Below and in the next chapter are descriptions of nearly every Apple Control Panel ever released. If you're curious what the different control panels do, here's your source. If you're interested in whether or not you need various CP's, use the descriptions below to decide whether or not you want/need them. Most are from Apple; however a few are things that are so universal that I included them here (for some non-Apple control panels, check out the "Third Party Control Panels" chapter).
NOTE: Control panels followed by the designation "REMOVABLE" do not need to reside in the System Folder to function. Many of them aren't really even inits (they don't load any code at startup); they just change values in the PRAM of your computer, so the Control Panels folder seemed like the logical place to put them. Some are actually applications. Disclaimer: very few of these will actually save you RAM if disabled, and if you throw them away instead of merely disabling/ displacing them, they can be a pain in the rear to re-install. I am including this info FYI so you can be more knowledgeable about your computer; do with this info as you please.
• 8•24 GC: enables graphics acceleration with the Macintosh Display Card 8•24 GC. Only functional on pre-7.5 Systems and machines older than the Quadra and PowerMac series.
• Apple Menu Options 1.1.2 [40/97.5]: provides hierarchical sub-menus in the Apple Menu. Any folders, or aliases of folders, that you place in the "Apple Menu Items" folder in the System Folder will appear in the Apple Menu and benefit from this sub-menu action. Also provides options for "Recent Applications," "Recent Documents" and "Recent Servers" folders in the Apple Menu which contain the most recently used applications, document and servers, respectively. How many of these recent item appear is set by the user in the control panel. When you install System 7.5.3 or System 7.5.2 Update 2, your preferences for this control panel are reset. You will have to manually reset them.
• Apple Talk (v1.1): used to specify AppleTalk settings under Open Transport. [NOTE: PCI PowerMacs might have a different physical Ethernet address after installing System 7.5.3, since 7.5.3 corrects a bug that causes an incorrect address to be used when TCP/IP addresses are obtained using BootP, DHCP, or RARP. Fortunately, Open Transport makes it much easier for a user to determine his/her physical Ethernet address (choose Get Info in either AppleTalk or TCP/IP control panel).]
• AppleCD Speed Switch: from System 7.1. Allows you to switch between "standard" or "faster" speed. It (allegedly an automatic version) is integrated into CD Software 5.0.
• AppleShareSetup (1.0.1): allows you to change many of the AppleShare parameters.
• AppleTalk Options (v1.0): part of the Open Transport package, but not installed automatically. You should not have this control panel installed unless specifically instructed to do so by your network administrator. It is an unsupported utility developed by Apple. According to Apple, it "allows a user to suppress unwanted router-related alerts... some Ethernet-ISDN bridges used for remote LAN-to-LAN connectivity drop the connection when there is no active data transfer, and dial on demand when there is information to be transferred. If a user’s local network does not include an AppleTalk router, a message appears each time the connection is dropped. Use the AppleTalk Options control panel to prevent the alerts from being displayed."
• AppleVision Setup: actually an application. On a PCI Mac, after upgrading to System 7.5.3, this "control panel" should be eliminated (if not, you can trash it manually). All of its functionality will be incorporated into the Monitors & Sound control panel. Also, if you hit the buttons on the front of the AppleVision 1710AV, the Monitors & Sound CP should appear. REMOVABLE
• At Ease Setup: allows you to start up your Mac in a simple, configurable launcher, which replaces the standard Finder. It is especially useful for beginning users and environments with young users, since it simplifies use while at the same time providing some security. Each user can have a password and an individual launcher. The At Ease Startup extension forces the computer to start up in the At Ease launcher instead of the standard Mac Finder.
• ATM GX: Installed by QuickDraw GX. Only necessary if you actually use GX (does anyone?). Version 3.7 is non-native; 3.8 is native. Supposedly can cause Norton Utilities to falsely report hard drive directory problems.
