Microsoft’s PowerToys app unlocks a slew of useful features in Windows, including a comprehensive window manager for large displays, a bulk file renamer, and an automatic image resizing tool. And now, Windows 11 users can install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store, skipping the complicated manual installation process.
Veteran PC users may remember the original PowerToys, a set of tools for Windows 95. Microsoft brought back PowerToys for Windows 10 a few years ago, and has since developed nine new features for the software (plus one experimental feature).
- Awake: A toggle to keep your PC awake without digging into power or sleep settings.
- Color Picker: A system-wide color picker activated with a keyboard shortcut (Win+Shift+C). The color picker copies colors from any application into your clipboard, and even features a built-in color editor.
- FancyZones: A window manager that lets you create complex window layouts or swappable layout presets. Snapping windows into these layouts takes just seconds. (FancyZones is great for multi-monitor or ultrawide setups.)
- File Explorer Add-Ons: A toggleable preview pane that shows SVG icons and Markdown file previews in the File Explorer.
- Image Resizer: A shell extension that lets you quickly resize images from the File Explorer.
- Keyboard Manager: Remap keys and create your own keyboard shortcuts.
- PowerRename: A bulk renaming tool with advanced search and previewing features.
- PowerToys Run: Search and launch apps instantly with one quick shortcut (Alt+Space). This feature is similar to Spotlight on macOS.
- Shortcut Guide: Press a single keyboard shortcut (Win+?) to show all applicable keyboard shortcuts for whatever app you’re using.
- Video Conference Mute (Experimental): This beta feature disables your microphone and camera system-wide using one shortcut (Win+N). Video Conference Mute only works in the pre-release PowerToys build.
Before now, Windows users could only install PowerToys through GitHub or a package manager. Installing PowerToys from the Windows Store is a lot easier and guarantees that you won’t miss any updates.
I suggest giving PowerToys a shot, even if you’re not a “power” user. Some of its features, like the Awake toggle and Shortcut Guide, are so useful that you’ll wonder how you lived without them.
Still don’t have Windows 11? The operating system officially launches October 5th, though there’s a chance that it won’t work on your PC. Find out more in our latest Windows 11 writeup.
Source: Microsoft via XDA Developers
