Microsoft has been releasing increasingly more PowerToys for Home windows 10 and Home windows 11. This open-source mission provides many highly effective options to Home windows, from a bulk file renamer to an Alt+Tab various that allows you to seek for home windows out of your keyboard.
Replace, 3/8/23: We initially revealed this text on April 1, 2020. We’ve up to date it with details about all the most recent PowerToys as of PowerToys model 0.68.1, which Microsoft launched on March 7, 2023.
How to Install PowerToys on Windows 10 or Windows 11
Always on Top, to Make Any Windows Always-on-Top
Awake, a Quick Way to Stop Your PC From Sleeping
Color Picker, a Speedy System-Wide Color Picker
FancyZones, a Zone-Based Window Manager
File Locksmith, to Unlock a File Used by a Process
File Explorer Add-ons, for More Previews
Hosts File Editor, to Easily Edit the hosts File
Image Resizer, a Bulk Image Resizer
Keyboard Manager, for Remapping Keyboard Shortcuts
Mouse Utilities, to Find Your Mouse and Track Clicks
Paste As Plain Text
PowerRename, a Bulk File Renamer
PowerToys Run, a Quick Application Launcher
Quick Accent, to Type Accented Characters
Screen Ruler, for Measuring Pixels on Screen
Shortcut Guide, for Windows Key Shortcuts
Text Extractor, for Copying Unselectable Text
Video Conference Mute, to Toggle Your Mic and Webcam
What Happened to Window Walker?
Set up PowerToys on Home windows 10 or Home windows 11
You possibly can download PowerToys from the Microsoft Store or get an installer directly from GitHub and allow the options you need from inside the PowerToys Settings software. It’s free and open-source. Should you’re utilizing GitHub, obtain the “PowerToysSetup” EXE file from the web site and double-click it to put in it. (You will want the “x64” installer for 64-bit Intel or AMD CPUs. Within the unlikely occasion you might be utilizing a Home windows on ARM PC—for those who don’t know, you virtually actually aren’t—obtain the ARM64 installer as an alternative.)
You possibly can launch PowerToys out of your Begin menu, and it’ll stay working within the background.
To entry PowerToys settings after putting in and launching the applying, find the PowerToys icon within the notification area (system tray) in your taskbar, right-click it, and choose “Settings.”
Be aware: If a keyboard shortcut, context menu possibility, or system tray icon we cowl right here doesn’t seem in your system, you should definitely head to PowerToys Settings and be certain that explicit device is enabled. Some PowerToys should not enabled by default.
At all times on High, to Make Any Home windows At all times-on-High
Microsoft’s At all times on High PowerToy gives a straightforward solution to make any window at all times on high. Simply press Home windows+Ctrl+T and the window shall be on high of all of your different home windows till you undo the change with Home windows+Ctrl+T.
While you use the shortcut, the window made always-on-top will get a blue border and a notification sound will play. You possibly can disable these, for those who like, and in addition change the keyboard shortcut to anything. Different choices embrace inserting a visual border across the always-on-top window, taking part in a sound when a window is pinned, and excluding particular apps from being made always-on-top.
The PowerToy is much more handy than many third-party Windows utilities for making windows always on top.
Awake, a Fast Strategy to Cease Your PC From Sleeping
Whether or not you’re downloading a file or performing one other long-running activity, typically you simply don’t need your PC to fall asleep. You possibly can go into Settings and tell Windows to never sleep, watch for the duty to finish, after which return into Settings and alter the setting again. After all, that’s a number of clicks—and it’s simple to neglect to re-enable sleep mode.
PowerToys Awake offers you a fast notification space icon that allows you to management sleep settings. You possibly can have your PC by no means fall asleep till you inform it to not. Or, you may configure your PC to solely keep awake till a predetermined time you set.
RELATED: How to Temporarily Stop Your Windows PC from Sleeping
Shade Picker, a Speedy System-Vast Shade Picker
Individuals who work with graphics, from internet designers to photographers and graphics artists, typically should determine a particular shade and use it. That’s why instruments like Adobe Photoshop have a shade picker (eyedrop) device that allows you to level your mouse cursor at a part of a picture to determine exactly what shade it’s.
Shade Picker is an eyedrop device that works wherever in your system. After enabling it in PowerToys, press Home windows+Shift+C to open it wherever. You’ll see the colour code displayed in each hex and RGB so you need to use it in different applications.
