Lost Control Panel - Admin tools after latest update

[alan sh]

After the latest 22H2 update, the Admin tools have gone from Control Panel. I use those a lot for disk administration.

Does anyone know any shortcut or arcane wizardry that will allow me to get that stuff back?

thanks

Alan

 

[RogerOver]

There is a new shortcut in: C:\Users\Your user name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Another one (for all users) should be in: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools

[To see both Folders ("App Data" in the first link and "Program Data" in the second, you first need to open Explorer, then (with Explorer opened) click on the three dots in the top (menu) line of Explorer, which opens a window called "Folder options". Then click on the second tab (View) and you will find a list of boxes to tick or untick. Remove the tick from the line "Mask protected system folders" (or something similar, my computer is in French), see attached screenshot

Or donwload and install this (before using the reg file, you need to put the .vbs file into your windows folder): https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/show-hidden-protected-files-right-click-toggle/
You will have a rightclick (= context) menu to toggle "hidden files and folders" on or off !

But normaly the shortcut should be in Control panel; strange if it is not there. It might have another name (depending on your language).

 

[alan sh]

Found it in Windows Tools. Thank you.

Alan

 

[Codybase]

There is a new shortcut in: C:\Users\Your user name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Another one (for all users) should be in: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools

[To see both Folders ("App Data" in the first link and "Program Data" in the second, you first need to open Explorer, then (with Explorer opened) click on the three dots in the top (menu) line of Explorer, which opens a window called "Folder options". Then click on the second tab (View) and you will find a list of boxes to tick or untick. Remove the tick from the line "Mask protected system folders" (or something similar, my computer is in French), see attached screenshot

Or donwload and install this (before using the reg file, you need to put the .vbs file into your windows folder): https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/show-hidden-protected-files-right-click-toggle/
You will have a rightclick (= context) menu to toggle "hidden files and folders" on or off !

But normaly the shortcut should be in Control panel; strange if it is not there. It might have another name (depending on your language).

View attachment 805

Hi RogerOver, neither of those worked for me (and show hidden folders was on). My work-around is as follows:

Using the File Explorer, I searched for items in C:/ and looked at the very many results. By trial-and-error the search was narrowed and I found the locations for those I wanted to access (see below). For the others, the same process may find them.

Task Manager: %windir%\system32\taskmgr.exe
Computer Management: %windir%\system32\compmgmt.msc
Disk Management: %windir%\system32\diskmgmt.msc
Network Connections: C:\Users\jim\Desktop\Network Connections.lnk
Device Manager: %windir%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.DeviceManager
Event Viewer: %windir%\system32\eventvwr.exe
System: C:\Windows\System\msinfo32
Power Options: C:\Users\jim\Desktop\Power Options.lnk

Here is an example of how to use these. Copy %windir%\system32\taskmgr.exe then open a new Shortcut and Paste it into the location of the item. Press Next and type a name for the shortcut and press Finish.

Within C:\Windows\System32\ there one may find some interesting things. Open File Manager and do a search for *\System32\*exe and you get a long list of items. The items with a “menu” type icon containing a blue square may quickly do something and then
disappear. Since I didn’t know what these did, I no longer click of them.

Some of the entries with a “blank sheet of paper” icon may do the same thing. Others will open a window with something like “Select an App to Open This With” and app icons. Use Esc or click on the Desktop to close these.

Ones that have a more unique icon may be useful to some. For example, opening the one labelled “perfmon” opens C:\Windows\System32\permon (the Performance Monitor) which I wanted to use.

 

[Xploit Machine]

its better to copy all the shortcuts to main Start Menu to easier access, if you didn't copy the shortcuts it will be gone forever since Microsoft is re-arranging Control Panel to newer GUI in future updates, else you have to copy / access the .CPL files manually in System32 / SysWow64 folder .. hope this helps

 

[Codybase]

Hi Xploit Machine,
I agree with that advice. I haven't been able to find the Start Menu so far: that's another problem that I need to resolve.

 

[Xploit Machine]

Hi Xploit Machine,
I agree with that advice. I haven't been able to find the Start Menu so far: that's another problem that I need to resolve.

Windows Tools or the entire Start Menu?

The Start Menu access for ALL USERS actually blocked by Microsoft, the only choice is to TAKE OWNERSHIP the entire Document & Settings in the computer



to access Windows Tools only in CMD -> type Control Admintools

 

[davehc]

I am logged in with an MS account, so it could be a little different? But the start menu for me is 100% accessible at:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

fwiw. Take ownership is a separate utility. It needs to be downloaded from, for one example, :

https://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Security-Related/TakeOwnershipPro.shtml

There are several sites though, that offer the download.