PowerToys Run Archives

Winsage

April 24, 2025

7 things I learned while making the perfect, productivity-focused desktop environment on Windows

Windows 11 has challenges for users seeking a productivity-centric desktop experience, prompting many to seek alternatives and customization utilities. Key elements for enhancing productivity include effective file management, quick access to applications, and tools to streamline workflow. For file management, users can benefit from dual-pane file manager alternatives like XYplorer, File Pilot, Files, and Total Commander, which improve efficiency beyond the default File Explorer. Customizing the Start Menu by relocating it to the left and using tools like StartAllBack, Start11, and Windhawk can enhance productivity. Pinning frequently used apps to the taskbar allows for quick access and utilizes jump lists for recent documents. Disabling the News & Interests widget can reduce distractions, and many users choose to remove Microsoft's Copilot due to unmet expectations. For desktop customization, tools like StartAllBack, Windhawk, Rainmeter, and PowerToys can improve both appearance and functionality. PowerToys offers over 20 utilities, including FancyZones for window management and PowerToys Run for quick application access, making it essential for optimizing workflow. Overall, effective file management, application accessibility, and thoughtful customization are crucial for enhancing productivity on Windows 11.

Winsage

April 2, 2025

Powertoys 0.90: Command palette allows quick program start

Microsoft has released version 0.90.0 of Windows Powertoys, featuring the new "Command Palette" that allows users to quickly search for and launch applications by pressing the Windows key, Alt, and the space bar. The update also includes minor bug fixes, improvements to the color picker, and enhancements to the New+ function for creating predefined files and directories with variable support. Users can check for updates directly within Powertoys. The new installation packages for Powertoys 0.90.0 are available for download in both user and system-wide installations for x64 and ARM64.

Winsage

April 2, 2025

The near-essential Windows PowerToys suite just got a brand new tool

PowerToys version 0.90.0 introduces the Command Palette, also known as "CmdPal," which enhances the previous PowerToys Run feature by allowing users to launch applications and perform tasks efficiently using the shortcut Win+Alt+Space. The update also includes improvements to the Color Picker, Peek feature enhancements that allow file deletion, and new customization options for template filenames. The update is available for download on the PowerToys GitHub page.

Winsage

April 2, 2025

The near-essential Windows PowerToys suite just got a brand new tool

PowerToys version 0.90.0 introduces the Command Palette, or "CmdPal," which enhances app launching and user efficiency. Users can access it by pressing Win+Alt+Space, allowing for quick app launches and mathematical calculations. The update also includes enhancements to the Color Picker, which now features improved visual consistency and theme support, the ability to delete files directly from the Peek feature, and support for variables in template filenames in the New+ module. The update is available for download from the PowerToys GitHub page.

Winsage

April 1, 2025

7 PowerToys Run plug-ins I use to boost my productivity

PowerToys is a suite of productivity tools for Windows 11, featuring over two dozen modules. PowerToys Run is a launcher and search bar that simplifies launching applications and finding files. It can be enhanced with plug-ins, including: - Window Walker: Allows users to search for running applications for quick window switching. - OneNote: Enables quick access to notebooks and pages after activation. - WinGet/Scoop: Streamlines app installation and uninstallation from a trusted repository. - BrowserSearch: Facilitates quick searches of browser history across different web browsers. - FastWeb: Allows users to create shortcuts for websites accessible via text commands. - Everything: Provides a fast search engine for files, improving upon the basic file search capabilities. - Clipboard Manager: Makes clipboard history searchable for easier reuse of text clips.

Winsage

March 26, 2025

Ranking the 10 best PowerToys tools you should be using

PowerToys includes over 25 tools designed to enhance productivity on Windows 11. Key features include: - Mouse without Borders: Connects up to four PCs, sharing mouse and keyboard inputs and enabling clipboard synchronization for items up to 100MB. - Quick Accent: Simplifies typing accented characters by providing a pop-up menu when holding down a character. - Image Resizer: Allows users to resize multiple images simultaneously, offering preset sizes and custom options. - Keyboard Manager: Enables the creation of custom keyboard shortcuts and key remapping for improved efficiency. - Peek: Allows users to preview files in full size by pressing Space, enhancing file exploration. - PowerRename: Facilitates bulk renaming of files using regular expressions for complex tasks. - New+: Lets users create files and folders from templates, ensuring consistency in formatting. - Workspaces: Allows users to launch multiple applications simultaneously and configure app layouts with keyboard shortcuts. - FancyZones: Enhances window management by enabling custom layouts for applications, offering more flexibility than default Snap Layouts. - PowerToys Run: Acts as a fast app launcher, integrating with plugins for enhanced functionality.

Winsage

March 25, 2025

5 Windows tools and apps you can’t find on other operating systems

Certain features remain exclusive to the Windows operating system, offering unique functionalities not available on Mac or Linux. Microsoft has developed tools like PowerToys, which includes nearly 20 utilities enhancing Windows functionality, and Windows Sandbox, providing a secure environment for testing applications. Windows Notepad serves as a basic note-taking and coding app with features like spellcheck and autocorrect. The Snipping Tool allows users to capture screenshots and extract text from images, while the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) enables seamless access to both Windows and Linux environments. These tools are designed to enhance productivity and provide significant advantages for Windows users.

Winsage

March 15, 2025

I finally became a PowerToys convert years after I should have

PowerToys is a suite of free utilities developed by Microsoft for Windows 10 and Windows 11, originally created for Windows 95. It includes various tools such as: - FancyZones: Custom window layouts for desktop organization. - PowerRename: Bulk renaming of files with advanced capabilities. - Image Resizer: Quick image resizing from File Explorer. - PowerToys Run: Fast application launcher for opening apps, files, and executing commands. - Keyboard Manager: Key remapping and custom shortcut creation. - Color Picker: Identifies and copies color codes from the screen. - Mouse Utilities: Locates mouse pointer and highlights clicks. - Text Extractor: Copies text from images using OCR. - Always On Top: Keeps application windows visible above others. PowerToys Run is highlighted as a favorite feature, allowing users to launch applications and search for files efficiently, with support for plugins. The Workspaces feature helps users manage multiple tasks by defining specific applications and their screen positions. PowerToys integrates seamlessly with Windows, enhancing productivity for both power users and general users.

Winsage

March 12, 2025

4 reasons PowerToys Run is the best Spotlight alternative for Windows users

PowerToys is a suite of productivity tools for Windows users, featuring PowerToys Run, which serves as an alternative to macOS's Spotlight. PowerToys Run allows users to launch applications and search for files quickly and efficiently, with built-in plug-ins for searching the Windows registry, executing terminal commands, converting units, performing calculations, creating timestamps, and conducting web searches. It offers high customization options, enabling users to adjust settings for an optimized search experience. Additionally, it supports third-party extensions for enhanced functionality, such as browser history searches and direct queries to ChatGPT. The entire PowerToys suite includes other tools like FancyZones for window management and PowerRename for file renaming, contributing to improved workflow efficiency.

Winsage

March 1, 2025

7 reasons you simply HAVE to use PowerToys Run on your Windows 11 PC

PowerToys Run is a versatile launcher for Windows 11 that enhances user interaction with the operating system. It allows users to perform calculations directly by typing = followed by numbers or equations, execute terminal commands by entering commands like > wsl.exe -d Fedora, and search Windows Settings more efficiently by typing $ followed by a search term. Users can also quickly locate files by using ? followed by the search term, launch web addresses by typing the URL or using //, and navigate the Windows Registry by entering : followed by the desired term. PowerToys Run improves functionality and user experience compared to the traditional Start Menu.