missing control panel win2000 ad serv

Sounds like a registry or policy issue.
See:

www.jsiinc.com/subh/tip3500/rh3539.htm

or

www.jsiinc.com/subg/tip3200/rh3274.htm

If not, look in System32 and see if you have any *.cpl files.
Perhaps they were deleted by accident.
You canrun a .cpl directly from a cmd prompt.

Check if the Registry hack to hide the Control Panel is on:

Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Key: Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Name: NoSetFolders
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1 (to hide)

Did you do a Search for CONTROL.EXE to make sure it is still there?

hope this helps

Here are four possible resolutions:

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I saw this resolution for XP - it may apply to 2000 as well. (Backup registry first.)

Run the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE).

Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Control Panel.

Delete the Don't load key entirely, and close the Registry Editor.

The change should take effect immediately.

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Microsoft article Q180025, "How to Open Control Panel Folders from the Command Prompt"

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q180025

(REMOVE SPACES from the pasted URL.)

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Note: "Reverse Engineering required for the following.

Microsoft article, Q261241, "How to Hide Selected Control Panel Tools in Windows 2000"

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q261241

(REMOVE SPACES from the pasted URL.)

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Try to expand (reload) the associated .cpl files from the Windows 2000 CD.

"Expand: Extracts a file from a compressed file. Use this command to extract a driver file from a cabinet (.cab) or compressed file on the Windows 2000 CD."

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/default.asp?url=/windows2000/en/server/help/bootcons_expand.htm

(REMOVE SPACES from the pasted URL.)

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Good luck,

Maxwell