Microsoft PowerToys is a free and open-source set of utilities designed to enhance productivity and improve the Windows experience. It’s aimed at power users who want to customize and streamline their workflow on Windows 10and Windows 11. Here’s a rundown of some of the key features available in PowerToys:
1. FancyZones
- A window manager that helps you create custom layouts for your open windows.
- You can snap windows into predefined zones to maximize your screen real estate and improve multitasking.
- Shortcut:
Win + Shift +(drag windows to the zones)
2. PowerToys Run
- A quick application launcher similar to Spotlight on macOS.
- Allows you to search and run apps, open files, and perform calculations right from your desktop.
- Shortcut:
Alt + Space
3. Keyboard Manager
- Remap keys and create custom shortcuts to suit your preferences.
- Useful for power users who want to personalize their keyboard setup or create new hotkeys.
- Supports both key remapping and shortcut remapping.
4. Color Picker
- A simple and efficient color picker tool that allows you to identify colors from anywhere on your screen.
- Ideal for designers and developers who need to quickly grab color values.
- Shortcut:
Win + Shift + C
5. File Explorer Add-ons
- Enhances File Explorer with additional features, such as previewing file types (SVG, markdown, PDF) in the preview pane without opening them.
- This feature integrates with the standard File Explorer experience.
6. Image Resizer
- A powerful utility to quickly resize images directly from File Explorer.
- Simply right-click on an image or a batch of images, and you can resize them to predefined or custom dimensions.
- Supports multiple formats like PNG, JPEG, etc.
7. PowerRename
- A bulk file renaming tool that helps you rename multiple files with advanced search-and-replace or regular expression matching.
- This is particularly useful for organizing large batches of files.
8. FancyZones Editor
- Customize and save different window layouts for different tasks. You can set specific zones on your screen to snap windows into.
- Perfect for users with large or ultra-wide monitors who want more control over their workspace.
9. Shortcut Guide
- Displays a full overlay of all available Windows keyboard shortcuts when you hold down the
Winkey. - Helpful for discovering and memorizing Windows shortcuts to speed up your workflow.
- Shortcut:
Win + Hold
10. Mouse Utilities
- Find My Mouse: If you frequently lose track of your mouse pointer, this feature highlights the mouse location on the screen.
- Shortcut:
Ctrl + Twice
- Shortcut:
- Mouse Highlighter: Displays visual highlights around your cursor when you click, useful during presentations or screen recordings.
- Mouse Jump: Quickly move your mouse across large screens or multi-monitor setups by jumping between distant locations.
11. Awake
- A utility that allows your computer to stay awake without modifying power settings.
- Useful when running tasks that require the PC to remain active without going into sleep mode, such as long downloads or updates.
12. Video Conference Mute
- A universal microphone and camera mute feature that works across all applications.
- Ideal for quickly muting/unmuting during online meetings without having to toggle in individual apps.
- Shortcut:
Win + Shift + A(for mic),Win + Shift + O(for camera)
13. Hosts File Editor
- Provides an easy interface to edit your Windows hosts file.
- The hosts file allows you to map domain names to IP addresses locally, which can be helpful for developers or network admins.
14. Text Extractor
- Lets you extract text from images or other parts of the screen using OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
- Useful for copying text that cannot be selected normally (e.g., from images, videos).
- Shortcut:
Win + Shift + T
15. Quick Accent
- A tool that helps you type accented characters or special symbols easily by holding down a key.
- Designed to improve typing in multiple languages or for users who frequently need special characters.
How to Download and Install Microsoft PowerToys
- You can download PowerToys directly from the official Microsoft repository on GitHub:
Conclusion
Microsoft PowerToys offers a wide range of productivity-enhancing tools that allow you to customize your Windows experience. These utilities are ideal for power users who want to maximize efficiency and improve their workflows. Since it's free and regularly updated by Microsoft, it's a great addition to any Windows setup.
Let me know if you'd like more information on any specific feature or need help setting it up!