What is the .cpl file extension?
The .cpl file extension is associated with Windows Control Panel. Files with the .cpl extension are commonly referred to as Control Panel applets.
The .cpl files come under the category of system files.
Location of .cpl files
By default, the .cpl files are stored in the Windows System directory. For Windows 7/Vista/XP, the default path is c:\windows\system32.
Purpose of Control Panel applets (.cpl files)
There are different types of configuration that you can set using the Control Panel and each .cpl represents a tool to perform a particular type of configuration, such as ones listed below:
- Date, Time, and Regional Settings
- Hardware
- Networking
- User Account Networking
- Program Management
- Display Settings
- Security
- Program Management
- Accessibility Options
- Audio
An example of ?a .cpl file is timedate.cpl that displays clock, date, and time properties on a Windows PC.
The .cpl files are automatically loaded when you launch the Windows Control Panel.
Names of the programs that can open .cpl files in Windows
Typically, the .cpl files should not be opened by the user manually. These files are referenced by the Windows operating system.
Other instances of the .cpl file type
The .cpl file extension is also recorded to be associated with CorelDraw, a vector graphics editor from Corel Corporation. The .cpl files associated with CorelDraw are commonly referred to as CorelDraw Color Palette file. Little information is available for this file type, its behavior, or purpose.
In case you need to open a file with the .cpl extension but are getting a file type error, then you may use a reliable third-party file extension repair program to resolve the issue.