4 PowerToys for Windows 11 Window Management: Setup, Shortcuts and Limitations

First, a quick setup note​

PowerToys is a set of free, open-source utilities for power users and developers on Windows. Each tool has its own toggle in PowerToys Settings. Microsoft says Window Hopper, for one, is off by default. Turn on only the ones you'll use.

These tools are not drop-in replacements for Snap Layouts. They solve different problems, so the sensible approach is to keep Snap for quick tiling and add whichever PowerToy fixes your most annoying habit.

Window Hopper: Alt+Tab, but only for the app you're in​

The problem it solves: You have five browser windows open and want the right one without paging through every other app.

How it works: Window Hopper works like Alt + Tab, but stays within the app you're currently using. It arrived in PowerToys 0.101. Microsoft's release notes name quickly moving between windows from the same app as its purpose, and they mention browser windows, terminals, File Explorer windows and editor instances as examples.

Steps:

1. Open PowerToys Settings, find Window Hopper and switch on Enable Window Hopper.
2. In the app you want to cycle through, hold Alt and press the backtick key. It usually sits above Tab.
3. Keep tapping backtick to step through the previews. Hold Shift+Alt to go backward.
4. Release Alt to jump to the selected window. Press Esc first if you want to cancel.

You can change both shortcuts in Settings. Sanhz swapped in a custom Win+Alt+L combination.

Caveats:

• It needs at least two eligible windows. Microsoft's documentation says it won't open if the focused app has fewer.
• It cycles windows, not browser tabs. Sanhz makes the same point.
• It is deliberately narrower than Alt+Tab, so treat it as a companion to Alt+Tab, not a replacement.

Always On Top: pin the window you keep reaching for​

The problem it solves: You're writing in Word and need a Notepad scratchpad and a browser at the same time. Alt+Tabbing between them gets old quickly.

How it works: Microsoft's documentation gives the default shortcut as Win+Ctrl+T, which pins the active window. Use the same shortcut, or close the window, to unpin it. Sanhz suggests shrinking the pinned window and parking it in a corner, which helps on a small laptop screen.

Useful settings:

• Title bar menu: Turn on the option to show Always On Top in the title bar context menu. You can then right-click to pin or unpin with the mouse.
• Border and sound: Optionally add a colored border (with custom color, opacity, thickness and rounded corners) and a sound when you pin or unpin.
• Game Mode: An option stops the feature from activating while you're gaming.
• Excluded apps: Add an app name to stop it being pinned. Partial names match, so "Notepad" also catches Notepad++. Use "Notepad.exe" to target only that executable.

Caveats: The word "always" is a little optimistic. