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Sometimes it's easier, or maybe even necessary, to open a Control Panel applet from a command line in Windows. Each Control Panel applet can be opened by executing a command, you just have to know what that command is.</p>

If you can't access Control Panel normally, or if you want a way to start a Control Panel applet from a script or from the Command Prompt, the following list of commands for Control Panel applets should help:

Control Panel itself can be accessed by executing control from a command line in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

Note: See my List of Control Panel Applets in Windows for Control Panel applet descriptions and information about changes in applets between the Windows operating systems.

Control Panel Command Line Commands in Windows

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Control Panel Applet	Command	OS
Accessibility Options	control access.cpl	XP
Action Center	control /name Microsoft.ActionCenter	7
Add Hardware	control /name Microsoft.AddHardware	Vista
	control hdwwiz.cpl	XP
Add or Remove Programs	control appwiz.cpl	XP
Administrative Tools	control /name Microsoft.AdministrativeTools	7, Vista
	control admintools	XP
Automatic Updates	control wuaucpl.cpl	XP
AutoPlay	control /name Microsoft.AutoPlay	7, Vista
Backup and Restore Center	control /name Microsoft.BackupAndRestoreCenter	Vista
Backup and Restore	control /name Microsoft.BackupAndRestore	7
Biometric Devices	control /name Microsoft.BiometricDevices	7
BitLocker Drive Encryption	control /name Microsoft.BitLockerDriveEncryption	7, Vista
Bluetooth Devices	control /name Microsoft.BluetoothDevices	Vista
Color Management	control /name Microsoft.ColorManagement	7, Vista
Color1	WinColor.exe2	XP
Credential Manager	control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager	7
Client Service for NetWare	control nwc.cpl	XP
Date and Time	control /name Microsoft.DateAndTime	7, Vista
	control data/time	XP
Default Location	control /name Microsoft.DefaultLocation	7
Default Programs	control /name Microsoft.DefaultPrograms	7, Vista
Desktop Gadgets	control /name Microsoft.DesktopGadgets	7
<a href="/od/termsd/p/devicemanager.htm">Device Manager</a>	control /name Microsoft.DeviceManager	7, Vista
	devmgmt.msc	XP3
Devices and Printers	control /name Microsoft.DevicesAndPrinters	7
Display	control /name Microsoft.Display	7
	control desktop	Vista, XP
Ease of Access Center	control /name Microsoft.EaseOfAccessCenter	7, Vista
Folder Options	control /name Microsoft.FolderOptions	7, Vista
	control folders	XP
Fonts	control /name Microsoft.Fonts	7, Vista
	control fonts	XP
Game Controllers	control /name Microsoft.GameControllers	7, Vista
	control joy.cpl	XP
Get Programs	control /name Microsoft.GetPrograms	7, Vista
Getting Started	control /name Microsoft.GettingStarted	7
Home Group	control /name Microsoft.HomeGroup	7
Indexing Options	control /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions	7, Vista
	rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL srchadmin.dll	XP
Infrared	control /name Microsoft.Infrared	7
	control /name Microsoft.InfraredOptions	Vista
Internet Options	control /name Microsoft.InternetOptions	7, Vista
	control inetcpl.cpl	XP
iSCSI Initiator	control /name Microsoft.iSCSIInitiator	7, Vista
Keyboard	control /name Microsoft.Keyboard	7, Vista
	control keyboard	XP
Location and Other Sensors	control /name Microsoft.LocationAndOtherSensors	7
Mail4	control mlcfg32.cpl5	7, Vista, XP
Mouse	control /name Microsoft.Mouse	7, Vista
	control mouse	XP
Network and Sharing Center	control /name Microsoft.NetworkAndSharingCenter	7, Vista
Network Connections	control netconnections	XP
Network Setup Wizard	control netsetup.cpl	XP
Notification Area Icons	control /name Microsoft.NotificationAreaIcons	7
ODBC Data Source Administrator	control odbccp32.cpl	XP6
Offline Files	control /name Microsoft.OfflineFiles	7, Vista
Parental Controls	control /name Microsoft.ParentalControls	7, Vista
Pen and Input Devices	control /name Microsoft.PenAndInputDevices	Vista
Pen and Touch	control /name Microsoft.PenAndTouch	7
People Near Me	control /name Microsoft.PeopleNearMe	7, Vista
Performance Information and Tools	control /name Microsoft.PerformanceInformationAndTools	7, Vista
Personalization	control /name Microsoft.Personalization	7, Vista
Phone and Modem Options	control /name Microsoft.PhoneAndModemOptions	Vista
	control telephon.cpl	XP
Phone and Modem	control /name Microsoft.PhoneAndModem	7
Power Options	control /name Microsoft.PowerOptions	7, Vista
	control powercfg.cpl	XP
Printers and Faxes	control printers	XP
Printers	control /name Microsoft.Printers	Vista
Problem Reports and Solutions	control /name Microsoft.ProblemReportsAndSolutions	Vista
Programs and Features	control Microsoft.ProgramsAndFeatures	7, Vista
Recovery	control /name Microsoft.Recovery	7
Region and Language	control /name Microsoft.RegionAndLanguage	7
Regional and Language Options	control /name Microsoft.RegionalAndLanguageOptions	Vista
	control international	XP
RemoteApp and Desktop Connections	control /name Microsoft.RemoteAppAndDesktopConnections	7
Scanners and Cameras	control /name Microsoft.ScannersAndCameras	7, Vista
	control sticpl.cpl	XP
Scheduled Tasks	control schedtasks	XP7
Security Center	control /name Microsoft.SecurityCenter	Vista
	control wscui.cpl	XP
Software Explorers8	msascui.exe9	XP
Sound	control /name Microsoft.Sound	7
	control /name Microsoft.AudioDevicesAndSoundThemes	Vista
Sounds and Audio Devices	control mmsys.cpl	XP
Speech Recognition Options	control /name Microsoft.SpeechRecognitionOptions	Vista
Speech Recognition	control /name Microsoft.SpeechRecognition	7
Speech	control sapi.cpl10	XP
Sync Center	control /name Microsoft.SyncCenter	7, Vista
System	control /name Microsoft.System	7, Vista
	control sysdm.cpl	XP
Tablet PC Settings	control /name Microsoft.TabletPCSettings	7, Vista
Taskbar and Start Menu	control /name Microsoft.TaskbarAndStartMenu	7, Vista
	rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Options_RunDLL 1	XP
Text to Speech	control /name Microsoft.TextToSpeech	7, Vista
Troubleshooting	control /name Microsoft.Troubleshooting	7
User Accounts	control /name Microsoft.UserAccounts	7, Vista
	control userpasswords	XP
Welcome Center	control /name Microsoft.WelcomeCenter	Vista
Windows Anytime Upgrade	control /name Microsoft.WindowsAnytimeUpgrade	7, Vista
Windows CardSpace	control /name Microsoft.CardSpace	7, Vista
Windows Defender	control /name Microsoft.WindowsDefender	7, Vista11
Windows Firewall	control /name Microsoft.WindowsFirewall	7, Vista
	control firewall.cpl	XP
Windows Live Language Setting12	langselector.exe13	7, Vista
Windows Marketplace	control /name Microsoft.GetProgramsOnline	Vista
Windows Mobility Center	control /name Microsoft.MobilityCenter	7, Vista
Windows Sidebar Properties	control /name Microsoft.WindowsSidebarProperties	Vista
Windows SideShow	control /name Microsoft.WindowsSideShow	7, Vista
<a href="/od/keepingupwithupdates/p/windows-update.htm">Windows Update</a>	control /name Microsoft.WindowsUpdate	7, Vista14
Wireless Link	control irprops.cpl	XP
Wireless Network Setup Wizard	?	XP

