Microsoft intentionally slowed down the Windows Control Panel

He Control Panel It has been one of the most important components of Windows for decades. The tool that allows you to configure the system and manage hardware and software has lost its relevance since the arrival of Windows 10 and is becoming obsolete. Although the Control Panel hasn’t been updated in months, a new report suggests that Microsoft has changed one of its key features.

A developer discovered that Microsoft had intentionally delayed one of the Control Panel features. Eric Voirin, director of the Windows 9x Quick Installation Project, discovered that the Redmond engineers had imposed 8 second delay in detecting new hardware in Windows 98. If you’ve ever used that version of the operating system, you remember that long pause during which pop-ups appeared warning you about new components discovered.

According to Voirin’s post, the 8 second delay was hardcoded into the SYSDM.CPL file. The developer notes that this pause is divided into two parts. The first three seconds show the common name of the device, and then the specified one appears. It will then take another five seconds before any other detected equipment appears.

While there is no evidence as to why Microsoft made this decision—Windows 98 SE lost support in 2006—it is likely that the deliberate delay is due to search and installation of drivers. 8 second pauses were evident during the initial Windows setup when Control Panel was detecting installed hardware. Although this happens in current versions of the operating system, the user will never know about it because it happens in the background and is usually faster.

The developer has fixed the SYSDM.CPL file to eliminate the timeout, so users can now install Windows 98 SE faster.

Windows Control Panel will soon disappear

This news may go unnoticed by younger users, but not by those of us who lived in the golden age of blue screens. The Control Panel is a relic and is slowly becoming obsolete in Windows 11. A few months ago, Microsoft confirmed that it would replace this tool with the Settings app.

It’s no secret that The dashboard no longer has the relevance it once had.. Microsoft has removed the icon, and you can only access it through search—a tedious process for those still setting up admin features in the operating system. Most of the features have been moved to the Settings app, although many of them retain the original dependency and design.

It’s a fact that Upcoming Windows updates will remove links to Control Panel. until there is none left. Time will pass, and no one will remember that this was a complex but very important component of the operating system.