Click on as soon as and the hex color code shall be copied to your clipboard so you may paste it. Should you favor RGB, you may open the Shade Picker display screen within the PowerToys Settings window and select to as an alternative copy the RGB shade code whenever you click on.
FancyZones, a Zone-Primarily based Window Supervisor
FancyZones is a window supervisor that allows you to create layouts of “zones” for windows on your desktop. Home windows 10 usually allows you to “snap” windows in a 1×1 or 2×2 arrangement. Home windows 11 has a more advanced Snap feature that’s simpler to find, and Microsoft made it higher in Windows 11’s 22H2 update. Nonetheless, FancyZones allows you to create extra complicated layouts with much more customization choices and management.
By default, you may press Home windows+Shift+` (that’s a grave character, the important thing above the Tab key) to open the Zone Editor. Then, whereas dragging and dropping a window, you may press and maintain the Shift key (or one other mouse button, like your proper mouse button) to see the zones. Drop a window in a zone and it’ll snap to that format in your display screen.
FancyZones gives a fast manner of establishing complicated window layouts with out fastidiously resizing every window. Simply drop home windows into the zones. You possibly can configure all of its many choices and keyboard shortcuts by opening the PowerToys Settings window and clicking “FancyZones” within the sidebar.
File Locksmith, to Unlock a File Utilized by a Course of
When a Home windows desktop software or one other course of is utilizing a file, the method typically “locks” that file and gained’t allow you to transfer, rename, or delete it till the method is completed with it. This may be obnoxious, as in some instances, you is probably not conscious which course of is utilizing a file. Chances are you’ll end up rebooting your laptop so you may modify a file.
File Locksmith reveals you which of them processes are at the moment utilizing a file and allows you to simply shut them for those who like. This unlocks the file so you may rename, transfer, delete, or in any other case modify it.
To make use of File Locksmith, right-click a file in File Explorer and choose “What’s utilizing this file?” within the context menu. (On Home windows 11, you will have to click on “Show more options” on the backside of the context menu first.)
You possibly can then finish the method usually or finish it from this window. (Should you finish the method from the File Locksmith window, nonetheless, you could lose unsaved work within the course of.)File Locksmith is an alternative choice to third-party applications for unlocking files on Windows.
File Explorer Add-ons, for Extra Previews
File Explorer has a preview pane, which may present previews of pictures and different file varieties instantly in File Explorer. Press Alt+P in File Explorer to indicate or conceal it. Choose a file and also you’ll instantly see a preview.
With the varied File Explorer Add-ons enabled in PowerToys, Home windows will be capable of present previews of SVG (scalable vector graphics) images, documents formatted in Markdown, PDF paperwork, supply code recordsdata with syntax highlighting, and G-code recordsdata (utilized by 3D printers.)
Hosts File Editor, to Simply Edit the hosts File
Windows 10 and Windows 11 have a hosts file that comprises a listing of domains and related IP addresses. This file capabilities as an “override” to your system’s regular DNS servers—your laptop first checks the hosts file after which, if no entries are current, contacts its configured DNS servers. (Different working techniques like macOS and Linux have hosts recordsdata, too.)
In some instances, you could need to modify your hosts file. For instance, individuals use the hosts file to dam web sites—for those who set fb.com to an area IP tackle like 127.0.0.1, your laptop gained’t be capable of load fb.com. The hosts file will also be helpful when growing or migrating web sites.
Usually, you need to edit the hosts file by launching a textual content editor like Notepad as Administrator, opening the file from C:WindowsSystem32driversetchosts, and dealing with it as a textual content file. The Hosts File Editor offers a extra streamlined, less complicated solution to handle hosts file entries.
To make use of the Hosts File Editor, open the PowerToys Settings window, choose “Hosts File Editor,” and click on the “Launch Hosts File Editor” button.
Picture Resizer, a Bulk Picture Resizer
PowerToys gives a fast picture resizer that integrates with File Explorer. With it enabled, choose a number of picture recordsdata in File Explorer, right-click them, and choose “Resize Footage.”
The Picture Resizer window will open. You possibly can then select a measurement for the picture recordsdata or enter a customized measurement in pixels. By default, the device will create resized copies of the chosen picture recordsdata, however you may also have it resize and substitute the unique recordsdata. You possibly can even click on the “Settings” button and configure superior choices like picture encoder high quality settings.
