PowerToys
Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of utilities that help you customize Windows and streamline everyday tasks
Top Related Projects
Everything integration for the Windows taskbar.
AutoHotkey - macro-creation and automation-oriented scripting utility for Windows.
A cross-platform launcher that simply works
鼠标点击特效
A modern Fluent Design replacement for the old Metro themed flyouts present in Windows.
Desktop customization tool for Windows
Quick Overview
Microsoft PowerToys is a set of free system utilities designed to enhance productivity and customize the Windows experience. It offers a collection of tools that power users can leverage to streamline their workflow and improve efficiency on Windows 10 and 11.
Pros
- Enhances Windows functionality with useful utilities
- Free and open-source
- Regular updates and active development
- Customizable and user-friendly interface
Cons
- May consume additional system resources
- Some features might conflict with existing Windows settings
- Requires Windows 10 or 11, not available for older versions
- Learning curve for some of the more advanced tools
Getting Started
To get started with Microsoft PowerToys:
- Visit the PowerToys GitHub releases page
- Download the latest release installer (PowerToysSetup-X.XX.X-x64.exe)
- Run the installer and follow the prompts
- After installation, launch PowerToys from the Start menu
- Explore and configure the various utilities through the PowerToys settings interface
Note: PowerToys requires Windows 10 version 1903 (build 18362) or later.
Competitor Comparisons
Everything integration for the Windows taskbar.
Pros of EverythingToolbar
- Lightweight and focused on a single functionality (file search)
- Seamless integration with the Windows taskbar
- Utilizes the powerful Everything search engine for fast results
Cons of EverythingToolbar
- Limited to file search functionality only
- Requires the Everything search engine to be installed separately
- Smaller community and less frequent updates
Code Comparison
EverythingToolbar:
public static class SearchManager
{
public static void Search(string query)
{
Everything.Search(query);
}
}
PowerToys:
public class PowerLauncherViewModel : ObservableObject, IDisposable
{
public void Search(string query)
{
// Complex search logic across multiple plugins
}
}
Summary
EverythingToolbar is a specialized tool focusing on fast file search integration with the Windows taskbar. It offers a lightweight solution for users primarily interested in quick file access. PowerToys, on the other hand, provides a comprehensive suite of productivity tools, including file search among many other features. While EverythingToolbar excels in its specific use case, PowerToys offers broader functionality and more frequent updates due to its larger community and Microsoft backing.
AutoHotkey - macro-creation and automation-oriented scripting utility for Windows.
Pros of AutoHotkey
- Powerful scripting language for automation and hotkey creation
- Extensive community-driven library of scripts and functions
- Lightweight and runs on older Windows versions
Cons of AutoHotkey
- Steeper learning curve for non-programmers
- Limited to Windows operating system
- Less polished user interface compared to PowerToys
Code Comparison
AutoHotkey script example:
^!t::
Run, notepad.exe
return
PowerToys (FancyZones) configuration example:
{
"layouts": [
{
"name": "Focus",
"zones": [
{ "x": 0, "y": 0, "width": 50, "height": 100 },
{ "x": 50, "y": 0, "width": 50, "height": 100 }
]
}
]
}
Key Differences
- AutoHotkey is primarily a scripting language, while PowerToys is a collection of system utilities
- PowerToys offers a more user-friendly interface for customization
- AutoHotkey provides more flexibility for advanced users and complex automation tasks
- PowerToys is actively developed by Microsoft, ensuring better integration with Windows
Use Cases
- AutoHotkey: Custom keyboard shortcuts, text expansion, and complex automation scripts
- PowerToys: Window management, quick file renaming, and system-wide productivity enhancements
A cross-platform launcher that simply works
Pros of Wox
- Lightweight and focused solely on launcher functionality
- Extensive plugin system for customization
- Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Cons of Wox
- Less actively maintained compared to PowerToys
- Smaller community and fewer contributors
- Limited built-in features beyond launcher functionality
Code Comparison
Wox (C#):
public class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
var wox = new Wox.App.App();
wox.Run();
}
}
PowerToys (C++):
int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
{
winrt::init_apartment();
launch_powertoys();
return 0;
}
Summary
Wox is a lightweight, cross-platform launcher with a focus on extensibility through plugins. It offers a more specialized experience compared to PowerToys, which provides a broader set of utilities for Windows power users. While Wox excels in its core launcher functionality, PowerToys offers a more comprehensive suite of tools and benefits from active development by Microsoft. The code comparison highlights the different languages and approaches used in each project, with Wox utilizing C# and PowerToys employing C++.
