Irrespective of what number of options Microsoft crams into its working system, customers will at all times search for a sooner, higher, or totally different method of doing issues. One instance of Microsoft’s acknowledgment of this conduct is Microsoft PowerToys. This free obtain can handle software home windows, rename recordsdata in bulk, preview file contents, and extra.
This TechRepublic cheat sheet describes every out there device or function supplied by Microsoft PowerToys and describes what every system utility can do.
When was Microsoft PowerToys first made out there?
This set of barely uncommon free Home windows instruments has been a part of the Home windows working system panorama since Home windows 95. That first set of 15 free utilities was printed and endorsed by Microsoft and made out there without cost obtain. Their availability was noticeably absent for Home windows 10 and Home windows 11 — not less than till September 2019.
With the overall launch of Microsoft Home windows 11, builders now discuss with this challenge as Microsoft PowerToys quite than Home windows 10 PowerToys.
From the start, PowerToys was designed for “power users” who had been searching for methods to tweak how the working system capabilities. In some instances, inexperienced customers might make a careless change whereas utilizing a PowerToys utility, which might wreak havoc inside the Home windows working system. As such, novice customers have usually been inspired to make use of warning.
For essentially the most half, although, PowerToys has allowed customers — whether or not they thought of themselves energy customers or not — to extra simply tweak the appear and feel of Home windows with no deep dive into configuration screens or the dreaded and harmful edit of the Home windows Registry file.
Even within the earliest iterations of PowerToys, Microsoft provided customers many worthwhile functionalities. Home windows 95 PowerToys included:
TweakUI was used to tweak obscure Home windows settings.
CD Autoplay allowed all CDs to autoplay, not simply audio CDs.
Command Immediate Right here opened a command immediate is opened within the present listing.
Discover from Right here opened File Explorer within the present listing.
FlexiCD allowed customers to manage audio CDs from the Taskbar.
Xmouse 1.2 allowed customers to alter window focus by transferring the mouse cursor, so no clicks had been wanted.
By the years and numerous Home windows variations, particular person PowerToys have come and gone. Every Home windows model impressed a brand new set of instruments based mostly on what builders perceived was wanted to enhance and improve that model.
Why are Microsoft PowerToys necessary?
Microsoft PowerToys offers instruments and options that may make Home windows working system customers extra productive and, by extension, happier. Through the years, many customers have come to rely on a number of of those PowerToys for his or her each day pc productiveness. For a lot of energy customers, PowerToys enhance their high quality of labor and life.
SEE: Safe Home windows 11 methods with this guidelines from TechRepublic Premium.
Past making customers extra productive, PowerToys has additionally supplied a glimpse into what options and instruments might and will grow to be an integral a part of the Home windows working system sooner or later. Many of those once-separate instruments have grow to be simply one other a part of the working system throughout its subsequent iteration.
How can I get Microsoft PowerToys?
Historically, every Microsoft PowerToy has been provided as a separate executable file, out there without cost obtain from a selected Microsoft web site.
Microsoft has taken a barely totally different strategy for Home windows 10 and 11. All Home windows 10 and 11 PowerToys at the moment are included in a free downloadable system that customers can configure.
The PowerToys system. This picture represents an older model, however the fundamental functioning stays the identical. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
The latest model of Microsoft PowerToys is v0.89.0, and it’s now out there on GitHub. Launch 0.89.0 provides media transcoding help to Superior Paste as a way to convert video and audio file codecs, and improves display reader help in FancyZones, Picture Resizer, and Settings. The media transcoding is especially fascinating, because it permits customers to simply extract audio-only recordsdata from video. Different fixes and options in 0.89.0 embrace:
Fastened an issue the place loading thumbnails after the NET.9 replace might trigger crashes.
Resolved an issue by which PowerLauncher.exe might block different MSI installers from creating shortcuts.
Enhanced UI automation framework throughout modules and added new assessments to cowl handbook checks.
See the discharge web page for the whole checklist of modifications.
These PowerToys are at present out there:
All the time On Prime.
Awake.
Shade Picker.
Command Not Discovered.
Crop and Lock.
Surroundings Variables.
FancyZones.
Preview pane and thumbnail rendering for File Explorer.
File Locksmith.
Hosts File Editor.
Picture Resizer.
Keyboard Supervisor.
Mouse utilities.
Mouse With out Borders.
New+
Superior Paste.
Peek.
PowerRename.
