through multiple menus instead of a central area .... The Windows Preview version, with its modified "Settings" app, does not have exactly what everyone is looking for, and many feel that being forced to use "Settings" instead of the Control Panel makes the OS feel more restrictive than ever.

While it remains to be seen what Microsoft will ultimately do with the entire Control Panel, it is safe to assume that it could very well continue to shrink to nothing over the course of future updates.