Boost Your Workflow with These Powerful Microsoft PowerToys Utilities

Key Takeaway:

• The Advanced Paste feature allows flexible text pasting from the clipboard, even with an AI-powered option.
• Quickly pin preferred windows above others using Win + Ctrl + T for multitasking and keeping essential windows visible with the Always On Top feature.
• Enable PowerToys Awake to prevent your PC from sleeping during time-consuming tasks and ensure uninterrupted work or downloads.

What are Microsoft PowerToys Utilities?

Microsoft PowerToys Utilities are free, open-source tools for power users using Windows 10 and 11, enabling customizations and productivity boosts. You can do a lot with PowerToys. The following are a few of those benefits:

• Arrange windows easily.
• Keep specific windows on top of all other windows.
• Identify any color on your screen and get its code.
• Preview more file types like SVG, Markdown, and PDF directly in File Explorer.
• Quick access to tools.
• Paste text without the formatting hassle. Etc.

Setting Up Microsoft PowerToys

We will discuss two main ways you can set up Microsoft PowerToys:

Method 1: Using the Microsoft Store

This method is the easiest of the two steps for downloading the PowerToys into your Windows 10 or 11 PC. Use the following steps below to guide you:

1. Launch the Microsoft Store on your PC.
2. Then, enter PowerToys into the search bar and hit Enter.
   
3. When the results are displayed, click the appropriate one.
   
4. Finally, click Install to download and install the Microsoft PowerToys app and access its utilities.
   

Method 2: Installing from GitHub

This method involves the use of more options. The following steps will guide you:

1. Open the official Microsoft PowerToys releases page on GitHub.
   
2. Then, click the Assets dropdown arrow to view the available files.
   
3. Afterward, download either the PowerToysSetup-0.##.#-x64.exe (for 64-bit) or PowerToysSetup-0.##.#-arm64.exe (for ARM64) file.
   
4. Finally, run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen instructions.

Method 3: Windows Package Manager (winget)

The following steps are suitable for advanced users. If you are a beginner, use any of the two methods above.

1. Launch the Command Prompt on your PC as an administrator.
   
2. Then, click Yes on the UAC prompt.
   
3. Paste the following command and hit Enter:
   winget install Microsoft.PowerToys --source winget
   
4. The code will install PowerToys using the Windows Package Manager.

Tool 1: Advanced Paste

The Microsoft PowerToys Advanced Paste utility is a convenient tool that enhances your clipboard functionality by letting you paste text in different formats directly from your clipboard. The following are some key features of the utility:

• Multiple paste formats:
  • Plain Text: Converts the copied text to plain text, removing any formatting.
  • Markdown: Converts the copied text into Markdown format.
  • JSON: Converts the copied text into JSON format.
• AI-Powered Pasting:
  • You can enable AI-powered pasting using an OpenAI API key to convert text into almost any format you desire, including code snippets between programming languages or summarizing and translating text.
  • The AI-powered feature is optional and requires inputting an OpenAI key in the settings.
• Clipboard History:
  • The Advanced Paste window allows you to access your clipboard history, enabling the easy reuse of previously copied items.
• Customizable Shortcuts:
  • You can personalize the Advanced Paste shortcut to your preference, but you can maintain the default Win + Shift + V shortcut as you please.
  • You can customize shortcuts for directly pasting plain text, Markdown, or JSON without launching the Advanced Paste window.

To Use Advanced Paste tool, use the following step:

1. Open the PowerToys Settings and click Advanced Paste.
2. Then, toggle the Enable Advanced Paste switch On.
3. To use the AI features, toggle the Enable Paste with AI switch On.
   
4. Then, enter your OpenAI API key in the dialog box that appears and click the Save button.
   
5. Also, enable the Custom format preview option if required.
   
6. Once setup is complete, use the Win + Shift + V hotkeys to start the Advanced Paste feature.
7. You may also customize the shortcut by clicking the edit icon (it looks like a pencil) and entering a new key shortcut.

