Although designed for power users, they can be used by anyone thanks to the easy interface. These utilities are available in a single package. In September 2019, Microsoft released the first version of PowerToys for Windows 10 to the public, and it has evolved ever since.

Later operating systems such as Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 didn't receive official support for PowerToys. Various components were discontinued over its lifetime, but there were 20 components overall, including an advanced calculator and live window previews via Alt-Tab. Rather than being available in a single package, these were separate downloads. The second version of PowerToys was for Windows XP.

You could use AutoPlay on non-audio CDs, open desktop items from a taskbar menu, quickly change screen resolution, and more. Anfangs waren die PowerToys, die für Windows 10 und Windows 11 bereitstehen, eher eine Sammlung von Werkzeugen für die Benutzeroberfläche, mittlerweile geht es immer mehr ans 'Eingemachte'. PowerToys for Windows 95 was the first version and included 15 components. The default activation command to trigger a web search is ?, though this can be changed using settings, and to our surprise we’re pleased to find that a web search will adhere to your current search engine and web browser preferences.PowerToys are a series of free tools that are designed to improve the functionality of the Windows operating system. Whether or not such features should be built-into the operating system by default is up for debate, but PowerToys is nonetheless a welcome and lightweight add-on for those likely to use the extra tools.Īs part of the new release, the PowerToys Run launcher has been updated to support web searches. Hit Win+Ctrl+T to pin the window currently in focus, and it’ll stay that way with a configurable border in a colour of your choosing. The latest release, v0.53.1, introduces an Always On Top mode that makes it easy to keep a window in front of all others via a simple shortcut. Reincarnated in 2019, PowerToys now serves as an open-source project that brings a handful of useful features to Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Remember Microsoft PowerToys, that quirky set of add-ons for power users of Windows operating systems from years gone by? Well, it still exists, and if you’re not using it yet, you probably ought to be.

Windows 10 powertoys