I've lost options to view control panel - Computer Support & PC Help Forums

fsyozabil · 10-31-2008, 10:10 AM

I'm using Windows XP Home and I have previously viewed Control Panel in Classic View and Category view. I seem to have lost the option to view both and Control Panel just comes up in Category View(I think-lots of icons on a white background).

**Goku** · 10-31-2008, 05:10 PM

Hello and Welcome to Free PC Help Syoza.

Please read the following article and perform the troubleshooting instructions suggested.

"Switch to Classic View" option is missing in the Control Panel Common Tasks

Let us know the results as soon as possible. Good Luck.

-- Goku

fsyozabil · 10-31-2008, 11:24 PM

Thanks Goku for your reply. I tried the link, but it didn't help. It sent me to the registry to delete foreclassiccontrol in the following location_ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \Windows\CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer. Here I didn't find the line to delete, and in the next location_
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer, I didn't find Explorer at all, only NonEnum and Ratings and System in Policies. I haven't the experience to mess around in the registry without guidance of an exact nature. If you can tell what might be wrong from what I have at these locations, I'll be very glad

**Goku** · 11-01-2008, 03:09 AM

OK, let us give this another try. Please download the attachment to this message and extract the archive. You should obtain a file labeled Fix Control Panel.reg. Double-click on the file and you will be asked whether you want to import the information into the registry or not. Answer Yes to the prompt and sometime later another dialog box will pop up informing you that the operation was successful. After you have done the above, reboot your computer. Are you able to switch to Classic View now?

-- Goku

fsyozabil · 11-01-2008, 06:24 PM

Thanks again Goku, but still no good. I did find that when I went into the registry this time, I found in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE a eperate entry for Windows instead of clicking on Microsoft, and then I found in policies Explorer, but still without the suggested entry, only Browser Helper Object.

**Goku** · 11-02-2008, 02:17 AM

Hello Syoza, did you try the registry entry I attached in my previous message? If yes, then what were the results? If no, then try it and see if it fixes the problem or not.

If the previous fix did not work for you, then please download the archive attached to this message and extract it. If you are unsure on how to open the archive, use the instructions from here and continue. Within the archive, you will find two files namely Force Classic View.reg and Fix Control Panel.reg. First, run the file labeled Force Classic View.reg and reboot the computer. Access your Control Panel. Is it any different now?

If the changes are not implemented even after you have rebooted the computer, then run the file labeled Fix Control Panel.reg and reboot your computer again. That should probably fix the issue.

Another thing I want to ask is did you change anything at all before you first encountered the issue? Post back the results and the required information as soon as possible.

-- Goku

fsyozabil · 11-03-2008, 11:01 PM

Yes Goku I did try the registry entry you attached in your last message but it didn't help. I will try the archive you've attached to this message, but I'll have to do it tomorrow . I think I probably did something to lose the option on viewing the control panel, but I really don't know what!

**Goku** · 11-04-2008, 01:41 AM

OK, so now we take a different trail of thought from here. Did you make any recent software or hardware changes before you first encountered the problem? Also, please run your computer through our standard Malware removal procedure and post back its results.

Let us know how it goes though. Good Luck.

-- Goku

**Goku** · 11-04-2008, 01:46 AM

Also, read the following article and perform the suggested troubleshooting measures? Does it resolve the problem?

Classic View and Category View in Windows XP Control Panel

-- Goku

fsyozabil · 11-04-2008, 09:31 PM

Thank you Goku. Your final link to the jason slater site proved a success. I decided to try that before the longer task of scanning for malware. I simply had to change a setting in the folder options menu to show common tasks. I'm very glad that you took the time to go through the different possible solutions until we arrived at the right one. Thank you again.

**Goku** · 11-05-2008, 04:38 AM

Glad you got it resolved. Feel free to ask any more doubts or queries you may have.

-- Goku

fsyozabil · 11-05-2008, 10:24 PM

Goku, I couldn't connect to the internet today, and when I unplugged the modem, the PC restarted, and a box told me to check anything I'd done recently, so I thought about the changes I'd made to the registry, and I selected system restore to a week ago and now I can connect. I mention this just as feedback for you to know, in case it happens again to someone else.

**Goku** · 11-06-2008, 02:36 AM

Thank you very much for the alert Syoza. I am sure that information will come in useful some time.

-- Goku