鼠标点击特效
Pros of ClickShow
- Lightweight and focused on a single functionality (mouse click visualization)
- Simple and easy to use, with minimal setup required
- Open-source and community-driven development
Cons of ClickShow
- Limited feature set compared to the comprehensive PowerToys suite
- Less frequent updates and potentially less robust support
- Smaller user base and community
Code Comparison
ClickShow (C#):
private void DrawClickEffect(Point p)
{
Graphics g = Graphics.FromHwnd(IntPtr.Zero);
g.DrawEllipse(new Pen(Color.Red, 2), p.X - 10, p.Y - 10, 20, 20);
g.Dispose();
}
PowerToys (C++):
void MouseHighlighter::DrawHighlight(POINT pt)
{
auto hdc = GetDC(nullptr);
auto brush = CreateSolidBrush(RGB(255, 0, 0));
RECT rect = {pt.x - 20, pt.y - 20, pt.x + 20, pt.y + 20};
FillRect(hdc, &rect, brush);
DeleteObject(brush);
ReleaseDC(nullptr, hdc);
}
Both code snippets demonstrate the core functionality of drawing a visual effect around the mouse click position. ClickShow uses C# and GDI+, while PowerToys uses C++ and Windows GDI. PowerToys' implementation is part of a larger, more complex codebase with additional features and optimizations.
A modern Fluent Design replacement for the old Metro themed flyouts present in Windows.
Pros of ModernFlyouts
- Focused specifically on enhancing Windows flyouts, providing a more streamlined and targeted solution
- Offers more customization options for flyout appearance and behavior
- Lighter weight and potentially less resource-intensive than PowerToys
Cons of ModernFlyouts
- Limited in scope compared to PowerToys' wide range of productivity tools
- May have a smaller user base and community support
- Potentially less frequent updates and maintenance
Code Comparison
ModernFlyouts:
public class FlyoutHandler : IFlyoutHandler
{
public void ShowFlyout(FlyoutType type)
{
// Flyout-specific implementation
}
}
PowerToys:
public class PowerToysTool : IPowerToysTool
{
public void Run()
{
// Tool-specific implementation
}
}
The code snippets illustrate the different focus areas of each project. ModernFlyouts centers on flyout handling, while PowerToys implements various productivity tools. Both use C# and follow similar object-oriented patterns, but their primary functionalities differ based on their project goals.
Desktop customization tool for Windows
Pros of Rainmeter
- Highly customizable desktop widgets and skins
- Large community with extensive library of user-created skins
- Lightweight and low resource usage
Cons of Rainmeter
- Steeper learning curve for creating custom skins
- Limited built-in functionality compared to PowerToys
- Less integration with Windows system features
Code Comparison
Rainmeter (Lua):
[MeasureCPU]
Measure=CPU
[MeterCPU]
Meter=String
MeasureName=MeasureCPU
Text=CPU Usage: %1%
PowerToys (C#):
public class PowerRenameManager
{
public void Rename(string pattern, string replacement)
{
// Implementation for renaming files
}
}
Summary
Rainmeter focuses on desktop customization through user-created skins, offering extensive visual personalization options. PowerToys, on the other hand, provides a set of system utilities to enhance Windows functionality. Rainmeter excels in creating unique desktop experiences, while PowerToys offers more practical tools for productivity and system management. The code examples highlight the different approaches: Rainmeter uses Lua for skin creation, while PowerToys employs C# for its utility implementations.
Convert 
designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual CopilotREADME
Microsoft PowerToys
Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of utilities that help you customize Windows and streamline everyday tasks.
