First, it have to be enabled (it’s off by default). Then a shared key have to be generated and used to get the gadgets speaking to one another, after which a structure may be organized. There are all types of controls that come into play: a dozen for conduct, 5 keyboard shortcuts, and a smattering of superior settings and troubleshooting instruments. Figure 11 exhibits two of my laptops (P16 and X380, from left to proper) set as much as allow the cursor to trace between them.
Figure 11: MWB enables you to prepare techniques (two laptops on this case) in line to trace the cursor throughout them.
Ed Tittel / Foundry
New+: Lets you create information and folders from your individual personalised template set. You can use it to arrange textual content, Office, and different information with predefined data. For occasion, you possibly can create a file with the handle block, date placeholder, and recipient placeholder for a enterprise letter; one other with layouts and column heads for bill spreadsheets; and others for generally wanted information for on a regular basis use. The New+ settings allow you to change the default template location and conceal filename extensions and beginning characters.
Peek: Another File Explorer extension that gives fast, transient entry to file previews. Highlight a file, press Ctrl + spacebar, and a preview window opens. This works particularly effectively for screencaps; as demonstrated in Figure 12, it’s straightforward to see particulars captured in a screenshot with out truly opening the picture file. (Notice the Peek icon up prime, a magnifying glass on a file folder.) Peek has quite simple controls, too.
Figure 12: Highlight a file, press Ctrl + spacebar, and get the preview.
Ed Tittel / Foundry
PowerRename: Provides a context menu entry (Windows Shell extension) for superior bulk file renaming in File Explorer utilizing search and change or common expression syntax (regex). Regex is an especially highly effective approach, and it’s a good suggestion to have some information of the way it works earlier than you employ PowerRename to fiddle with actual, reside information in your PC. Microsoft Learn has a pleasant regex tutorial for Visual Studio that covers the fundamentals of characters, operators, constructs, and patterns.
Figure 13 exhibits me renaming a number of the picture information for this very story: it’s a useful gizmo.
Figure 13: I highlighted 4 filenames and Shift-clicked to open this PowerRename window. It’s set as much as change “pt25” with “PowToy25.”
Ed Tittel / Foundry
PowerToys Run: A fast pop-up launcher that works just like the Run command window. Shortcut key combo: Alt + spacebar. Note that these keys are adjoining on US QWERTY keyboards for super-quick entry and use. It’s quicker and simpler to entry than the Run field, and its search perform is likewise lightning quick. Click any merchandise within the search outcomes to launch and go.
Figure 14 exhibits a generic PowerToys Run field that places its capabilities on show: run executables; calculate easy equations; search earlier inputs, information, folders and applications; and navigate the Registry. The higher it, the higher you’ll prefer it!
Figure 14: Press Alt + spacebar to get this nifty field providing quite a lot of prompt actions.
Ed Tittel / Foundry
Quick Accent: Longtime home windows customers know they’ll use all types of Esc and Alt key combos to emit odd and fascinating characters from Windows keyboards. Quick Accent supplies one other option to entry accents, fractions, diacritical marks, and different characters utilizing a extra visible strategy.
As you possibly can see in Figure 15, holding down the 1 key and hitting the left arrow places a number of 1s down earlier than the accent bar pops up above, with numerous sub- and superscript choices plus fractions with a 1 numerator. Interesting!
Figure 15: The Quick Accent bar seems above the Notepad window: that’s the place you decide the character you need.
Ed Tittel / Foundry
This one takes some enjoying with to get used to however can then be fairly helpful. When you don’t want the Quick Accent toolbar anymore, you have to disable this PowerToy to make it vanish.
Registry Preview: Provides a clear, easy take a look at the contents of any Windows Registry file. You can launch this app from PowerToys Settings > Registry Preview, or else maintain down the Shift key if you click on on a .reg file in File Explorer, then choose Preview from the ensuing pop-up menu. Those who sometimes (or often) work on the Registry immediately will discover this a nice, light-weight various to RegEdit.exe.
Screen Ruler: Provides a easy, visible option to measure pixels on a Windows show. It additionally contains horizontal and vertical measurement functionality; affords steady measuring; and supplies shade, shade edge, and edge detection controls (see PowerToys Settings > Screen Ruler for all the main points). Its shortcut key combo is Win key + Shift + M.
Figure 16 exhibits the ruler at work, exhibiting the pixel rely between two desktop background components. As with Quick Accent, you have to disable Screen Ruler to show off the highest middle ruler toolbar if you don’t want to see or use it.
Figure 16: A faint purple line labeled “345” exhibits the space in pixels from the circle to the brand.
Ed Tittel / Foundry
Shortcut Guide: A context-sensitive itemizing of keyboard shortcuts that exhibits up in Windows 10 or 11 when shortcut key combo Win key + Shift + / (right-slash) is pressed. If opened on the desktop (as in Figure 17), it exhibits Windows shortcuts. Opened inside any software, it exhibits that app’s shortcuts as an alternative. Hit Esc to shut the information. One of my private favorites, this software helps me bear in mind extra shortcuts than my poor mind can maintain.
