If this new hidden program is used, Windows Settings may become more useful and receive faster updates.

It can be updated through the Microsoft Store.

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Microsoft has maintained two separate Windows options menus for generations, but a new experimental project spotted and reviewed by Windows Latest may pave the way for a separate, separate piece of software that can do it all. What appears to be a new Windows Settings app has been sneaking up on the Microsoft Store, and that alone might make it easier to update with new features and hopefully finally consolidate all Control Panel tasks into one place.

Windows Latest discovered "Project Odeon" in the Store, which has the same icon as Windows Settings and looks like the usual settings interface. Finding and installing the app apparently requires Windows 11 build 26100 or later. I tried enabling developer mode and finding the app, but I still can't see it, so maybe you need to be on an Insider build or based in a certain region.

The app seems a bit buggy at this point, as it shows various settings, unfinished pages, and some grayed out options, but that's to be expected for an early beta. However, other areas seem more extensive than the normal settings program. For example, at the bottom of the display settings page, you can see things like monitor display path, HDR support, and SDR white levels.

WindowsLatest examined the executables that the program uses and calls, and discovered that the base executable can call helpers that require additional permissions to run. They appear to be modular plugins for tasks such as changing the time zone or renaming a PC.

It's possible that Windows just uses the store for specific reasons to test its various functions, and none of these become a discrete store-based configuration program. But Settings may eventually become an App Store app, which means it's quicker and easier to update than waiting for Windows' bona fide update.

Those who still yearn to use the Control Panel instead of the Settings app should take note, as the fact that more features and so on are tested in something almost identical to the regular Settings app is yet another sign of Microsoft's move away from the Control Panel. To be clear, saying goodbye to the Control Panel has been around for at least a few years, and it doesn't look like Microsoft has changed its stance on moving things to the Settings app.

Personally, I agree with Microsoft moving everything from Control Panel to Settings, provided the latter allows you to do everything you can in Control Panel, and everything is easily accessible and configurable. And to be fair to Microsoft, many of the Windows 11 changes we've seen over the past few months have been great.

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Jacob put his hands on a gaming computer for the first time when he was about 12 years old. He quickly realized that the local computer repair shop had ripped him off with his build and vowed to never let another soul build his rig again. With this vow, Yaqub the hardware addict was born. Since then, Jacob has led a double life as a hardware geek, semi-philosophical professional, first working as a hardware writer for PCGamesN in 2020, then working on a PhD in philosophy for a few years while working for sites like TechRadar, Pocket-lint, Pocket-lint, and Pocket-lint. Eventually, he gave up the brutal mercenary life and joined the world's #1 PC gaming site full-time. He assures us that it is definitely not a carnal thing.

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