How to show only specific Control Panel items in Windows Vista?

With the help of this setting you can display only the desired Control Panel item(s) and hide the rest from the users. The users will not be able to use the hidden items via other methods. If we display only Sound icon in the Control Panel via this setting then the Control Panel would look like the following figures:

Control Panel with all items:



Figure 1


Control Panel with Sound icon only:



Figure 2


Note: To open Control Panel in classic view click this link: Control Panel (Classic View)


You can accomplish this by following these steps:

1) Open Local Group Policy Editor

2) Navigate to the folder

User Configuration, Administrative Templates and then Control panel in the left pane



Figure 3


3) Double click the option Show only specified Control Panel items

4) Select the dot Enabled and then click Show button



Figure 4


5) In the Show Contents dialog box click Add button.



Figure 5


6) Now enter the name of the desired Control Panel item. Let’s say Sound and press OK button



Figure 6


7) You can now see that the Sound appears in the List of allowed Control Panel items



Figure 7


8) Click OK button.

Note: To show more items repeat steps 4 to 8. steps 4 to 8

5) Click Apply and then OK button

The Sound icon only will now be shown in the Control Panel.

Note: To show all the items select the dot Not Configured or Disabled in the Show only specified Control Panel items Properties window as shown in Figure 4