Section 2: Settings Pages

The Big Picture: A Tour of the Main Pages

The Settings app is split into categories. Each category is a group of related pages. In Windows 11 the categories sit in a menu on the left. In Windows 10 they appear as big tiles on the home page, and the names are a little different (for example, Windows 10 has Network & Internet and Update & Security, and has no separate Bluetooth & devices category; its device settings are under Devices). The names in this section follow Windows 11 and say so when Windows 10 differs.

 WINDOWS 11 SETTINGS CATEGORIES

   System               Bluetooth & devices      Network & internet
   Personalization      Apps                     Accounts
   Time & language      Gaming                   Accessibility
   Privacy & security   Windows Update

Quick way in. Every page has an ms-settings: address. You can type it in Win + R to jump straight there. You only need to remember a few:

Tip: if one address does nothing on your version, use Win + I and click through instead. Page names and addresses can change between Windows versions.

For each page below, the aim is not to memorise every toggle. It is to learn what the page is for and what happens inside when you use it.

2.1 System

What it is: The System page holds the settings of the PC itself: the screen, sound, power, storage and information about the machine.

What you find here (names may look different on your version):

What happens inside:

• Display scale is saved per monitor. It tells Windows how much to enlarge the interface. The graphics driver and the window system use it when they draw each window.
• About collects facts from the firmware (Chapter 4), the CPU and Windows. Open it with ms-settings:about. It is the quickest way to learn your Windows edition (Home or Pro) and version number.
• Storage looks at your drive and counts files by type. "Storage Sense" can delete temporary files by itself if you turn it on.

Windows tip: Some old dialogs still hide behind Related settings links on the right side of these pages. For example, advanced display or power options can open a classic window. Section 3 explains why.

2.2 Accounts

What it is: Accounts controls who can use the PC and how they sign in.

What you find here:

Terms explained:

What happens inside: Windows stores accounts in a protected database on the PC (the SAM, for local accounts) and uses services to check your password, PIN or fingerprint. Settings is only the friendly face. The actual sign-in is done by Windows logon components. Changes affect who can unlock the PC, so they usually need an administrator.

Windows tip: Do not delete an account just because you cannot sign in to it. First try the sign-in options. Deleting an account can delete its files.

2.3 Network & Internet

What it is: This page controls how your PC connects: Wi-Fi, Ethernet cable, mobile data, VPN and proxy.

What you find here:

What happens inside:

• The page talks to Windows networking services and drivers. Your network adapter (the card or chip that connects you) is the hardware doing the work.
• Pressing Properties on a network lets you see the IP address (your PC's address on the network) and the DNS servers (the "phone book" that turns names like a website address into numbers).
• Choosing Public or Private network profile changes what Windows allows. Private lets your PC be found on a home network. Public hides it.
• Under Advanced network settings, a link such as More network adapter options opens the classic Network Connections window (ncpa.cpl). Both places control the same adapters.

Windows tip: If the network stops working and nothing else helps, Network reset (in Advanced network settings) removes and reinstalls network adapters and resets networking settings. It will forget saved Wi-Fi passwords. Use it as a last step.

2.4 Privacy & Security

What it is: This page decides which apps may use your private things: camera, microphone, location, files, contacts. In Windows 11 it also holds security tools. (In Windows 10 the same job is mostly under Privacy, and security tools are in Update & Security.)

What you find here:

How the permission model works:

    App wants the camera
            │
            ▼
   ┌─────────────────────────┐   no
   │ Camera access ON (PC)?  │───────► blocked
   └───────────┬─────────────┘
               │ yes
               ▼
   ┌─────────────────────────┐   no
   │ This app allowed?       │───────► blocked
   └───────────┬─────────────┘
               │ yes
               ▼
        App can use the camera

What happens inside: The choices are saved (partly in the registry, under keys with names like CapabilityAccessManager; the exact location may look different on your version). When an app asks for the camera, Windows checks the choices before the driver is opened. This is why a modern app must say in advance which "capabilities" it needs.

Windows tip: Look at the small camera or microphone icon in the taskbar. Windows shows it when an app is using that device, so you can spot surprises.

2.5 Apps

What it is: The Apps page manages the programs installed on the PC.

What you find here:

What happens inside:

• The list is built from two sources: classic desktop programs (found through uninstall entries in the registry) and Microsoft Store apps (packages managed by Windows). Settings merges both into one list.
• Uninstall on a classic program starts that program's own uninstaller. Settings just launches it. On a Store app, Windows removes the package itself.
• Default apps are stored per user, so another account on the same PC can have different defaults.
• The old Programs and Features page in the Control Panel (appwiz.cpl) can still do the same uninstall job.

Windows tip: The Startup page shows how much each program slows your sign-in ("High impact", "Low impact"). Turn off programs you do not need at start.

2.6 Windows Update

What it is: Windows Update keeps Windows up to date with fixes, security patches and new features. In Windows 11 it is its own category. In Windows 10 it is under Update & Security. It exists only in Settings. The Control Panel only keeps a link that sends you to Settings.

What you find here:

What happens inside:

  You click "Check for updates"
              │
              ▼
   Windows Update service (wuauserv) asks Microsoft
              │
              ▼
   Updates are downloaded    ──►  stored on disk
              │
              ▼
   Installed (some wait for a restart)
              │
              ▼
   Restart → finishing steps → new version running

• A background Windows service (the Windows Update service) does the work. Settings only shows its progress.
• Updates are installed during a restart, because Windows cannot replace files that are in use.
• Update history helps you find which update failed and the error code to search for.

Windows tip: To jump straight to this page, press Win + R and type ms-settings:windowsupdate.

2.7 Personalization

What it is: Personalization changes how Windows looks: wallpaper, colours, themes, the Start menu and the taskbar.

What you find here:

What happens inside: These are mostly per-user choices. They are saved in your part of the registry, so each user on the PC has their own look. A theme is a small file (.theme) that lists wallpaper, colours and sounds together. Light and dark mode are a pair of registry values that apps read to know which colours to draw.

Windows tip: On a work PC, wallpaper and lock screen can be set by the organisation. If the Background page is locked, that is why.

2.8 Accessibility

What it is: Accessibility makes Windows easier to use for people with sight, hearing, movement or thinking differences. It helps everyone in some situations (for example, a bright screen outdoors).

What you find here:

What happens inside: Many of these features are separate small programs that Settings simply turns on. For example, Narrator is a program (narrator.exe) and Magnifier is magnify.exe. Settings stores whether they should run, and Windows starts them at the right time (for example, at sign-in).

Windows tip: The shortcut Win + Ctrl + Enter toggles Narrator. Win + Plus opens Magnifier. Both are good to know in case a screen is hard to read.

2.9 Bluetooth & Devices

What it is: This page manages hardware you connect: Bluetooth gadgets, printers, mice, keyboards, phones and USB devices. (In Windows 10 this lives under Devices.)

What you find here:

What happens inside:

• When you add a device, Windows finds it, picks a driver (the software that talks to the hardware, see Chapter 4 for how devices are found), and adds it to the list.
• Bluetooth is a short-range radio link. Pairing exchanges secret keys so both devices trust each other.
• The classic Device Manager (devmgmt.msc) still shows the full list of hardware and driver details. Settings gives the simple version; Device Manager gives the technical one. Chapter 15 covers the classic tools.

Windows tip: If a Bluetooth device will not connect, remove it from the list and pair it again. This starts a fresh key exchange.

Summary