Comments on: Windows 7 Control Panel In Classic Mode

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:43:02 +0000

I just bought a new computer with Windows 7 on it. I was able to set up Classic Look on my lower task bar, but am having 2 issues with the new Email look. When I get a new email I get the sound but the icon doesn’t show up in the lower task bar, just the lower bar on the Windows Mail page which can’t be seen if I have a web page open. Any way to fix this? It seems to be set up right. Also I hate the whole new look of the Windows Mail window, any way to get the Classic Look back? thanks……

By: Deepak

Deepak — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:52:33 +0000

Thanks Baxter. I’m about to try the fix myself.

By: Baxter

Baxter — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:40:15 +0000

My biggest problem with the Windows 7 control panel is that it isn’t consistent as advertised. I’m always having to follow your instructions above and switch it to Classic view EVERY SINGLE FREAKING time I go into it. SO finally I got frustrated and just went through with the registry fix. I found instructions how to fix it here: http://www.groovypost.com/howto/geek-stuff/force-list-view-in-windows-7-vista-control-panel/

Corky take a look, I know exactly how you feel mate.

By: Corky

Corky — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:24 +0000

I’ve done this 4 times, and every time I exit out and later go back in, the view is back to the default. I don’t see any way to “Save Changes”, so what am I doing wrong? Is there a registry key I can modify to keep the Large Icon look?

By: XP_Lover

XP_Lover — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:11:07 +0000

+1 Accurate. Deepak has it completely right – the UI for XP was great. Unfortunately, the GUI people at MS need to find a reasons to justify their existence so they force this shit onto us.

By: Deepak

Deepak — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:19:19 +0000

I feel that they got the UI right for Control Panel in XP and since then with Vista and Win 7 they’ve been trying to to something creative with it. I don’t think it’s required. As you said “they have broken something not needing fixing”. I totally agree with that.

By: lolife

lolife — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:21:22 +0000

Like much in Windows 7, they have broken something not needing fixing, and made it irreversible.

What’s nice about the old classic view, is that it’s like a regular explorer view. Which means you can group the items by whatever you wanted (like, say, category perhaps?). So it was just splendid functionally, it was only Microsoft’s default behavior that was rubbish. And it still is, but now it’s either that tedious variant of categorization, or none at all.

What they seem to have done right with regard to the control panel though, is that they have trimmed down the amount of items. But that didn’t require a functional remake of it.

By: Deepak

Deepak — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:21:37 +0000

Asi,

I’m Happy to know that the post was helpful.

By: Asi

Asi — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:46:35 +0000

thank you very much this was very helpful

By: Backfire3788

Backfire3788 — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:41:12 +0000

I hope someday window modifiers find a way to make it look exactly like vistas. and I meen EXACTLY same shape and size of icons.
even with classic view in win 7 I way to used to vista/xps control panel classic view.