The Control Panel is where you change, update and take note of many settings in Windows. It’s essential for all users, from novice to expert, to get into the Control Panel easily. Whether it’s changing your screen resolution, changing what happens when you close your laptop lid, setting up a printer, a mouse or an external monitor — all of the above and more are found in the Control Panel.

In past versions of Windows, you clicked Start, then Control Panel. Since there’s no longer a Start Menu, nor a Control Panel visible anywhere on the Start Screen or Desktop, the easiest way to get to it is to run a search.

Unlike Windows 7 and earlier, Search in Windows 8 is instantaneous, making it far more useful for frequent use.

To locate the Windows 8 control panel quickly:

1. Press the Windows Key if not already on the Start Screen
2. Move the mouse to the lower right of the screen, and you’ll see several options appear
3. Move the mouse upward and you’ll see the options become more visible. These set of options is called the Charm Bar

Move the mouse from the corner upward.

1. Click on the magnifying glass Search icon
2. Type Control Panel
3. Click Control Panel in the search results

A search in Win 8 shows up immediately.You’ll be taken to the Control Panel window, which looks exactly like Control Panel in Windows 7 and Windows Vista. From here, you can change any setting you wish.

This Control Panel may look familiar.Many of the functions you’re used to from Windows 7, like the Control Panel, can be found with a quick search, rather than attempting to navigate to them. This way is much faster.