• Auto Power On/Off (v1.0): allows your Mac to automatically shut down after a specified idle time, reboot after a power failure, and/or start up or shut down at a certain time(s). This control panel works with any Mac that uses "soft power off" (meaning those that do not require you to turn the power switch off) and the "Cuda" or Motorola 68HC05 controller chip. According to Apple this includes the following Macs: IIsi, IIvx, IIvi, Color Classic, Performa/ LC 500 series, Quadra/ Performa/ LC 630 series, Quadra 840AV, 900, & 950, LC 5200 & 5300 series, PM 7100 & 8100 series, Performa 5200, 5300, 6200 & 6300 series, and Workgroup Servers 95, 8150 & 9150. For the official Apple document on all the different "energy saving" control panels/applications, visit: <http://cgi.info.apple.com/cgi-bin/read.wais.doc.pl?/wais/TIL/Macintosh!Software/Energy!Saving!Cntrl!Pnls!!Desc>
 
• AutoRemounter (v7.5.3): Allows remounting of volumes after waking from sleep. Turns off "losing network services" alert that shows up when your PowerBook goes to sleep. An Apple TechNote states that this control panel does not work with the PowerBook 100, 140, 145, 145B, and 170, but readers have noted that it works fine on some of these. The same TechNote (and others) state that this control panel is only for use on PowerBooks. However, a number of people have claimed that it works fine on their desktop Macs to remount shared disks instead of using the AppleShare "mount on startup" option.
• Backlight Control: allows older PowerBooks (under systems earlier than 7.5) to dim or turn off backlighting after a period of inactivity.
• Brightness: allows you to set the screen brightness on Macs with software/onscreen brightness control (the Classic series).
• Button Disabler: used to disable the volume/brightness buttons on the front of the LC/Performa 500 series Macs.
• Cache Switch: for 68040/680LC40 Macs only. Allow you to turn off the 68040 processor caching for compatibility with older apps. A consequence of this "more compatible" mode is a dramatic decrease in performance. Most incompatible apps have been updated or superseded by newer versions. Change takes effect after restarting your Macintosh. To make the change without restarting, option-click the on/off button. However, the book Mac SECRETS warns not to use this trick on a networked Quadra 700 (?). If you hold the option button down and click on the version number in the control panel, you'll get a list of the programmers. REMOVABLE
• CloseView (v7.2.1): magnifies the display for individuals with poor eyesight. Also allows for black/white inversion. Reportedly doesn't work on PowerMacs.
• Color (v7.1) [0/0]: allows you to change the highlight and window colors. If you click on the "sample text" repeatedly, you'll see the names of the programmers. REMOVABLE
• ColorSync System Profile (v2.1) [0/0]: only useful for users who have a color scanner and/or a color printer, and also have the corresponding profiles for those peripherals. Helps to synchronize the color values between on-screen images and scans/printouts. Requires ColorSync extension.
• Control Strip (v1.3.1) [27.5/40]: provides a "strip" of customizable utilities on your desktop. Allows you to turn the Control Strip on or off, set the display font, and set the on/off hot key. You can add new modules by placing them to the "Control Strip Modules" folder in the System Folder. You can move the Control Strip by holding the option button down and dragging the end of the strip to any point on the left/right edges of the screen. Also, by holding option and clicking on a tile, you can drag that tile to another point on the strip, allowing you to rearrange your Control Strip tiles. Tip: if you option click on the "current hot key" box, the window title changes to the author's name. NOTE: Control Strip sometimes causes problems with certain screen savers. If you have problems with it, be sure to use the on/off "hot key" to turn the control strip off when you aren't using it.
• CPU Energy Saver: allows you to set your Mac to turn off at a specific time or after a specified amount of idle time. It does not allow you to have your Mac start up at a specific time. It is compatible with Macs that can be turned off using "soft power off" (in other words, the "Shut Down" command in the "Special" menu, as well as the keyboard power key, turn the computer completely off without requiring you to manually turn off the power switch). According to Apple, this includes the following Mac models: II series, Performa 250 & 275, Performa/ LC 500 series, Centris/ Quadra 650, Quadra/ Performa/ LC 630 series, Performa 640 series, Quadra 700, 800, 840AV, 900 & 950, PM 7100/66 & 8100/80, Performa/ LC 5200 & 6300 series (NOTE: the PM 7100/80 and 8100/100 shipped with Connectix Desktop Utilities, which fulfilled the functions of CPU Energy Saver). CPU Energy Saver is installed by System 7.5 only on those Macs that are not compatible with Auto Power On/Off (above) and ARE compatible with CPU Energy Saver. For the official Apple document on all the different "energy saving" control panels/applications, visit:
• Date & Time (v7.5) [4.5/16]: allows you to turn the menu bar clock on/off, configure the date/time format, set Daylight Savings Time and your time zone, and set the time and date. It is important that your clock be set correctly, including the "Daylight Savings Time" setting, because your Mac uses this information to record when files are created and modified. There are a number of reasons why you would want this to be accurate. Hint: if the clock is displayed in the menu bar, you can make it disappear by option-clicking on it. Doing it again will make it reappear. Finally, on a PowerBook, control-clicking on the menu bar clock will put the computer to sleep.