[1] Color is not available by default but is available for free from Microsoft here.

[2] WinColor.exe must be run from the C:\Program Files\Pro Imaging Powertoys\Microsoft Color Control Panel Applet for Windows XP folder.

[3] I've listed Device Manager here because it's such a commonly used feature of Windows but please know that it is not a true Control Panel applet in Windows XP. See <a href="/od/windowsxp/f/opendmxp.htm">How To Open Windows XP Device Manager</a> for more information.

[4] The Mail applet is only available if a version of Microsoft Office Outlook is installed.

[5] The control mlcfg32.cpl command must be run from the C:\Programs Files\Microsoft Office\OfficeXX folder, replacing OfficeXX with the folder pertaining to the Microsoft Office version you have installed.

[6] ODBC Data Source Administrator was removed from Control Panel after Windows XP but is still available from Administrative Tools.

[7] In Windows 7 and Vista, task scheduling is performed by Task Scheduler which is not directly accessible from Control Panel.

[8] Software Explorers is the name for the Control Panel applet for Windows Defender, available for free from Microsoft here.

[9] Msascui.exe must be run from the C:\Program Files\Windows Defender folder.

[10] The control sapi.cpl command must be run from the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Speech folder.

[11] Windows Defender is available in Windows XP but the Control Panel applet is instead called Software Explorers.

[12] The Windows Live Language Setting applet is only available if a Windows Live program is installed.

[13] Langselector.exe must be run from the C:\Programs Files\Windows Live\Installer folder.

[14] Windows Update is also used in Windows XP but only via the Windows Update website, not via a Control Panel applet like in later versions of Windows. Source here!