Hiding Control Panel and Windows Tools Items in Windows 11

Managing access to the Control Panel and Windows Tools is critical to user security and privacy in Windows 11. Users can reduce the risk of abuse and errors that harm the system by restricting access, especially in corporate environments.

In today’s digital age, protecting sensitive information is essential. Control Panel and Windows Tools provide access to settings that affect the security of the device. By restricting access to these tools, users can increase protection against attacks and misconfigurations.

For example, using a Group Policy policy to prohibit access to the Control Panel ensures only certain users can make important changes, maintains system integrity, and provides a sense of security for users.

Methods to Hide the Control Panel

Setting access to Control Panel and Windows Tools can be done in several ways, one of which is using Group Policy. This method is very useful, especially in companies that require strict security arrangements. Here are the steps to use Group Policy to hide access to specific items in the Control Panel.

A. Using Group Policy

Group Policy Editor (GPE) is a tool that helps users organize various parts of the Windows operating system, including restricting access to the Control Panel. Here are the steps:

1. Access Group Policy Editor

To unlock Group Policy Editor, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows + R key on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
3. The Local Group Policy Editor window will appear.

2. How to Add a Policy to Hide Certain Items in the Control Panel

Once you’re in Group Policy Editor, you can add a policy to hide specific items in Control Panel with the following steps:

1. Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel.
2. In the right panel, look for a policy named Hide specified Control Panel items.
3. Double-click on the policy to open it.
4. Select the Enabled option to enable this policy.
5. At the bottom, enter the name of the item you want to hide (for example, Microsoft.AdministrativeTools).
6. Click OK to save the settings.
7. Restart the computer or run the command gpupdate /force in the Command Prompt to apply the changes.

3. Completely Closing the Control Panel Access

If you want to turn off access to Control Panel and PC Settings completely, follow these steps:

1. Go to User Configuration >  Administrative Templates > Control Panel.
2. Double-click on Prohibit access to Control Panel and PC settings.
3. Select Enabled to enable this setting.
4. Click OK and Apply.
5. Restart the computer or run the command gpupdate /force.

If this policy is enabled, users won’t be able to access Control Panel or Settings. This will prevent them from seeing important settings such as time, date, network, and user account.

B. Using Registry Editor

In addition to Group Policy Editor, another way to hide Control Panel and Windows Tools is to use Registry Editor. Registry Editor provides users with the ability to change system settings directly through entries in Windows Registry. However, it is necessary to be careful when using the Registry Editor because mistakes in editing can cause problems with the system.

If you want to hide Windows Tools from the Start menu and Windows Explorer, you can use Registry Editor with the following steps:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, then press Enter to open Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the following locations:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

3. Find the StartMenuAdminTools entry. If you don’t already have one, create a new entry by:
   • Right-click on an empty area in the right pane.
   • Select New >  DWORD (32-bit) Value.
   • Name the entry as StartMenuAdminTools.
4. Double-click on the StartMenuAdminTools entry, then change the value to 0.
5. Click OK and close Registry Editor.
6. Restart the computer or log out and back in for the changes to take effect.

Result of Change: Windows Tools will not appear in the Start Menu and Windows Explorer. Users will not be able to access administrative tools such as Event Viewer, Task Scheduler, and Disk Management.