Tool 2: Always On Top

The Always On Top tool is one of the Microsoft PowerToys utilities that enhances your multitasking capabilities. It offers the following:

• Pinning Windows:
  • It allows you to pin any window to remain on top of others using the Win + Ctrl + T shortcut to ensure the active window remains visible, even after switching to other apps.
  • The same shortcut unoins or closes the window.
• Visual Indicators:
  • A colored border appears around the pinned window. The border’s color, opacity, and thickness are customizable.
  • An optional sound can notify you when you pin or unpin a window, providing further confirmation.
• Customization Options:
  • You can deactivate the Always On Top feature while in Game Mode to prevent interruptions during gameplay.
  • You can also exclude certain apps from being pinned to allow only the desired windows.
• User-Friendly Settings:
  • You can modify the default shortcut to one that suits your workflow better.
  • You can enable rounded corners on the highlight border for a more modern look.

To enable and use Always On Top, use the following steps:

1. Open PowerToys Settings and go to the Always On Top section.
2. Then, toggle the Enable Always On Top switch On.
3. To pin a window, focus on the window you want to pin and press Win + Ctrl + T.
   
4. You can edit the shortcut by clicking the pencil icon next to the combination.
   

Tool 3: PowerToys Awake

The PowerToys Awake tool helps to keep your computer awake without needing to tweak your power and sleep settings. The following discusses its features and usefulness:

• Keep Your Computer Awake:
  • You can set your computer to remain awake indefinitely until you decide to set it to sleep or disable the Awake feature manually.
  • You can temporarily prevent your computer from sleeping, and it will then automatically return to its previous state.
• Keep the Screen On:
  • PowerToys Awake keeps the computer awake by default but allows the screen to turn off. However, you can enable “Keep screen on” to set the display to stay active as well.
• System Tray Integration:
  • Access PowerToys Awake settings and control its behavior from the system tray by right-clicking the icon.
• Command Line Interface (CLI):
  • Advanced users can control PowerToys Awake using the command line, allowing for more advanced configurations and automation.

To enable and use PowerToys Awake, use the following steps:

1. Open PowerToys Settings and select the Awake option.
2. Then, toggle the Enable Awake switch On.
3. Select whether you want to keep the computer awake indefinitely or for a specific time interval.
4. Optionally, enable the Keep screen on feature if needed.
   

Tool 4: Color Picker

Microsoft PowerToys Color Picker utility helps you identify and grab colors from your screen. It facilitates finding the precise color code for design or development purposes. Its key features are as follows:

• Catch colors from any point on your screen using the default Win + Shift + C keyboard shortcut, which is customizable.
• PowerToys Color Picker showcases captured colors in HEX, RGB, and CMYK formats, facilitating usage across various applications.
• The grabbed color code is automatically copied to your clipboard for timely pasting.
• You can modify the activation shortcut and behavior to suit your workflow.

To enable and use PowerToys Awake, use the following steps:

1. Open PowerToys settings and select the Color Picker option.
2. Then, toggle the feature switch On to enable it.
3. By default, you can activate Color Picker using the Win + Shift + C shortcut.
   
4. You can customize this activation shortcut in PowerToys’ settings.
   

Tool 5: Command Not Found

The Command Not Found utility is a PowerShell 7 module that detects when a user enters incorrect commands, suggests relevant WinGet packages for installation, and helps resolve missing commands or software issues efficiently.

To install the Command Not Found module, use the following steps:

1. Open PowerToys settings and open the Command Not Found page.
2. Then, click Install to enable the necessary experimental features in PowerShell 7, like PSFeedbackProvider and PSCommandNotFoundSuggestion.
3. Once completed, the PowerShell profile file will be updated with the required commands to import the module.
   

To uninstall the Command Not Found module, use the following steps:

1. Open the Command Not Found page in PowerToys settings.
2. Then, select Uninstall to remove the commands from the PowerShell profile file.
   

Tool 6: Crop And Lock

The Crop And Lock utility is one of Microsoft PowerToys utilities designed to crop a current application into a smaller window or create a thumbnail. It enhances your workflow in the following way:

• Crop a section of any application window to zoom in on a particular area of interest.
• Generate a thumbnail of an entire window for quick reference or to minimize screen clutter.
• You can freely define the area you want to crop using your mouse, providing flexibility in how much of the window you want to focus on.
• The cropped section becomes a separate, movable window that stays on top of other applications by default.

