How to keep unused control panel icons from appearing (Windows
98se)
{Please use with caution}
To clean up the control panel and make it easier to find what
you are looking for, the following instructions will help you
keep unused icons from loading when the control panel is opened.
You will be able to easily undo this operation as well if you
ever need to access those items again.
Go first to my computer, view and folder options. Go to file
types, scroll to control panel extensions and select edit. Make
sure always show extension is checked. Click ok twice and close
the my computer window.
Go to start, settings and open the control panel. Make a list of
those items you don't use. Close this all out. Go to start, find
and open files or folders. Type *.cpl in the named field. Look
in C drive. Check include subfolders. Select find now. You
should get a list of .cpl files. Right click each, one at a
time. Select the option open with control panel. If it's a
utility you use, close this window and go on to the next. If
not, close it and do the following for .cpl files that are the
same as an unwanted item in the control panel. You can make sure
what it is by opening it.
Right click the .cpl file for the unwanted item. Left click on
rename. Write the full name and extension as is to keep a record
of it. Then rename only the extension to something the computer
won't recognize like .aaa and write down that full name
including the new extension. Hit the enter button on the
keyboard to save the name change.
When you are all finished, close the find all files window and
open the control panel to see (or not see?) the changes you have
made. Because you have recorded the old and new names, you can
undo what you have done should you ever need to. Simply search
one at a time for the new names with extensions with the same
find utility. Rename them to their respective old names.
That's it!