The control panel allows users to view and change basic system settings through applets. It contains options organized into categories like system and security, network and internet, hardware and sound, programs, and user accounts. The control panel can be accessed by clicking the start button, using the run command, or through a desktop icon. Different versions of Windows have slightly different ways to access the control panel, such as through the power user menu in Windows 10 or the start menu in Windows 7.