To begin using Crop And Lock, use the following steps:

1. Open PowerToys settings, go to the Crop And Lock section, and toggle the feature switch On.
2. Afterward, press the Win + Ctrl + Shift + T shortcut to create a thumbnail of the selected area.
3. Then, press the Win + Ctrl + Shift + R shortcut to crop and interact with an app’s specific part.
   

Tool 7: Environment Variables

The Microsoft PowerToys Environment Variables utility simplifies managing key-value pairs that store configuration settings for the operating system and applications on Windows. It offers a modern and user-friendly interface for more efficient management.

Its key features include the following:

• Profile Management:
  • You can create profiles to manage a set of environment variables together.
  • Profile variables override User and System variables when applied, adding their values to the User environment variables.
• Variable Management:
  • Add, edit, or remove environment variables easily, including User and System variables.
  • When applying a profile, a backup is created if a User variable with the same name exists.
• User-Friendly Interface:
  • The utility provides a modern interface for easier viewing and managing environment variables than the traditional Windows interface.
  • It displays the evaluated value of the Path variable, showing the current state of the environment.

To start using the Environment Variables utility:

1. Open PowerToys settings, go to the Environment Variables section and toggle the feature switch On.
   
2. To manage System variables, run PowerToys as an administrator.
3. To create a profile, open the Environment Variables section in PowerToys and click New Profile.
4. Then, enter a profile name and add variables to the profile.
5. Lastly, save the profile and toggle it on to apply.
6. To edit variables, select the variable you like to edit.
7. Click the More button and select Edit or Remove.

Tool 8: FancyZones

The FancyZones tool is one of the Microsoft PowerToys utilities that allows users to define a set of zone locations on a desktop to organize and snap windows into efficient layouts. When you drag a window into a zone or use the associated keyboard shortcut, the window is resized and repositioned to fill that zone.

The following looks at its features and how to use it:

• Customizable Layouts:
  • Select from several predefined layouts or create custom layouts to suit your workflow.
  • Use the FancyZones Editor to create and customize layouts.
• Snapping Windows:
  • Mouse: Drag a window while holding the Shift key to see the zones. Drop the window into a highlighted zone to snap it.
  • Keyboard: Use Win + [arrow keys] to snap a window to a zone. You can also use Win + Ctrl + Alt + [arrow keys] to expand the window across multiple zones.
• Multi-Monitor Support:
  • FancyZones enables custom layouts on multiple monitors.
• Window Switching:
  • Cycle between windows snapped in the same zone using Win + PgUp/PgDn.

To start using FancyZones, use the following steps:

1. Open PowerToys settings, go to the FancyZones section and toggle the feature switch On to enable it.
2. Then, launch the FancyZones Editor by pressing Win + Shift + ` and configure your desired layouts.
   

Tool 9: File Explorer Add-ons

Microsoft PowerToys’ File Explorer Add-ons utility improves Windows File Explorer by enabling advanced preview and thumbnail rendering for multiple file types. It expands the capabilities of the Preview Pane and thumbnail previews in File Explorer to allow viewing more file types directly within the Explorer window.

Its key features include the following:

• Preview Pane Enhancements:
  • Preview .md files with formatting.
  • View scalable vector graphics (SVG) in the Preview Pane.
  • Quickly preview PDFs without an external application.
  • Supports 150+ file extensions like .cs, .cpp, and .rs with syntax highlighting.
  • Preview files for 3D printers.
  • View QOI image files.
• Thumbnail Previews: See the thumbnail preview of the following files in File Explorer:
  • SVG files
  • PDF documents
  • G-code files
  • Stereolithography files used in 3D printing
  • QOI image files

To start using the File Explorer Add-ons utility, use the following steps:

1. Open PowerToys settings, click the File Explorer Add-ons option and toggle the feature switch On to enable it.
2. You can customize settings for each file type, such as enabling or disabling word wrapping for source code files.
3. To enable the Preview Pane in File Explorer, go to the View tab and select Preview Pane. This will allow you to see previews of supported file types.
4. Once the feature is enabled, thumbnails for supported file types will appear automatically, although a reboot may be necessary for the changes to apply.

Tool 10: File Locksmith

The File Locksmith utility in Microsoft PowerToys is a Windows shell extension that allows you to check which files are in use and by which processes. This tool can be useful when encountering issues with files locked by unknown processes.