This device is a fast solution to resize a number of picture recordsdata with out opening a extra sophisticated software.
Keyboard Supervisor, for Remapping Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard Supervisor offers a straightforward interface for remapping single keys on your keyboard and multiple-key shortcuts.
The “Remap Keyboard” device allows you to change a single key to a brand new key. You can also make any key in your keyboard perform as some other key—together with particular perform keys. For instance, you can flip the Caps Lock key you by no means use right into a Browser Again key for extra simply navigating the online.
The “Remap Shortcuts” pane allows you to change multiple-key shortcuts into different shortcuts. For instance, Home windows+E usually opens a File Explorer window. You could possibly create a brand new keyboard shortcut Home windows+Area that opens a File Explorer window. Your new keyboard shortcuts can override present keyboard shortcuts constructed into Home windows 10.
Mouse Utilities, to Discover Your Mouse and Observe Clicks
It will possibly typically be laborious to identify your mouse, particularly for those who’re utilizing a high-resolution show. Mouse Utilities provides 4 keyboard shortcuts that make this simpler: Discover My Mouse, Mouse Highlighter, Mouse Leap, and Mouse Pointer Crosshairs. Right here’s what they do:
- Discover My Mouse will grey out most of your display screen, forsaking a light-weight circle spotlighting the place of your mouse cursor. To make use of Discover My Mouse, double-tap the Ctrl key by default.
- Mouse Highlighter leaves behind a coloured circle each time you click on. To activate and deactivate it, press Home windows+Shift+H by default.
- Mouse Leap opens a smaller preview of your desktop. Click on wherever on the desktop to instantly transfer your mouse cursor to that location in your desktop. It could be notably helpful on techniques with ultrawide monitors or a number of screens. Press Home windows+Shift+D to activate it.
- Mouse Pointer Crosshairs attracts crosshairs round your mouse to make it simpler to see. Press Home windows+Alt+P to activate it by default.
If a few of these keyboard shortcuts don’t work, head to PowerToys Settings > Mouse Utilities and make sure the device you need to use is enabled. You possibly can change the keyboard shortcuts related to every motion and tweak different choices from right here, too.
Paste As Plain Textual content
The Paste As Plain Textual content device offers a easy keyboard shortcut that may paste the contents of your clipboard as plain text—in different phrases, with none formatting. The device will substitute the contents of your clipboard with plain textual content whenever you activate the keyboard shortcut.
Press Home windows+Ctrl+Alt+V to stick as plain textual content with the default settings.
PowerRename, a Bulk File Renamer
Microsoft’s PowerToys embrace a batch renaming tool named “PowerRename.” With this function enabled, you may right-click a number of recordsdata or folders in File Explorer and choose “PowerRename” within the context menu to open it.
The PowerRename device window will seem. You should utilize the textual content bins and checkboxes to quickly batch rename files. For instance, you may take away phrases from a file title, substitute phrases, add numbers, change a number of file extensions without delay, and extra. You possibly can even use regular expressions. The preview pane will enable you fine-tune your renaming settings earlier than you undergo with renaming the recordsdata
This utility is far less complicated than many of the third-party batch rename tools available for Windows.
PowerToys Run, a Fast Software Launcher
PowerToys Run is a text-based software launcher with a search function. In contrast to the basic Home windows Run dialog (Home windows+R), it has a search function. In contrast to the Begin menu’s search field, it’s all about launching issues in your laptop as an alternative of looking the online with Bing.
Along with purposes, PowerToys Run can shortly discover recordsdata. It will possibly even discover and swap to open home windows—simply seek for their window title.
To open it, press Alt+Area. This keyboard shortcut is customizable from the PowerToys Run pane in PowerToys Settings.
Begin typing for a phrase to seek for purposes, recordsdata, and even open home windows. Use the arrow keys to pick out an merchandise within the record (or simply maintain typing to slim it down) and press Enter to launch the applying, open the file, or swap to the window.
PowerToys Run has another options, like an “Open as Administrator” and “Open Containing Folder” button for every possibility within the record. Sooner or later, it is going to have plug-ins like a calculator.