• Desktop Patterns (v7.5.1): not even a Control Panel, per se; it's actually an application. Allows you to change the background of your desktop. If you click "option" and select a pattern, it selects the pattern for utilities such as "Find File." You can delete/add pictures using the cut/paste commands. You can also drag and drop files from the scrapbook and other drag and drop-aware applications. The maximum number of patterns that can be stored (in the Desktop Patterns Preferences file in the Preferences folder) is 226. REMOVABLE
• DOS Compatibility Software Update 1.5 / PC Setup v1.5: used by Macs with the DOS Compatibility Card (not necessary for PCI Macs with a DOS Compatibility Card). It is recommended that you update your system to 7.5.3 for best results with the DOS Cards. Apple has released a patch to the 1.5 control panel which fixes the problem of using large (32 or 64 MB) DIMMs with the 12" PC Compatibility Card.
• Easy Access: provides keyboard enhancements and easier mouse input for persons with disabilities. Provides audio and visual feedback on keyboard entries. Supposedly has a bug where, when turned off, pressing a key would sometimes result in a "beep," but no text would appear. When enabled, an icon is displayed in the upper-right corner of the screen
• Energy Saver (v1.0): allows you to put your external monitor into sleep mode after a specified idle time. It supposedly works with the built-in video of the following Mac models: LC III, Performa 450 through 467, Performa 630 & 611x series, Quadra 610 through 950 and all non-PCI PowerMacs. It also requires an "Energy Star"-compliant monitor. If this control panel is installed on a Mac that has a non-Energy Star-compliant monitor attached, the monitor will go black at the appropriate time, but the monitor will not be saving energy (this doesn't hurt the monitor, though). Note that when using Energy Saver 1.0, your computer itself is still at full power and functioning. The power-saving features of this control panel apply only to the monitor.
• Energy Saver (v2.0.2) [53.5/0] PM: actually an application, and requires the "Energy Saver Extension" to function. This utility combines the features of CPU Energy Saver, Energy Saver 1.0 and Auto Power On/Off, and is only compatible with PCI based PowerMacs (5400, 7200, 7500, 7600, 8500, 9500 series). It allows you to sleep or shut down your system after a specified idle time (with separate settings for the monitor and hard drive), set your system to start up or shut down at specific times (and days), auto-save open document before a scheduled shut down (and open them up again on start up), and restart automatically after a power failure. The sleep mode used by Energy Saver 2 is similar to the sleep mode on PowerBooks, in that your entire system "goes to sleep" instead of just the monitor. If you have a PCI-based Mac, you can install both versions of Energy Saver (1 and 2) by renaming one of them, although I don't know why you would want to. The Energy Saver settings are not stored in a preference file or in the control panel itself, but rather in PRAM, because PRAM is the only way your Mac can keep information in memory when it is turned off. This is how your computer knows if you want it to turn on at a predefined time. This is important because if you simply "disable" the Energy Saver control panel and extension, the settings will still be in effect (i.e. if you have the C.P. set to startup your computer at 2am, this will happen whether the C.P. is "disabled" or not). In order to disable the Energy Saver functions, you need to change the settings to "never" using the control panel/application first, then disable the extension. WARNING: the following is from an Apple Tech Note: "AppleVision 1710AV Displays with serial numbers between SG522xxxxxx and SG536xxxxxx inclusive should have Energy Saver mode temporarily disabled using the Energy Saver control panel until the display can be serviced. Displays within this serial number range may not operate as originally intended while in Energy Saver mode when connected to a Power Macintosh 7200, 7500, 8500, or 9500 computer, or some third-party video cards. [It may possibly damage the monitor. - Ed.] Monitors with serial numbers greater than SG537xxxxxx are not affected and will function normally with Energy Saver." REMOVABLE. For the official Apple document on all the different "energy saving" control panels/applications, visit:
On PCI Macs, there is a possible bug with Energy Saver where audio CDs will suddenly stop playing. If you experience this problem, the only present solution (short of not using Energy Saver) is to deselect "Shutdown instead of Sleep" in the Energy Saver control panel. This bug will supposedly be fixed in a future update.
