Windows - Control Panel Icons Missing

This document describes how to display Control Panel icons in Windows XP/Vista/7/8 when they appear to be missing or not available in the Control Panel at all.

Control Panel Category View

By default, Windows versions XP, Vista, 7, and 8 hide certain Control Panel icons from view. The screen initially has a handful of categories, but does not display all the icons that are available.

  • In the "Control Panel" panel, click Switch to Classic View to switch back to a classic view that contains all your normal control Panel icons similar to older versions of Windows.

    Control Panel Category View Control Panel Classic View

XP

Control Panel: category view - click switch to classic view from the control panel panel

Vista

Control Panel: category view - click switch to classic view from the control panel panel

7 & 8

  • In Windows versions 7 and 8, Classic view has been renamed to Icon view. Click the "View by" button in the top right of the window to change views. For instructions on locating the Control Panel in Windows 8, please see: Windows 8 - Accessing the Control Panel.

Control Panel: category view - click switch to icon view from the control panel panel

Control Panel Classic View

  • To switch back to the Control Panel Category View, just click Switch to Category View from the "Control Panel" panel.

XP

Control Panel: icon view - click switch to category view from the control panel panel

Vista

Control Panel: icon view - click switch to category view from the control panel panel

7 & 8

Control Panel: icon view - click switch to category view from the control panel panel

10

Control Panel: icon view - click switch to category view from the control panel panel

See Also