Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Control Panel Gone

0 helpful
4 replies

by earlkaplan

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

On a Win 2000 machine with all maintenance up to date, the Control Panel Icon is gone from Start | Settings and from My Computer. Also, even thought signed on as Administrator, I am locked out of some actions.

There is no other administrator in the place. I have run all virus checks.

I only discovered this because I am trying to get this machine to connect to the office timekeeping program, which was installed via the network. The client will not connect to the server. However the server is where the code for the client was loaded from, so it has access.

4 replies

by sgt_shultz

maybe this will help. if it works from command prompt, try repairing system with Recovery Console?
How to Open Control Panel Folders from the Command Prompt
View products that this article applies to.
This article describes how to start Control Panel applications and open folders at the MS-DOS command prompt.
MORE INFORMATION
Use the following syntax to launch Control Panel applications and open folders:

Syntax Description
Control desktop Launches the Desktop Control Panel subprogram
Control color Launches the Desktop Control Panel subprogram, with the Appearance tab preselected
Control date/time Launches the Date/Time Control Panel program
Control international Launches the Regional Settings Control Panel subprogram
Control mouse Launches the Mouse Control Panel subprogram
Control keyboard Launches the Keyboard Control Panel subprogram
Control printers Displays the Printers folder
Control fonts Displays the Fonts folder

For Windows 2000:

Syntax Description
Control folders Launches the Folder Settings Control Panel subprogram
Control netware Launches the Novell NetWare Control Panel subprogram (if installed)
Control telephony Launches the Phone and Modem Options Control Panel subprogram
Control admintools Displays the Administrative Tools folder
Control schedtasks Displays the Scheduled Tasks folder
Control netconnections Displays the Network and Dial-up Connections folder
Control infrared Launches the Infrared Control Panel subprogram (if installed)
Control userpasswords Launches the Users and Passwords Control Panel subprogram

For example, to open the printers folder, type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt:

control printers

ARTICLE-ID: 173132
TITLE : Replacing Missing Control Panel Icons

by joseph moore

If running CONTROL like in sgt_shultz's answer helps, then that means the Control Panel is disabled in the Group Policy. You can do that, turn off Control Panel with a GP setting, so that no one on the machine can access it, even the Admin!
So, please post if sgt_shultz suggestion works. If not, I will look up where in GP it lists to enable/disable Control Panel.

by earlkaplan

There is no evidence of TweakUI on the machine.

Control admintools works and let me add a new admin user who also does not have Control Panel.

I am going to look up the Group Policy rules and see what I need to do. Otherwise I guess it is a total reload. Fortunately this is a client machine and has very few programs installed.

This discussion is closed to new replies.