Fast Accent, to Sort Accented Characters
The Fast Accent device offers a fast solution to sort accented characters whenever you’re utilizing a keyboard that doesn’t assist them. You utilize it by holding down the character you need to add the accent to, after which maintain down the left arrow key, proper arrow key, or house bar. A toolbar will seem on the high of your display screen and you need to use the arrows or house key to pick out the accented character you need to sort. Launch a key to sort the character whenever you’re achieved.
You possibly can customise the place of the toolbar, the keys that activate it, and the character units offered by the Fast Accent device from its Settings web page.
Display Ruler, for Measuring Pixels on Display
The Display Ruler device allows you to measure parts in your measurement in pixels. Press Home windows+Shift+M to open the Display Ruler toolbar the highest of your display screen. You possibly can choose the square-shaped “Bounds” field and draw a field in your display screen, or use the opposite buttons to measure the horizontal or vertical spacing between different parts.
Shortcut Information, for Home windows Key Shortcuts
Home windows is full of keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows key. For instance, do you know which you could press Home windows+E to open a File Explorer window, Home windows+i to open a Settings window, or Home windows+D to indicate your desktop? You too can press Home windows+1 to activate the primary software shortcut from the left in your taskbar, Home windows+2 to activate the second, and so forth.
The Home windows Key Shortcut Information will enable you be taught and bear in mind these shortcuts. With it enabled, you may press Home windows+Shift+/ to view an overlay that shows widespread shortcuts. Launch the important thing to dismiss the overlay.
Textual content Extractor, for Copying Unselectable Textual content
The Textual content Extrator device makes use of optical character recognition (OCR) to extract textual content and duplicate it from wherever on the display screen. Even when the textual content is a part of a picture file or a PDF that doesn’t have selectable textual content, the Textual content Extractor ought to allow you to copy the textual content and paste it elsewhere.
To make use of the Textual content Extrator device, press Home windows+Shift+T. Click on and drag to pick out the realm in your display screen containing the textual content you need to copy. Launch the left mouse button and the textual content willb e copied to your clipboard. You’ll want to proofread it, because the OCR is probably not excellent.
To allow the Textual content Extractor performance for one more language, you will have to install the OCR pack for that language.
Video Convention Mute, to Toggle Your Mic and Webcam
The Video Convention Mute PowerToy offers you common (world) keyboard shortcuts for shortly muting your microphone and turning off your digicam. They work in each Home windows software, not simply video conferencing instruments like Zoom, Microsoft Groups, and Google Meet.
Be aware: Whereas this device continues to be a part of PowerToys, it’s now solely included in “maintenance mode.” Microsoft is discontinuing most growth on it and considers it changed by Windows 11’s keyboard shortcut for muting your microphone. (Sadly, that keyboard shortcut solely works in your mic—not your webcam—and solely in particular apps that allow assist for it, like Microsoft Groups.)
By default, you may press Home windows+Shift+Q to mute your digicam and microphone, Home windows+Shift+A to mute simply your microphone, or Home windows+Shift+O to mute your digicam. While you do, a floating toolbar will seem, reminding you you’ve disabled your inputs with the Video Convention Mute device and supplying you with a fast solution to re-enable them
Energy Toys has quite a lot of settings that allow you to configure which microphone and webcam it disables and alter these keyboard shortcuts to anything you’d favor.
What Occurred to Window Walker?
Replace: This PowerToy has now been merged into PowerToys Run. You possibly can sort the title of a window into the PowerToys Run field to seek out and swap to it.
Window Walker is a text-based Alt+Tab various with a search function. To open it, press Ctrl+Win. You’ll see a textual content field seem.
Begin typing a phrase to seek for open home windows that match it. For instance, in case you have a number of Chrome browser home windows open, you may sort “Chrome” and also you’ll see a listing of them. Use the arrow keys to scroll via the home windows and press Enter to pick out one.
This device will be very useful in case you have a number of home windows open and are digging for one particularly. For instance, in case you have ten completely different browser home windows open and also you’re on the lookout for one which’s displaying a selected web site, you may press Ctrl+Tab, begin typing the title of the web site, and discover the browser window displaying that web site.
The PowerToys bundle isn’t achieved but, and Microsoft has more tools planned earlier than the 1.0 launch. We’ll maintain this text up to date with new options as they’re launched.
RELATED: Master Windows 10’s Alt+Tab Switcher with These Tricks
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