Microsoft continues to enhance its PowerToys suite, a collection of utilities designed specifically for power users and Windows aficionados. Among the various features included in PowerToys are Advanced Paste, FancyZones, File Explorer add-ons, Registry Preview, and a comprehensive keyboard and mouse manager.
PowerToys Run: A New Era
One of the standout utilities is PowerToys Run, which received a significant update in December of last year. This update introduced version 2, showcasing a refreshed user interface (UI) and an improved user experience (UX), along with a host of other enhancements. For those interested in the specifics, detailed information can be found in our dedicated article.
Recently, Kayla Cinnamon, Senior Product Manager at Microsoft for PowerToys and Windows developer experiences, took to her X handle to announce an exciting development: a new utility for installing WinGet packages is in the works. Alongside her announcement, she shared a tantalizing preview:
Reunited with the Windows Terminal devs and we’re cooking up something new. Here’s a sneak peek of installing a winget package through a new utility coming soon to PowerToys. P.S. this is live working code, courtesy of @zadjii
pic.twitter.com/HnzQeZNHpm
— Kayla Cinnamon(@cinnamon_msft) February 13, 2025
In response to inquiries about this new feature, Clint Rutkas, Lead for developer experiences on Windows, confirmed that this represents the “next gen version” of PowerToys Run:
This is the next gen version of pt run
— Clint Rutkas (@ClintRutkas) February 14, 2025
For those unfamiliar with WinGet, it serves as the command line tool and client interface for the Windows Package Manager service. This package manager automates the processes of installing, upgrading, configuring, and utilizing software, primarily within the realm of developer tools.
