Control panel missing from right-click on start menu

This is what I do:

• Open Windows Powershell command prompt
• Paste the following code snippet

This usually does the trick.

$path = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\WinX\Group2"
$x = "UEsDBBQAAAAIAEphSkmJ5YBS0QAAAPcDAAARAAAAQ29udHJvbCBQYW5lbC5sbmvzYWBgYBRhYgCBA2CSwa2B
mQEiQAAwovEnAzEnA8MCXSBtGBwQ/Kgrwm2Pj4Xz7j/Ck9Vm5J4ThCkURtIEUxyq4TO/cr6l94oLD6/oPrz6GaRYCK
aYEU1xtW7v74sTTPz2J+St4ZykvR+kmAmm+Og13laY6SLMYM0LVMsz81Iyi1RjiiuLS1JzjY1ikvPzSoryc/RSK1KJ
8eswAKoM5QyZDHkMKUCyCMiLYShmqATiEoZUhlwGYwYjoEgyQz5QRQlQPp8hh0EPKFPBMFLCZyQBAFBLAQIUABQAAA
AIAEphSkmJ5YBS0QAAAPcDAAARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABDb250cm9sIFBhbmVsLmxua1BLBQYAAAAAAQABAD8A
AAAAAQAAAAA=".replace("`n","")
[Convert]::FromBase64String($x) | Set-Content $path\temp.zip -Encoding Byte
Expand-Archive $path\temp.zip -DestinationPath $path
Remove-Item $path\temp.zip
Stop-Process -Name Explorer

The gibberish in the $x variable is the base64 encode shortcut file to the Control Panel, which this script writes to the appropriate folder, after which it restarts the Windows Explorer process.

Another advantage of this method, is that I can use this script in automated box building process, etc, that is it does not have to be run interactively.

Steps:

1. Open Windows File Explorer.

2. Copy paste the following in the address bar:

   %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\WinX
   

3. By default, there are three groups (folders) there viz Group1, Group2, and Group3. By default, shortcut of Control Panel resides in Group2. So you need to paste a shortcut of Control Panel there.

4. Restart your computer.

It looks like you got the update to the Creators Update of Windows 10 v1703 - Build 15063 (run winver.exe to verify this).

You should use the Win+X Menu Editor to edit the entries and add control panel back.