Working from home has its perks, but staying organized can be tough. Enter Microsoft PowerToys—a powerful toolkit designed to tailor your Windows setup to fit your workflow seamlessly. It’s your secret weapon for working smarter, not harder.
What Is PowerToys?
PowerToys is a set of utilities that extend and enhance the functionality of Windows. Originally created in the 1990s as experimental tools for power users, PowerToys has been reimagined for modern workflows. The current version includes a host of tools designed to improve productivity, organization, and system customization. Despite Microsoft’s tendency toward highly protected proprietary assets, it is completely open source.
Installing PowerToys is straightforward. Visit its official GitHub repo or the Microsoft Store, download the source code or installer application. Once installed, the app runs quietly in the background, accessible through a system tray icon.
Each utility can be individually enabled or disabled, letting you tailor the app to your needs without unnecessary clutter.
Working from home brings unique challenges to productivity. Distractions are everywhere, and maintaining focus requires an intentional setup. Whether you have a dedicated home office or are making do with a corner of your dining table, PowerToys can help you make the most of your space.
Consider the repetitive tasks that often slow you down: resizing windows, searching for a lost cursor, or keeping your PC awake during a lengthy video call.
Constantly having to perform these little tasks is detrimental to reaching that ever-sought-after flow state. With PowerToys, these frustrations become a thing of the past. Once integrated into your daily drive, you have my guarantee that it will serve to make work feel quite a bit less like work.
Your layout also matters. If you’re juggling multiple monitors, switching between a laptop screen and an external display, or need to snap windows into specific configurations, PowerToys can create a consistent and streamlined workspace.
Exploring PowerToys Features
PowerToys is packed with features that simplify everyday tasks. While some tools are highly specialized, many are designed for general productivity and, in keeping with the overall context of this guide, are particularly useful in a work-from-home setting. From managing your screen layout to enhancing file navigation, PowerToys brings solutions to the table to introduce a professional environment to your personal setup.
The image above is an overview of every PowerToys module currently available. As you can see, they are quite numerous. Covering all of them would turn this article into a veritable tome, so let’s look at its most impactful tools for remote work; the most useful that save the most time and effort.
FancyZones: Optimize Your Window Management
FancyZones is a window manager that lets you create custom snapping layouts for your open windows. Unlike the default Windows snapping options, FancyZones allows you to define and save layouts that fit your workflow.
For instance, you could set up a three-zone layout for a spreadsheet, a browser, and a messaging app, ensuring each application always snaps into its designated spot. FancyZones is particularly useful if you frequently switch between tasks or work with different monitor setups.
If you often move between a laptop and a widescreen monitor, FancyZones makes it easy to maintain your workflow without constantly resizing and rearranging windows.
Max Out Your Mouse
Have you ever lost your mouse cursor during a meeting or on a high-resolution monitor? PowerToys offers tools like Cursor Crosshair and Mouse Highlighter to prevent that frustration.
Cursor Crosshair adds a prominent crosshair to your pointer, making it easy to locate—even during screen-sharing sessions. By default, the crosshair spans the entirety of the display, but can also be configured to be a tad bit lower profile (as seen in my animation for the PowerToys section of this guide).
Meanwhile, the Mouse Highlighter adds a visual cue when you click, which is great for presentations or tutorials where others need to follow your actions.
These tools aren’t just for meetings. They’re invaluable if you work with multiple monitors or need better visibility on large screens. As an instructor and tutorial writer, these are daily driving essentials for yours truly.
Sleep and Display Control
The Awake tool is perfect for ensuring your system stays active when you step away from your desk. This utility prevents your PC from entering sleep mode, which is particularly useful during long downloads, uploads, or video calls where you don’t touch your keyboard or mouse for extended periods.
Navigate Faster
PowerToys Peek is a hidden gem for anyone dealing with cluttered file directories. With a simple press of a hotkey, Peek allows you to preview files and folders without opening them. Think of it as Windows’ answer to macOS’s Quick Look, but with added functionality.
Peek is especially handy for checking folder sizes or skimming through files when you’re organizing your system or searching for specific content. It’s a small feature, but it saves you time and minimizes interruptions to your workflow.
I find it especially useful for previewing video files extremely fast right from File Explorer (shown above). All I need to do is select a file and press Ctrl+Space and the selected clip plays instantly without having to open it in a media player. Arrow up and down while Peek is open to cycle through files and videos to instantly preview even faster.
Other PowerToys Use Cases
While PowerToys is a lifesaver for remote work, its tools can also enhance your personal computing experience. FancyZones, Cursor Crosshair, and Mouse Highlighter are just as valuable in everyday scenarios as they are in professional ones.
For example, if you’re live-streaming, FancyZones can keep your streaming software, chat window, and other tools organized. Mouse Highlighter can make your on-screen actions more visible to viewers, and Peek can help you quickly access media files without disrupting your flow.
Hobbyists, like DJ enthusiasts or gamers, can also benefit from PowerToys. The ability to customize workflows and improve visibility makes it an excellent tool for personal projects.
Microsoft PowerToys is an indispensable utility for anyone looking to optimize their Windows experience, especially in a work-from-home setting. Its tools simplify repetitive tasks, enhance system visibility, and create a more efficient workspace. If you want to do even more, check out some text-entry tips for Windows or learn to make the most of the Microsoft To Do app.
