PowerToys is a set of utilities for energy customers to tune and streamline their Home windows expertise for larger productiveness. Impressed by the Home windows 95 period PowerToys venture, this reboot gives energy customers with utilities to squeeze extra out of the Home windows 10 shell and customise it for his or her particular person workflows.
What instruments are included in PowerToys?
Microsoft retains including utilities to the suite, nevertheless the 21 major instruments are: At all times on High, PowerToys Awake, Shade Picker, FancyZones, File Explorer Add-ons, File Locksmith, Hosts File Editor, Picture Resizer, Keyboard Supervisor, Mouse utilities, Mouse With out Borders, Peek, Paste as Plain Textual content, PowerRename, PowerToys Run, Fast Accent, Registry Preview, Display screen Ruler, Shortcut Information, Textual content Extractor, and Video Convention Mute.
What’s the function of PowerToys?
PowerToys are smaller add-ons or utilities that may improve and customise your Home windows expertise. Microsoft created PowerToys for energy customers searching for a bit extra personalization and tweakability.
What are the 2 most helpful instruments in PowerToys?
PowerToys presents a number of helpful instruments for particular use instances, however two highly regarded ones are FancyZones, which helps you to rearrange your window structure to run a number of apps on one display, and PowerToys Run, which is a Highlight-like launcher that features fast seek for apps and recordsdata in Home windows.
Is Microsoft PowerToys free?
Sure, PowerToys is free and open-source.
Does PowerToys work on Home windows 11?
PowerToys is appropriate with Home windows 10 and Home windows 11
Getting began
To kick the tires on the primary two utilities, obtain the installer right here. The primary PowerToys service runs when Home windows begins and a consumer logs in. When the service is operating, a PowerToys icon seems within the system tray. Choosing the icon launches the PowerToys settings UI. The settings UI allows you to allow and disable particular person utilities and gives settings for every utility. There’s additionally a hyperlink to the assistance doc for every utility. You possibly can proper click on the tray icon to stop the Energy Toys service.
PowerToys settings UI.Notice that some PowerToys performance requires operating in an elevated course of. Elevation is required to work together with and manipulate home windows from processes which have a better set of rights than the present consumer. That is why the PowerToys.exe requests elevation when launched.
For those who discover bugs or have options, please open a problem within the Energy Toys GitHub repo. The backlog for creating new utilities is right here. You possibly can present suggestions on the backlog to recommend new concepts or a unique precedence order by becoming a member of the backlog dialogue on this subject.
Present PowerToy utilities
The presently accessible utilities embody:
Mouse With out Borders
Management a set of machines utilizing the identical keyboard/mouse, share clipboard between the machines and switch recordsdata between the machines.
Peek
A system-wide utility for Home windows that lets you preview file content material with out the necessity to open a number of functions or interrupt your workflow. It presents a seamless and fast file preview expertise for varied file sorts, together with pictures, net pages, Markdown recordsdata, textual content recordsdata, and developer recordsdata.
At all times on High
At all times on High lets you pin home windows on high of all different home windows with a fast key shortcut (â Win+Ctrl+T).
PowerToys Awake
PowerToys Awake is designed to maintain a pc awake with out having to handle its energy & sleep settings. This conduct may be useful when operating time-consuming duties, making certain that the pc doesn’t fall asleep or turns off its screens.
Shade Picker
ColorPicker is a system-wide shade selecting utility activated with Win+Shift+C. Choose colours from any presently operating utility, the picker robotically copies the colour into your clipboard in a set format. Shade Picker additionally incorporates an editor that exhibits a historical past of beforehand picked colours, lets you fine-tune the chosen shade and to repeat totally different string representations. This code is predicated on Martin Chrzan’s Shade Picker.
FancyZones
FancyZones is a window supervisor that makes it straightforward to create complicated window layouts and rapidly place home windows into these layouts.
File Explorer add-ons
File Explorer add-ons allow preview pane rendering in File Explorer to show SVG icons (.svg), Markdown (.md) and PDF file previews. To allow the preview pane, choose the “View” tab in File Explorer, then choose “Preview Pane”.