Installation · Documentation · Blog · Release notes
ð¨ Utilities
PowerToys includes over 25 utilities to help you customize and optimize your Windows experience:
Advanced Paste
Always on Top
Awake
Color Picker
Command Not Found
Command Palette
Crop And Lock
Environment Variables
FancyZones
File Explorer Add-ons
File Locksmith
Hosts File Editor
Image Resizer
Keyboard Manager
Light Switch
Mouse Utilities
Mouse Without Borders
New+
Peek
PowerRename
PowerToys Run
Quick Accent
Registry Preview
Screen Ruler
Shortcut Guide
Text Extractor
Workspaces
ZoomItð Installation
For detailed installation instructions and system requirements, visit the installation docs.
But to get started quickly, choose one of the installation methods below:
Download .exe from GitHub
Go to the PowerToys GitHub releases, click Assets to reveal the downloads, and choose the installer that matches your architecture and install scope. For most devices, that's the x64 per-user installer.
| Description | Filename |
|---|---|
| Per user - x64 | PowerToysUserSetup-0.96.1-x64.exe |
| Per user - ARM64 | PowerToysUserSetup-0.96.1-arm64.exe |
| Machine wide - x64 | PowerToysSetup-0.96.1-x64.exe |
| Machine wide - ARM64 | PowerToysSetup-0.96.1-arm64.exe |
Microsoft Store
You can easily install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store:
WinGet
Download PowerToys from WinGet. Updating PowerToys via winget will respect the current PowerToys installation scope. To install PowerToys, run the following command from the command line / PowerShell:
User scope installer [default]
winget install Microsoft.PowerToys -s winget
Machine-wide scope installer
winget install --scope machine Microsoft.PowerToys -s winget
Other methods
There are community driven install methods such as Chocolatey and Scoop. If these are your preferred install solutions, you can find the install instructions there.
⨠What's new
Version 0.96 (November 2025)
For an in-depth look at the latest changes, visit the Windows Command Line blog.
⨠Highlights
- Advanced Paste now supports multiple online and on-device AI model providers: Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Google Gemini, Mistral, Foundry Local and Ollama.
- Command Palette received extensive improvements including file search filters, better clipboard history metadata, context-menu styling, and dozens of bug fixes and enhancements.
- PowerRename can now extract and use photo metadata (EXIF, XMP) in renaming patterns like
%Camera,%Lens, and%ExposureTime.
Advanced Paste
- Advanced Paste now lets you connect to multiple AI providers instead of being limited to a single OpenAI provider. See Advanced Paste documentation for usage.
Awake
- The Awake countdown timer now stays accurate over long periods. Thanks @daverayment!
- Fixed Awake context menu positioning. The fix removed the conversion of the mouse cursor from screen to client-window coordinates, instead using the raw screen coordinates returned by GetCursorPos; the context menu now appears at the correct screen position. Thanks @lzandman!
Command Palette
- The search field in context menus now matches the look of the Command Palette, with a smoke backdrop and improved padding.
- Fallback items such as math calculations or the Run command now appear in results more quickly. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Ensured the command bar updates correctly after navigating to another page and commands are displayed correctly. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- The Command Palette settings page has been reorganized. Activation-key options are grouped under an expander and extension settings are framed for improved readability.
- When you modify a command, its alias, hotkey, and tags now update in the top-level list, keeping the displayed information in sync. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Press
Ctrl + ,to open Command Palette settings from anywhere. Thanks @jiripolasek! - You can use
Page UpandPage Downto navigate the list while focus is in the search box. Thanks @samrueby! - Fixed an issue where the search box could disappear when navigating pages. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Ensured search text is selected when Go home when activated and Highlight search on activate are both enabled. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Fixed an issue where Command Palette window occasionally appeared on the taskbar under certain Windows settings. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Ensured that labels and icons of list items and menu items update when they change. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Fixed visibility of list filters when navigating to a content page. Thanks @DevLGuilherme!
- Added search to the extension list and a link to extensions on the Microsoft Store. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Added options to open the Command Palette window at its last position or re-center it.
- The Command Palette now remembers its window size after restarting.