Figure 17: Combined with the Windows key, these are the fundamental Windows shortcuts, neatly specified by Shortcut Guide.
Ed Tittel / Foundry
Text Extractor: Copies textual content from any portion of the Windows show, together with inside pictures or movies. Microsoft recommends utilizing the comparatively new “Text actions” functionality contained in the Snipping Tool as an alternative of this software. Indeed, Text Extractor is disabled by default. But when enabled, it responds to the shortcut key combo Win key + Shift + T.
Once you outline an oblong area on display, Text Extractor parses all textual content it finds into the clipboard. You can then paste that textual content into an editor or textual content enter of your selection. I used it to seize the tip of the Lenovo brand on my desktop, which you’ll be able to see pasted into Notepad in Figure 18.
Figure 18: When I hint a rectangle round “novo” (white textual content on purple background), Text Extractor pastes it into Notepad.
Ed Tittel / Foundry
Workspaces: A software for grouping a set of purposes collectively, with positioning management and distinctive configuration settings. The shortcut to launch this software, if enabled, is Win key + Ctrl + ` (grave accent or backtick). Pressing that shortcut opens the Workspaces editor and allows you to select from predefined layouts (known as Templates) or create your individual distinctive structure (known as Custom).
You can see a customized workspace in Figure 19, which exhibits Chrome at left, PowerToys above and Edge beneath within the middle, and Copilot to the proper.
Figure 19: Workspaces makes it straightforward to arrange and swap amongst frequent working eventualities.Ed Tittel / Foundry
Workspaces is useful if you run particular work eventualities and wish teams of purposes to make them fly. (See “The ultimate Windows app launcher” for more information.) Works on each single and a number of monitor setups.
ZoomIt: A longtime favourite amongst Sysinternals customers, PowerToys has introduced this nifty display zoom, annotation, and recording software beneath the PowerToys umbrella. It’s an amazing addition for many who’ve by no means used it; it’s much more handy for longtime Sysinternals followers and customers (like yours really, who had the pleasure of writing for Winternals in Austin within the 1990s). The finest option to dig into ZoomIt is to learn the Microsoft Learn article “ZoomIt utility,” which incorporates an animated demo that exhibits you precisely the way it works.
This concludes the overview of the present PowerToys lineup as of early February 2025. For extra about working with PowerToys, see “10 PowerToys you should use on Windows.”
In the following part, you’ll be taught a bit about what the PowerToys crew is considering and dealing on, by the use of attainable new PowerToys.
What’s coming for PowerToys
If you go to the PowerToys roadmap, you’ll see details about what the Microsoft growth crew at present has in its sights. (Shortcut Guide v2 will get my vote.) But as a result of PowerToys is an open-source effort and takes enter from numerous volunteers who contribute concepts and code, this doesn’t cowl all the pieces which may present up within the toybox.
Given these provisos and {qualifications}, right here’s a short-ish record of what’s up with attainable enhancements or new PowerToys:
The in-house crew is at all times engaged on the PowerToys installer and UI bits and items (together with the taskbar icon, flyout menu, and extra). Right now for those who look again at Figure 1 you’ll see that the PowerToys that perform as apps (e.g. Color Picker, Environment Variables, FancyZones, Hosts File Editor, PowerToys Run, Text Extractor, Registry Preview, Screen Ruler, Shortcut Guide, and Workspaces) all seem as icons on that flyout menu. As this stuff come and go, this lineup will change to match.
Each new PowerToys launch comes with launch notes that embody a “What’s New” part. This is a good way to search out (and see) what sorts of issues are popping up contained in the toybox.
PowerToys works effectively with the WinGet package deal supervisor and contains its personal replace button on the “General” pane in PowerToys Settings. It supplies notifications when updates are prepared and makes it straightforward to replace. Personally, I are inclined to catch updates by means of WinGet as a result of I run it on my Windows techniques each different day.
In on-line boards not too long ago, PowerToys crew lead Clint Rutkas has teased including transcoding capabilities for audio and video information inside the Advanced Paste PowerToy.
Given that the Sysinternals software ZoomIt is now built-in into PowerToys, one has to ponder the likelihood that others in that assortment could make their manner into the toybox, too. Learn extra in regards to the excellent Sysinternals software set at its Microsoft residence web page.
Don’t you want some PowerToys?
As any person who’s used a few of these fantastic applications and extensions because the late 1990s, my very own opinion on utilizing PowerToys is an emphatic “Yes! May I have another?” But you’ll should attempt them out for your self and see how you want them for those who’re not utilizing them already. If you’re, hopefully you’ve seen one thing new or intriguing right here that you simply’ll need to check out. Enjoy!
This story was initially launched in October 2020 and up to date in February 2025.