Hide, Show, Add, Remove Specified Control Panel Applets in Windows 8 / 7

Remove or Hide Control Panel Applets Type gpedit.msc in Windows Start Menu Search Bar, hit Enter, to open the Group Policy Editor > User Configuration. Expand Administrative Templates > Click Control Panel > Show only specified Control Panel Applets > Properties.

A dialog box will open. Click on Enable. The Show button will come alive.

Click on Show and a new dialog box will open.

Those items which are NOT on this list WILL NOT not be displayed, IF this is enabled. You will have to ADD the control panel applet’s NAME, (eg: appwiz.cpl) which you WANT displayed in the Control Panel. But this is easier said than done, and it is rather painstaking work, as you need to KNOW the names ! Do click and read whatever is written in the ‘Explain’ tab. This way you can choose which applets to hide or show in the Control Panel.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of all Windows Control Panel applets.

• Add Remove Programs
• Add Hardware
• Administrative Tools
• AutoPlay
• Backup and Restore Center
• Color Management
• Date and Time
• Default Programs
• Device Manager
• Ease of Access Center
• Folder Options
• Fonts
• Game Controllers
• Indexing Options
• Internet Options
• iSCSI Initiator
• Keyboard
• Mail
• Mouse
• Network and Sharing Center
• Offline Files
• Pen and Input Devices
• People Near Me
• Performance Information and Tools
• Personalization
• Phone and Modem Options
• Power Options
• Printers
• Problem Reports and Solutions
• Program Updates
• Programs and Features
• Regional and Language Options
• Scanners and Cameras
• Security Center
• Sound
• Speech Recognition Options
• Sync Center
• System
• Tablet PC Settings
• Taskbar and Start Menu
• Text to Speech
• User Accounts
• Welcome Center
• Windows Anytime Upgrade
• Windows CardSpace
• Windows Defender
• Windows Firewall
• Windows Sidebar Properties
• Windows SideShow
• Windows Update

To find out the Control Panel applet names, open your system32 folder and search for *.cpl. Your results will throw up the Control Panel Items. I have tried to compile a list of some of them below for ready reference:

• Add or Remove Programs – appwiz.cpl
• Administrative Tools – control admintools
• Add Hardware – hdwwiz.cpl
• Appearance Settings – control color
• Audio Devices and Sound Themes – mmsys.cpl
• Bluetooth Devices – bthprop.cpl
• Date and Time – timedate.cpl
• Display Settings – desk.cpl
• ODBC Data Source Administrator – ODBCCP32.cpl
• Firewall – firewall.cpl
• Folder Options – folders
• Game Controllers – joy.cpl
• Infocard – control infocardcpl.cpl
• Internet Options control – inetcpl.cpl
• Keyboard – control main.cpl Keyboard
• Mouse – control main.cpl
• Network Connections – ncpa.cpl
• Pen and Input Devices – tabletpc.pcl
• People Near Me – collab.pcl
• Phone and Modem Options – telephon.cpl
• Power Options – powercfg.cpl
• Printers and Faxes – control printers
• Regional and Language Options – intl.cpl
• Scanners and Cameras – sticpl.cpl
• Windows Security Center – wscui.cpl
• Task Scheduler – control schedtasks
• Text to Speech – control speech
• System – sysdm.cpl
• User Accounts – nusrmgr.cpl
• Ref;http://www.thewindowsclub.com/