Power Up Your PC: What are Microsoft PowerToys?
We have gathered the details about Microsoft PowerToys, the free open source tool for the Windows operating system developed by Microsoft.
Microsoft PowerToys maximizes the level of computer usage thanks to its various tools. It is the common name of the utility that can be used to increase productivity in the Windows operating system. This system can be used in Windows 10 and 11.
Thanks to this tool developed by Microsoft, many tools can be accessed without using third-party software. It is an important feature that enhances the experience of using a computer. Thanks to the tools in Microsoft PowerToys, computer performance increases more.
How to Download Microsoft PowerToys?
Microsoft PowerToys can be downloaded to the computer in a simple way. The tool offered by Microsoft can be downloaded as follows;
First, click on the Windows key and search for “Microsoft Store” in the “Start” menu.
Open the Microsoft Store application and type PowerToys in the search field.
Enter the PowerToys application and click on the get application button.
The old version of the vehicle may be installed. The old version can be checked in the “General Settings” section. Scroll to the bottom of the General Settings section.
For new version check, click on “Check for Updates”. With version 0.18, the “Download updates automatically” feature can be enabled to automatically download all updates for the vehicle.
If this feature is not visible, the latest package of the tool can be downloaded from GitHub.
What are Microsoft PowerToys Tools?
- Color picker
- Always the top tool
- PowerToys Run
- FancyZones
- Awake
- Mouse utilities
- Screen ruler
- Switch video conferencing to sensize
- Shortcut guide
- File explorer plugins
- File locksmith
- Keyboard manager
- PowerRename
- Text extractor
- Hosts file editor
- Fast accent
- Image resizer
- Color Picker
The “color picker” in Microsoft PowerToys tools is an ideal tool for developers and graphic designers. You can use this tool to get the shade of a color on any site. Clicking on a color with the tool will automatically copy it to the clipboard. The color picker tool can be activated with the “Windows Key + SHIFT + C” keys.
- Always on Top Tool
The tool that keeps one application above all other applications. The Always on top tool can be activated via “Windows Key + CTRL + T”. But first select the program to be placed on top. Then the key combination is activated.
- PowerToy Run
It is one of the necessary tools for a fast computer in a busy work schedule. In order to start the tool, “ALT + SPACE” keys should be clicked together and the program to be opened should be clicked on the window that opens.
The PowerToy Run tool can be used to search for files and applications installed on the computer.
- FancyZones
FancyZones, one of the Microsoft PowerToys tools, can be described as a window manager. It creates complex window layouts and places applications inside the windows.
Press the “Windows Key + SHIFT” keys together to open the FancyZones application. First press the shift key to arrange the windows and place them in a certain area of the screen. After pressing shift, drag the window.
- Awake
When the PowerToys application is opened, the Awake tool is located on the left menu. After clicking on this tool, all necessary settings can be made via the “Open Settings” button on the right side.
The Awake tool can be used to turn off background applications or shut down the computer for any reason, regardless of the power settings.
- Mouse Utilities
When the desktop is crowded, it can be difficult to find the mouse cursor. In such cases, you can press the “CTRL” key to find the mouse cursor. Mouse can gain many functions by making the necessary adjustments through mouse utilities.
- Screen Ruler
Microsoft PowerToys includes a tool called “screen ruler”. This tool is designed to measure the pixels on the screen. The screen ruler is activated by clicking the “Windows Key + SHIFT + M” keypad on the keyboard.
- Mute Video Conference
Video conferences may take place due to work, education, etc. In video conferences, the microphone can be turned on and off by clicking the “Windows Key + SHIFT + A” keys.
In a conference, the video can be switched on and off using the “Windows Key + SHIFT + O” keypad. The “Windows Key + SHIFT + Q” keypad can also be used to turn the video and microphone on and off.
- Shortcut Guide
A tool that shows the list of shortcuts available on the desktop. The shortcut guide is opened by pressing the Windows Key + SHIFT + Ö.
- File Explorer Add-ons
One of the Microsoft PowerToys tools available to developers is the file explorer plugins. File explorer plugins are a tool that allows previewing files with certain formats in the folder without opening them.
Developer files such as G-code (.gcode), MarkDown (.md), STL (.stl), SVG (.svg), etc. in any folder on the computer can be viewed with thumbnail support.
- File Locksmith
Turns off active tasks in selected files. The file locksmith tool only monitors processes in files and directories specified by the user.
- Keyboard Manager
There are some keyboard shortcuts that make the computer easier to use. These keyboard shortcuts can also be set by the user to make the computer more functional.
- PowerRename
The “PowerRename” tool can be used to rename files in bulk. Select the files to be renamed with the mouse. Immediately afterwards, right-click and click on PowerRename. In the window that opens, the names are renamed in certain formats.
- Text Extractor
Text can be extracted from various parts of readable PDF files or videos viewed on the internet. OCR technology is used for this. With OCR technology, text can be extracted with a single click. The text extractor tool can be activated via the “Windows Key + SHIFT + T” keypad.
- Hosts File Organizer
Hosts file editor finds the file inside the folders and changes the settings. The Hosts file editor tool makes using the computer easy and professional.
- Fast Accent
When typing text on a computer, pressing a letter highlights the spelling of the letters according to different languages and accents. This makes computer correspondence much easier.
- Image Resizer
The image resizer in Microsoft PowerToys tools eliminates the need to use online image processing sites and third party software. By opening the image resizer tool, the user can adjust the dimensions of the image to their liking.