PowerToys Run.
PowerToys Workspaces.
Fast Accent.
Registry Preview.
Display screen Ruler.
Shortcut Information.
Textual content Extractor.
ZoomIt.
SEE: All of TechRepublic’s cheat sheets and guides
What can Microsoft PowerToys do?
Here’s a checklist of obtainable Microsoft PowerToys with a short description of what every toy does.
FancyZones
FancyZones permits customers to handle the place and the way every open software window on a Home windows desktop will show.
SEE: Home windows 11 brings the Copilot AI assistant together with it. (TechRepublic)
For instance, you could possibly use FancyZones to arrange a Home windows 10 desktop the place Outlook at all times shows on the right-hand facet of the desktop, Twitter or different social media at all times shows on the left-hand facet of the desktop, and Phrase or Excel at all times shows on the center between the opposite two. There could be three distinct and perpetual zones displayed always.
The FancyZones menu exhibits structure choices. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Home windows key Shortcut Information
The Home windows key Shortcut Information shows the entire out there keyboard shortcuts for the present Home windows desktop. This PowerToy is activated by holding the Home windows key down for the size of time specified within the device’s configuration settings. The default is 900ms.
With this function, customers don’t have to recollect so many Home windows key-related shortcut combos.
The Shortcut Information conveniently shows helpful key combos. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
PowerRename
The PowerRename Home windows PowerToy offers customers with superior instruments for bulk renaming of recordsdata. The toy extends the Home windows Shell Context Menu so as to add an entry for PowerRename to File Explorer.
The PowerRename menu permits for bulk renaming of recordsdata. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
With PowerRename enabled, easy search and substitute or extra highly effective common expression matching are added to your toolset for the majority renaming course of. A preview space is displayed as you carry out search and substitute procedures so you possibly can see how file names will change earlier than initiating the motion.
SEE: The best way to batch rename recordsdata in Home windows 10 with the PowerToys PowerRename device
Preview Pane add-ons for File Explorer
This Home windows PowerToy expands on the Preview Pane function already out there in the usual File Explorer software by including extra file varieties. Preview Pane add-ons for File Explorer enable customers to preview the contents of a file after clicking it in File Explorer with out truly opening the file.
PowerPane exhibits a preview of a file. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Model 0.16.0 provides preview help for Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg) and Markdown (.md) recordsdata. Subsequent PowerToys releases have added extra file varieties, together with supply code recordsdata and geometric code.
Picture Resizer
The Picture Resizer Home windows PowerToy provides extra performance to File Explorer by permitting customers to use bulk picture resizing. Customers can choose photos in File Explorer after which choose the brand new Resize Photos merchandise on the context menu, revealed with a right-click on any picture.
The Picture Resizer menu exhibits choices for bulk resizing. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Window Walker
The Window Walker Home windows PowerToy is designed to be an alternative choice to the usual Alt-Tab function in Home windows 10 and Home windows 11. Customers press the CTRL-Home windows key mixture as an alternative of Alt-Tab to tug up a search field. Customers then enter key phrases into the search field to slim down the at present open apps and screens on their desktops.
Window Walker provides a search field to the Alt-Tab function. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
SEE: The best way to discover open apps with the Window Walker device in Home windows 10 PowerToys
PowerToys Run
PowerToys Run acts as a fast launcher on Home windows. It’s one other extension of the ALT-Tab idea and faucets into the Home windows file indexing system. To activate the device, use the keyboard mixture ALT-House and begin typing the identify of your required software.
The PowerToys Run menu lets customers launch purposes shortly. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
PowerToys Run will search the system and checklist potential purposes based mostly in your search phrase. When the applying you want seems, click on or faucet to run.
SEE: The best way to use Home windows 10 PowerToys Run to open purposes, folders, and recordsdata
PowerToys Workspaces
Routinely launch a number of purposes in a customized configuration with the PowerToys Workspaces menu. Picture: Microsoft
PowerToys Workspaces permits customers to launch a number of purposes into preset window configurations on the similar time. For instance, it could actually robotically place Visible Studio Code subsequent to a browser to avoid wasting time when organising each purposes.
Workspaces configurations could be arrange in a number of methods: from Workspaces Editor or from a desktop shortcut. Doing so within the Workspaces Editor permits for some extra customizations, comparable to robotically making use of “launch as admin” modifiers.