- Added a global error handler that logs fatal errors and provides feedback when unexpected failures force Command Palette to close. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Fixed forms and extension settings not showing on some machines due to a missing VC++ runtime.
- Restored ranking of fallback commands for built-in extensions (Sleep, Shutdown, Windows settings, Web search, etc.). Thanks @jiripolasek.
- Improved and unified labels and texts across the application!
- Maintainance: Resolved numerous build warnings in Command Palette projects; no user-visible impact. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Maintainance: Fixed a logging issue so exception messages are properly recorded instead of placeholder text, improving troubleshooting. Thanks @jiripolasek!
Command Palette Extensions
- Bookmarks: Added hints about bookmark placeholders to the Add/Edit Bookmark form. â Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Bookmarks: Improved migration of bookmarks from older versions and fixed an issue where aliases or keyboard shortcuts could be lost after restart. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Clipboard history: Items shown in Command Paletteâs clipboard history now include helpful metadata. For example, image items show dimensions, text files show names and sizes, web links include page titles, and text entries display word counts. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- File search: Added filter buttons to show all items, files only, or folders only. Selecting a filter adds
kind:foldersorkind:not foldersto narrow results. - System commands: Replaced the
:red_circle:placeholder with an actual red-circle emoji so the correct icon appears in the UI. Thanks @samrueby! - WinGet: Search performance feels more responsive because typed input is now processed via a task queue rather than complex cancellation tokens!
- Window Walker: UWP apps no longer show a "not responding" label when suspended. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Window Walker: Now displays the actual icon of each window rather than using the process icon, improving recognition of PWAs and Python GUIs. Thanks @Lee-WonJun!
- Windows Terminal profiles: Fixed a rare crash in the Windows Terminal extension when the
LOCALAPPDATAenvironment variable was missing. The path is now retrieved via a reliable API. Thanks @jiripolasek!
Find My Mouse
- Activating Find My Mouse no longer makes the cursor change to the busy (hourglass) icon or steals focus from your active application.
Hosts File Editor
- Added customizable backup settings allowing users to configure backup frequency, location, and auto-deletion policies. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
Image Resizer
- Fixed settings consistency during batch resize operations by capturing settings once before processing. Thanks @daverayment!
Light Switch
- Introduced new UI to allow users to manually enter their latitude and longitude in Sunrise to Sunset mode.
- Refactored service with cleaner state management for stability.
- Removed logs from every tick, only logging key events to largely reduce log size.
Mouse Pointer Crosshairs
- Enabled switching between Mouse Pointer Crosshairs and Gliding Cursor modes. Thanks @mikehall-ms!
Mouse Without Borders
- Added horizontal scrolling support. Thanks @MasonBergstrom!
Peek
- Fixed media files remaining locked after preview window closes. Thanks @daverayment!
- Added a command-line interface for file previewing. See the Peek documentation for usage. Thanks @prochan2!
PowerRename
- PowerRename no longer crashes due to a missing resources file.
- Added photo metadata extraction support using EXIF and XMP for pattern-based renaming with camera info, GPS coordinates, and date taken. See PowerRename Documentation.
PowerToys Run
- Added retry logic with exponential backoff to handle DWM composition errors during theme changes. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Updated OneNote icons to reflect new Microsoft 365 design. Thanks @trevorNgo!
Quick Accent
- Added diameter symbol (â) for Shift+O in Special Characters mode, thanks to @anselumjuju!
Zoomit
- Smoothed out zoom-animation in ZoomIt by coalescing mouse-move and timer events, thanks to @foxmsft!
- Enabled GIF support for ZoomIt, thanks to @MarioHewardt!
- Fixed spelling mistakes, and refactored some literal strings to string constants, thanks to @lzandman!
- Fixed inaccurate "actual size" screenshots in ZoomIt and resolves a GDI handle leak, improving capture fidelity and long-session stability. thanks to @daverayment!
Settings
- Fixed title bar overlapping issue at smaller window sizes.
- Refined shortcut control visual design with improved consistency and spacing.
- Added dashboard utilities sorting by name or status.