Picture Resizer
Picture Resizer is a Home windows Shell extension for rapidly resizing pictures. With a easy proper click on from File Explorer, resize one or many pictures immediately. This code is predicated on Brice Lambson’s Picture Resizer.
Keyboard Supervisor
Keyboard Supervisor lets you customise the keyboard to be extra productive by remapping keys and creating your individual keyboard shortcuts. This PowerToy requires Home windows 10 1903 (construct 18362) or later.
Mouse utilities
Mouse utilities add performance to boost your mouse and cursor. With Discover My Mouse, rapidly find your mouse’s place with a highlight that focuses in your cursor. This characteristic is predicated on supply code developed by Raymond Chen.
PowerRename
PowerRename lets you carry out bulk renaming, looking out and changing file names. It contains superior options, similar to utilizing common expressions, concentrating on particular file sorts, previewing anticipated outcomes, and the power to undo adjustments. This code is predicated on Chris Davis’s SmartRename.
PowerToys Run
PowerToys Run can assist you search and launch your app immediately – simply press the shortcut Alt+House and begin typing. It’s open supply and modular for added plugins. Window Walker is now included as effectively. This PowerToy requires Home windows 10 1903 (construct 18362) or later.
Shortcut Information
Home windows key shortcut information seems when a consumer presses â Win+Shift+/ (or as we prefer to assume, â Win+?) and exhibits the accessible shortcuts for the present state of the desktop. You can even change this setting and press and maintain â Win.
Video Convention Mute
Video Convention Mute is a fast solution to globally “mute” each your microphone and digicam utilizing â Win+Shift+Q whereas on a convention name, whatever the utility that presently has focus. This requires Home windows 10 1903 (construct 18362) or later.
Languages
Presently, PowerToys is accessible within the following languages: Chinese language (simplified), Chinese language (conventional), Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Turkish.
Neighborhood led and developed within the open
Our objective for the PowerToys venture is for it to be an extension of the Home windows energy consumer neighborhood and for it to supply the performance these customers discover most precious. Our backlog of utilities is on GitHub, and we encourage the neighborhood to supply suggestions on the backlog on this subject. Every utility has its personal characteristic backlog. You can even contribute to the Home windows shortcut information backlog and the FancyZones backlog. For brand spanking new utility options, please create a brand new subject to debate the thought.
Creating your individual PowerToys utilities
Whereas opening bug stories, characteristic options, and suggestions on the backlog are all extremely useful for this venture, in case you’re one of many many energy customers which can be additionally builders, you’ll be able to contribute on to the product.
When the PowerToys venture was first introduced this spring, we did not assume the reception could be as enthusiastic because it has been. The venture began with simply an empty repo, with a roadmap and a spot for energy customers to supply options and concepts. Nevertheless, over 4000 customers starred the repo, exhibiting a powerful curiosity within the venture. Given this enthusiasm, we’re anticipating many builders will need to contribute to PowerToys, and we have made certain that the documentation, venture structure, and instruments are prepared for the neighborhood to dive in.
Earlier than getting began, it is worthwhile to learn the contribution pointers for the venture. After that, you need to learn the “Developer Steering” part of the PowerToys readme, which has a hyperlink to the brand new PowerToys utility Visible Studio template. Every utility is a .dll, which is loaded by the PowerToys runtime and every utility can present settings to the PowerToys settings framework with a JSON blob. The settings UI takes this JSON and robotically creates a settings UI for the utility. Extra data on the settings format may be discovered within the Settings spec.
What’s New
Highlights
- New utility: Mouse With out Borders lets you work together with different computer systems from the identical keyboard and mouse and share clipboard and recordsdata between the machines. We have upgraded it to .NET 7 and made a couple of small changes to suit contained in the PowerToys mannequin. Thanks @truong2d and the remainder of the contributors from the Microsoft Storage!
- New utility: Peek is a utility that exhibits a fast preview of recordsdata chosen in File Explorer whenever you press a shortcut (Ctrl+House by default). Thanks @SamChaps!
- Registry preview High quality of Life enhancements. Thanks @randyrants!
- Awake High quality of Life enhancements. Thanks @dend!
- Mouse Soar High quality of Life enhancements. Thanks @mikeclayton!
Basic
- New utility: Mouse With out Borders. Thanks @truong2d and different unique contributors!