Keyboard Supervisor
The Keyboard Supervisor software in Microsoft PowerToys is a straightforward keyboard remapper. Run the applying from the PowerToys menu and both remap a single key in your keyboard or remap a shortcut keyboard mixture. No matter you remap will stay lively if Keyboard Supervisor is enabled and PowerToys runs within the background.
The Keyboard Supervisor menu exhibits keyboard remapping choices. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Shade Picker
Shade Picker was contributed to the Microsoft PowerToys challenge by Martin Chrzan. The utility lets you determine any shade in your display by both its HEX or RGB code after which save that info to the Home windows clipboard for later use. It’s a easy device that may save time and forestall frustration for builders and content material creators engaged on shade design.
The Shade Picker menu permits customers to determine and save colours from any picture on their display. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Awake
The group contributed the Microsoft PowerToys device Awake to the PowerToys challenge, with attribution given to Den Delimarsky. Awake lets customers preserve their pc awake on-demand with out managing its energy settings.
The Awake PowerToy offers methods to alter the PC’s conduct when it comes to when the PC stays awake. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Mouse utilities
Mouse utilities had been contributed to the Microsoft PowerToys challenge by Raymond Chen. Mouse utilities embrace a group of options that improve the mouse and cursor performance on Home windows methods.
With two consecutive presses of the Left CTRL key, Discover My Mouse will find your mouse cursor and spotlight its present place with a halo. Urgent the Esc key will dismiss the spotlight. The Discover My Mouse function is beneficial for shows on giant shows while you need to draw the viewers’s consideration to a selected display space.
Mouse Utilities permits the person to activate Discover My Mouse. There may be additionally a range for whether or not or to not preserve Discover My Mouse on throughout Sport Mode. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
All the time on Prime
All the time on Prime permits customers to designate the applying window at present in focus as “always on top” with a keyboard shortcut toggle.
The All the time On Prime PowerToy opens up a menu with a couple of choices: enabling All the time On Prime, customizing the shortcut and specifying whether or not or to not use All the time On Prime throughout Sport Mode. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
No matter what instructions, mouse clicks, or different inputs are created from that time on, the designated window will stay on the forefront, superseding every other open home windows till All the time on Prime is toggled off. The default keyboard shortcut for the All the time on Prime toggle is Home windows Key + CTRL + T.
Display screen Ruler
The Microsoft PowerToys utility Display screen Ruler is a fast and simple solution to measure the pixels represented in your show display. The device is ideal for figuring out the pixel measurement of a possible display seize or for lining up objects in a doc.
The Display screen Guidelines menu and shortcut choices could be discovered within the PowerToys setting menu. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Fast Accent
Fast Accent is an alternate solution to sort accented characters, which is beneficial when a keyboard doesn’t help that particular accent with a fast key combo. Use this utility to create accented characters, particularly for writing in languages aside from English.
If you wish to sort accented characters with no particular keyboard that incorporates them, open the Fast Accent menu in PowerToys. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Textual content Extractor
The Microsoft PowerToys utility Textual content Extractor is a handy solution to copy textual content from wherever in your display. This code relies on Joe Finney’s Textual content Seize. Textual content Extractor makes use of optical character recognition to learn the textual content on the display, which can require enhancing or proofreading.
The Textual content Extractor menu permits customers to activate the device to focus on and duplicate textual content from any supply. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
File Locksmith
The Microsoft PowerToys utility File Locksmith is a Home windows shell extension that checks what recordsdata are used and by which processes. After putting in, right-click on a number of chosen recordsdata in File Explorer, after which choose “What’s using this file?” from the context menu.
The knowledge in File Locksmith is accessed by right-clicking a file in File Explorer. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Hosts File Editor
The Window PowerToys utility Hosts File Editor is a fast and easy utility for enhancing a neighborhood host file. Notice that the applying will solely work if a number file exists.
Discover Hosts File Editor within the PowerToys menu should you work with native hosts recordsdata. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Mouse Bounce
The Microsoft PowerToys utility Mouse Bounce is a brand new function for the present set of mouse utilities. Mouse Bounce lets you transfer the mouse pointer nice distances on the identical display immediately and even leap from one display to a different if you want.
The pink field on this picture spotlights the Mouse Bounce menu, together with the activation shortcut. Picture: Mark W. Kaelin/TechRepublic
Superior Paste
The Microsoft Home windows PowerToys utility Superior Paste is a keyboard mixture shortcut that permits customers to stick formatted clipboard contents as plain, unformatted textual content utilizing both the brand new UX or a direct keystroke invoke. Utilizing this device may also substitute the formatted textual content with plain textual content within the clipboard, so customers can at all times paste it as textual content.