The following are the key features of this tool:

• Identify Locked Files:
  • Quickly identify which processes are using specific files or directories.
  • Provides detailed information about the processes, including process ID and name.
• Manage Processes:
  • End Tasks terminate processes locking files.
  • Restart as administrator to scan all processes, including those run by other users¹.
• User-Friendly Interface:
  • Right-click files or directories in File Explorer and select “Unlock with File Locksmith” to see which processes utilize them.
  • Manually refresh the processes list to get the most up-to-date information.

To start using File Locksmith, use the following steps:

1. Open PowerToys settings, go to the File Locksmith section, and toggle the feature switch On to enable it.
   
2. Open PowerToys settings, go to the File Locksmith section and toggle the feature switch On to enable it.
   
3. Then, select one or more files or directories in File Explorer, right-click, and choose Unlock with File Locksmith.
4. When you select Unlock with File Locksmith, the utility scans all running processes to determine which files they are using.
5. You can end tasks straight from the File Locksmith interface or get more process information.

Tool 11: Hosts File Editor

The host file maps domain names to IP addresses, helping identify and locate hosts on IP networks. The Hosts File Editor utility simplifies editing this file, which is valuable for tasks like website migration or testing changes before DNS propagation.

The following explains the key features of this utility:

• Add New Entries:
  • Easily add new entries by specifying the IP address and host name.
  • Add comments to entries to help identify their purpose.
  • Enable or disable entries without deleting them.
• Edit and Remove Entries:
  • Modify existing entries directly within the editor.
  • Delete entries that are no longer needed¹.
• Backup and Restore:
  • The utility automatically backs up the host’s file before editing, storing the backup in the same directory with a timestamp.
  • Easily revert to a previous version of the host file if needed.
• Filtering and Searching:
  • Use the filter icon to narrow down entries based on IP address, hostname, or comments.
• Administrator Mode:
  • To edit the host file, you must have administrator privileges; otherwise, the utility will only function in read-only mode.

To start using the Hosts File Editor, use the following steps to guide you:

1. Open PowerToys settings, go to the Hosts File Editor section, and toggle the feature switch On to enable it.
   
2. Then, launch the Hosts File Editor from the PowerToys settings or the system tray.
3. To add a new entry, click New Entry.
4. Enter the IP address, hostname, and any comments.
   
5. Toggle the entry to active and click Add.
6. To edit an entry, select the entry you want to edit.
7. Then, click the edit icon, make your changes, and save.

Tool 12: Image Resizer

The Image Resizer tool is one of the Microsoft PowerToys utilities designed to facilitate resizing images directly from File Explorer. Image Resizer is a Windows shell extension that allows you to resize images in bulk without opening a separate application.

The following explains the key features of this utility:

• Bulk Resizing:
  • With PowerToys installed, you can easily resize selected image files in File Explorer.
  • You can also resize images.
• Customizable Sizes:
  • Pick from predefined sizes or create your custom sizes. You can configure each size as Fill, Fit, or Stretch.
  • Resize images using centimeters, inches, percent, and pixels.
• Resizing Options:
  • Fill: Scale and crop an image to fill a specified size.
  • Fit: Scale an image to fit a specified size without cropping.
  • Stretch: Stretch the image to fill a specified size, potentially distorting it.
• Fallback Encoding:
  • If an image cannot be saved in its original format, the utility employs a fallback encoder to save it in a compatible format such as PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, GIF, or WMPhoto.
• File Naming:
  • Configure the file name of the resized image using parameters such as the original filename, size name, selected width, and height.

To start using Image Resizer, use the following steps to guide you:

1. Open PowerToys settings, go to the Image Resizer section and toggle the feature switch On to enable it.
   
2. Then, select the images you want to resize in File Explorer, right-click, and choose Resize pictures.
3. After choosing Resize pictures, a dialog box will appear where you can select the desired size and configure additional options.
4. You can save resized images in a specified folder or the same location as the original files.

Discover the vast productivity tools in PowerToys that extend beyond the basics. Whether enhancing your clipboard or tweaking your keyboard, Microsoft PowerToys provides numerous utilities to improve your Windows usage. This article helps to unlock how PowerToys can elevate your workflow!