• Extensions Manager (v3.0.3): allows (limited) control over which extensions and control panels will load at startup. Also allows you to configure (limited) sets of startup files. The "EM Extension" allows this control panel to load before any other startup files. If you are using another startup file manager, such as Now Startup Manager or Conflict Catcher, these two files will automatically be disabled.
• File Sharing Monitor (v7.1): can only be opened when File Sharing is active. Shows who is connected to your Mac, what drives/folders are shared, and whether or not connected users are actively accessing those drives/folders.
• General Controls (7.5.7) [22/32]: allows you to choose options regarding the general operation of your Mac. It's here that you can get rid of the annoying "This computer may not have been shutdown properly..." message. If you are having trouble making changes to your System Folder, uncheck the "Protect System Folder" box. Many users have reported less crashes/problems if they set "Menu Blinking" to "Off." If in the control panels folder, this control panel loads code at startup; if you move it to the disabled folder, it will perform as usual, but will not load as an init (the Mac user's dream!). Bug: on older versions, if "Protect System Folder" or "Protect Application Folder" is enabled, would cause problems with Retrospect Remote; fixed in 7.5.3. NOTE: if the "Protect System Folder" setting is checked, some software installations may not work properly. REMOVABLE
• Keyboard (v7.5.1) [0/0]: allows you to set the repeat rate and "delay before repeat" for the keyboard. Lets you change between keyboard layouts. If you've ever started typing and gotten some weird characters that don't match your keyboard, check this C.P.; there is a key combination which if hit changes from the standard keyboard layout to one of the others. Solution? Turn off the key combination in the C.P. or open your System itself and trash all of the unnecessary keyboard layouts. REMOVABLE
• Labels (v7.1) [0/0]: Allows you to change both the label colors and the label text. FYI: changes saved to the System itself. REMOVABLE
• LaserWriter Bridge (v2.1f): newer, Open Transport-compatible version of LaserWriter Bridge and LocalTalk Bridge. Allows you to use LocalTalk printers and access LocalTalk networked Macs over an Ethernet or TokenRing network. The control panel allows you to set LaserWriter Bridge on and off and LaserWriter Access as public or private.
• Launcher (v2.8): trash it if you never use it (along with the "Launcher Items" folder in your system folder). Allows you to set up a "palette" window with icons for frequently used applications, documents, etc. Dragging an application, document, etc. to the palette will create a "button" for it. To remove an item, option-drag it to the trash. Alternatively, you can create an alias of an item by option-dragging it to the desktop or to a folder or window. Holding the Option key while clicking in the colored background area will allow you to change the size of the buttons. The "Launcher Items" folder in the System Folder contains the alias files for all the buttons you have installed. Creating folders within the Launcher Items folder, and placing a "•" (option-8) at the beginning of their names, will create different categories or "layers" of buttons, with "tabs" to select the layers. You can access the "Easter Egg" by command-option-clicking on the sides of the Launcher window. Finally, a neat trick courtesy of Mac SECRETS (it's really a great book!): go to the Apple Menu Items folder inside the System Folder. Make an alias of one or more of the following folders: Recent Applications, Recent Document, Recent Servers. Rename the alias(es) with a "•" (option-8) at the beginning, and drag the alias(es) to the Launcher Items folder in the System Folder. You will now have one or more Launcher pages which automatically update to give you access to these recent items!
• LocalTalk Bridge (v2.0): allows you to bridge Ethernet and LocalTalk networks.
