Microsoft is ridding Windows 11’s Control Panel of another tool – is this the writing on the wall?
The sun continues to set on the iconic Windows Control Panel, while another key component, the Fonts page, makes its way into the Settings app. The Control Panel isn’t on the horizon yet, but it points users to the Settings app for an increasing number of features. And now reports suggest that if you try to open the Fonts page from Control Panel later this year, you’ll automatically be redirected to the Settings app.
The Fonts page is currently located in the following location:
Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Fonts
This is the latest development in an ongoing migration process Windows Latest has been documenting for several years, which has moved features from the Control Panel to the Settings app. Windows Latest reports that Microsoft currently appears to have no plans to completely remove the Control Panel from regular Windows 11 versions.
The next version of font management in Windows 11
In the Settings app there will be a modern font management interface and it will work in the same way as its predecessor in the Control Panel. At this time, the outdated version of the Fonts page still exists. This can be found in the Control Panel and can be found using Windows Search.
Here you can browse the fonts available on your system and use the legacy font management page.
That said, Microsoft wants to direct users to the Settings app for font management, and Windows Latest writes that Fonts will be completely removed from the Control Panel in a future Windows update. Instead, users are redirected to Settings > > Fontswhere the new Fonts page is located.
This will be a noticeable change, but it shouldn’t be too disruptive as it apparently has all the functionality and features of the old page. Furthermore, the future update is unlikely to remove the outdated fonts page in Control Panel right away, and users can still find it in C:WindowsFonts within Explorer.
If you’re particularly annoyed by the change and want to stick with the classic interface, you can create a shortcut on your Settings page that will open the above location in File Explorer as well.
Again, Microsoft is quite insistent that it wants users to get used to doing font management through Settings, and when Windows Latest opened the Fonts page in File Explorer, it got this message:
“This page will be disconnected from the font control panel. For more font settings, visit the Fonts page in the Settings app.”
Many users are used to the Control Panel, which has been part of Windows since the very first version in 1985, so Windows Latest thinks it has a lasting future. What will change is that any new feature migrated from Control Panel to the Settings app will redirect users to the new analog page in Settings.
I think this is a wise decision by Microsoft, because it makes sense to have one place where you can manage all computer settings, especially as new generations of people are introduced to the operating system. It retains the interface and (it seems) the full functionality of Control Panel, while tying it into the new architecture being built in a way that isn’t particularly disruptive or difficult for existing users.