- Made update notification InfoBar in flyout clickable for direct navigation to update page.
- Expanded installation instructions by default in README.
- Improved accessibility for shortcut conflict button with static resource-based automation properties.
- Added ScrollViewer to Command Palette page in PowerToys Settings. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Fixed module list glitches and Sort Status checkmark issue. Thanks @daverayment!
Development
- Fixed accessibility by associating controls with labels for screen readers.
- Added accessible name to Shortcut Conflicts button for screen readers.
- Excluded TitleBars from tab navigation across multiple utilities. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Migrated build infrastructure from Windows Server 2019 to Server 2022 with improved failure logging and predictable NuGet package paths.
- Configured build agents to use larger P: drive for release builds to address disk space constraints.
- Enhanced DSC v3 support by organizing resource manifests in a dedicated subfolder with PATH configuration.
- Reduced installer bundle size by 6-7MB through centralized Hybrid CRT configuration across all C++ projects.
- Updated .NET packages to version 9.0.10 for security fixes. Thanks @snickler!
- Fixed spell check dictionary entries for consistency.
- Restored accidentally deleted NuGet configuration file for Command Palette extensions.
- Fixed package identity build by updating AppxManifest entry points to use PowerShell Core.
- Optimized CI pipeline by replacing file copy operations with hard links and moves, reducing build time and disk usage by 10-15GB.
- Updated Copilot guidance and PR prompt workflow.
- Included high-volume bugs in issue template header. Thanks @daverayment!
- Fixed incorrect HRESULT logging for inner exceptions. Thanks @jiripolasek!
- Introduced shared sparse package identity for PowerToys Win32 components to enable access to Windows platform APIs.
- Consolidated installer builds to produce both machine and user installers simultaneously, reducing build time and complexity.
- Migrated exclusively to WiX v5 installer infrastructure, removing legacy WiX v3 support.
- Temporarily removed PowerToys installer path from PATH environment variable to prevent application crashes.
- Added complete OCR UI test coverage with automated tests for activation, settings, language selection, and text extraction.
- Fixed test input for drive path normalization in bookmark resolver unit tests.
- Fixed Peek UI tests by restoring Ctrl+Space activation shortcut for test scenarios.
- Hided apps in PowerToys.SpareApps package from Start Menu. Thanks @jiripolasek!
ð£ï¸ Roadmap
We are planning some nice new features and improvements for the next releases â a revamped Keyboard Manager UI, custom endpoint and local model support for Advanced Paste, Command Palette improvements and a brand-new Shortcut Guide experience! Stay tuned for v0.96!
â¤ï¸ PowerToys Community
The PowerToys team is extremely grateful to have the support of an amazing active community. The work you do is incredibly important. PowerToys wouldn't be nearly what it is today without your help filing bugs, updating documentation, guiding the design, or writing features. We want to say thank you and take time to recognize your work. Your contributions and feedback improve PowerToys month after month!
Contributing
This project welcomes contributions of all types. Besides coding features / bug fixes, other ways to assist include spec writing, design, documentation, and finding bugs. We are excited to work with the power user community to build a set of tools for helping you get the most out of Windows. We ask that before you start work on a feature that you would like to contribute, please read our Contributor's Guide. We would be happy to work with you to figure out the best approach, provide guidance and mentorship throughout feature development, and help avoid any wasted or duplicate effort. Most contributions require you to agree to a Contributor License Agreement (CLA) declaring that you grant us the rights to use your contribution and that you have permission to do so. For guidance on developing for PowerToys, please read the developer docs for a detailed breakdown. This includes how to setup your computer to compile.
Code of Conduct
This project has adopted the Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct.
Privacy Statement
The application logs basic diagnostic data (telemetry). For more privacy information and what we collect, see our PowerToys Data and Privacy documentation.
Top Related Projects
Everything integration for the Windows taskbar.
AutoHotkey - macro-creation and automation-oriented scripting utility for Windows.
A cross-platform launcher that simply works
鼠标点击特效
A modern Fluent Design replacement for the old Metro themed flyouts present in Windows.
Desktop customization tool for Windows
Convert designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot