He Control Panel It has been one of the essential components of Windows for decades. The tool, which allows you to configure the system and manage hardware and software, lost relevance after the arrival of Windows 10 and is in the process of becoming obsolete. Although the Control Panel has not been updated for months, a new report suggests that Microsoft altered one of its key features.
A developer discovered that Microsoft deliberately delayed one of the Control Panel features. Eric Voirin, project manager Windows 9x QuickInstallfound that Redmond engineers imposed an 8 second delay to detecting new hardware in Windows 98. If you have ever used that version of the operating system, you will remember that long pause in which pop-up windows appeared warning of new detected components.
According to a post by Voirinthe 8 second delay was coded in the SYSDM.CPL file. The developer notes that this pause is divided into two parts. The first three seconds show the generic name of the device while the indicated one appears. It then takes another five seconds before other detected hardware appears.
More info: It's technically 8 seconds, first 3 seconds of displaying the generic default class/device name, then it updates the logo and name for the actual device if it found a driver, then another 5. 🤪
— oerg866 / clarry – 🇩🇪❣🇮🇱 (@oerg866) November 4, 2024
Although there is no evidence to understand why Microsoft made this decision — Windows 98 SE lost support in 2006 — it is likely that the deliberate delay is related to the search and installation of drivers. The 8 second pauses were evident during the initial setup of Windows, when the Control Panel was detecting the installed hardware. Although this occurs in current versions of the operating system, the user never finds out because it takes place in the background and is usually faster.
The developer patched the SYSDM.CPL file eliminating wait times, so users can now install Windows 98 SE faster.
Windows Control Panel is about to disappear
The news might go unnoticed by younger users, but not by those of us who lived during the golden age of blue screens. The Control Panel is a relic and is in the process of becoming obsolete in Windows 11. A few months ago, Microsoft confirmed that it would replace this tool with the Settings app.
It’s not a secret that The Control Panel no longer enjoys the same relevance that it once had. Microsoft removed the icon and you can only access it through search, a tedious process for those still tweaking administrator features in the operating system. Most features have migrated to the Settings app, although there are many that maintain the original dependency and design.
It is a fact that upcoming Windows updates will remove references to Control Panel until there is not a single one left. As time goes by, no one will remember that it was a complex but very important component of the operating system.