- New utility: Peek. Thanks @SamChaps!
- Fastened a bug inflicting saved settings to clear typically when upgrading PowerToys.
- Font, icon and nook radius changes within the UI throughout utilities. Thanks @Jay-o-Manner!
Awake
- Replace to command line output to match the arguments. Thanks @rpr69 for making a PR to assist repair this.
- Repair crash taking place when setting an expiration date on time zones with a destructive offset relative to UTC (This was a hotfix for 0.69).
- Repair lacking logging file when putting in (This was a hotfix for 0.69).
- Upgraded Awake to a brand new model, with High quality of Life enhancements and fixing many points relating to Awake not resetting or not preserving the pc awake when anticipated. Thanks @dend!
FancyZones
- Fastened accessibility points on the Editor.
File Locksmith
- Fastened tooltips having a clear background (This was a hotfix for 0.69).
File Explorer add-ons
- Add a Setting to pick out a background for the SVG Preview. Thanks @zanseb!
Installer
- Added extra utilities to terminate when putting in to assist forestall recordsdata that typically are leftover from uninstall.
Keyboard Supervisor
- Fastened a problem inflicting mapping to media keys to kind further characters.
Measure Software
- Created a setting to specify the default measure instrument. Thanks @zanseb!
Mouse Soar
- Decreased dependency on WinForms utility courses. Thanks @mikeclayton!
- Improved popup responsiveness. Thanks @mikeclayton!
- Added a setting to set a customized sized window. Thanks @mikeclayton!
- Added some shortcuts for display navigation. Thanks @mikeclayton!
Peek
- New utility: Peek. Thanks @SamChaps, who drove the hassle! Many thanks for all of the contributors who made it potential: @danielchau, @estebanm123, @Joanna-Zhou, @jth-ms, @miksalmon, @niels9001, @RobsonPontin, @sujessie, and @Sytta!
PowerToys Run
- Add a plugin to begin different PowerToys. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
- Added code to the Shell plugin to make use of Home windows Terminal. Presently accessible solely by way of manipulating the settings file straight. Thanks @phoenix172!
Fast Accent
- Added a lacking character to the Welsh language.
Registry Preview
- Specify minimal measurement / place values for the UI (This was a hotfix for 0.69). Thanks @randyrants!
- Fixes within the UI command bar (This was a hotfix for 0.69). Thanks @randyrants!
- Repair crash on opening a file picker when operating elevated (This was a hotfix for 0.69). Thanks @randyrants!
- Fastened tooltips having a clear background (This was a hotfix for 0.69).
- Fastened a file measurement restrict typo. Thanks @idma88!
- Enhance hexadecimal worth parsing. Thanks @randyrants!
- Added a button to open the Registry Editor at a specific key. Thanks @randyrants!
- Enhance key and worth parsing. Thanks @randyrants!
- Higher theme assist for caption bar. Thanks @randyrants!
- Repair a problem dealing with empty DWORD and QWORD values. Thanks @randyrants!
Settings
- Replace the What’s New display to cover the installer hashes within the new format (This was a hotfix for 0.69).
- Repair crashes taking place when utilizing the Shortcut Management (This was a hotfix for 0.69).
- The Settings window now has a minimal width. Thanks @niels9001!
- Stop a second Settings occasion from being opened on improve.
- Repair accessibility points on many pages. Thanks @niels9001!
Documentation
- Repair a lifeless hyperlink in documentation that was pointing to the incorrect settings specification. Thanks @zanseb!
- Added some lacking contributors to COMMUNITY.md
Improvement
- Fastened the CI launch pipelines hash technology (This was a hotfix for 0.69).
- Added per-user installers to the winget package deal submission script.
- Upgraded the Neighborhood Toolkit Labs dependency. Thanks @niels9001!
- Fastened constructing with Visible Studio 17.6. Thanks @snickler!
- Upgraded the WebView 2 dependency.
- Upgraded the WinAppSDK dependency to 1.3.1.
- Fastened a typo stopping the clear up script to run. Thanks @Sajad-Lx!
- Fastened encoding on a check file to repair operating assessments in some configurations. Thanks @VisualBasist!
- Made the GPO launch belongings come named with a model within the construct CI output.