A earlier model of Superior Paste was referred to as Paste as Textual content.
In Launch 0.81.0, Superior Paste acquired an opt-in AI assistant to investigate and format the textual content in your clipboard. For instance, it might generate code, translate textual content into one other language, rewrite it in a unique model, or summarize it earlier than pasting. This function requires an OpenAI API key with a credit score stability.
Superior Paste expands on Paste as Textual content’s choices. Picture: Microsoft
Registry Preview
PowerToys Registry Preview, launched in Model 0.69.0, is designed to simplify the method of visualizing and enhancing Home windows Registry recordsdata. The utility app additionally lets you write registry modifications on to the Home windows Registry file with out utilizing the usual Regedit app that comes constructed into the Home windows working system.
Open the Registry Preview utility from the PowerToys menu. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Mouse With out Borders
PowerToys Mouse With out Borders, launched in Model 0.70.0, permits customers to work together with different computer systems utilizing the identical keyboard and mouse they use for his or her present PC. Customers also can share clipboards and recordsdata between the machines with Mouse With out Borders. Management of the opposite computer systems is granted utilizing an encryption key.
Notice the choices within the Mouse With out Borders menu for choosing totally different gadgets to maneuver the cursor throughout. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
New+
New+, launched in model 0.85.0, lets customers shortly create templates that may be deployed to create new recordsdata and folders in most popular configurations. It resides inside a File Explorer context menu. Templates observe from one machine to a different if the template location is ready to a folder synced with a cloud drive. Customers can choose whether or not or not they need filename extensions to be proven within the template.
Peek
Peek, launched in Model 0.70.0, permits customers to see a fast preview of recordsdata they choose in File Explorer after they press a specified keyboard shortcut. The keyboard shortcut could be modified to a person’s choice.
Peek into the PowerToys menu. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Crop And Lock
PowerToys Crop And Lock, launched in Model 0.73.0, permits customers to crop a present software right into a smaller window or create a thumbnail. The utility helps you to concentrate on a selected part of an software window with out shutting down the applying’s operating capabilities. Primarily, from the applying’s perspective, the window is regular, however from the person’s perspective, the window is smaller or thumbnail measurement.
Within the Crop and Lock menu, you’ll find some shortcut choices to customise a shortcut for the PowerToy. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Surroundings Variables
PowerToys Surroundings Variables, launched in Model 0.75.0, permits customers so as to add, change, and apply profiles, person info, and Home windows system setting variables. The device is useful for software program engineers, programmers, and different IT professionals when testing and iterating purposes, platforms, and methods throughout growth.
The PowerToys Surroundings Variables settings display. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
ZoomIt
Earlier than it was added to PowerToys, the ZoomIt device might be used as a obtain from Sysinternals. ZoomIt permits the customers to set hotkeys to zoom, annotate, or document shows. It’s meant for technical shows and demos. As of PowerToys model 0.88.0, ZoomIt could be discovered inside PowerToys. The annotation function consists of each drawing and typing on the zoomed-in picture.
Are extra Microsoft PowerToys coming quickly?
New Microsoft PowerToys are periodically added to the Home windows library to handle new person expectations and necessities. As new PowerToys are launched, this checklist of obtainable instruments will likely be up to date to replicate that enlargement.
Extra about Software program
Does Microsoft PowerToys impression efficiency?
PowerToys can impression efficiency. Usually, the quantity of RAM required by PowerToys apps is critical sufficient that you must activate solely the instruments you’re truly utilizing. For those who decide an app shouldn’t be one thing you employ recurrently, it could be advantageous to set it to the “off” place; you possibly can at all times flip it on once more while you want it.
The quantity of RAM Microsoft PowerToys makes use of is determined by what number of instruments and apps you will have determined to run within the background. The PowerToys Settings app, which runs within the background and could be accessed from the Home windows 11 system tray, requires about 104 MB of RAM. Every extra operating app requires extra RAM to help it, which you’ll be able to gauge for your self in Home windows Activity Supervisor.
The Activity Supervisor reveals the quantity of RAM utilized by PowerToys. Picture: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic
Editor’s word: This text was up to date by Megan Crouse to replicate the newest model of Microsoft PowerToys.
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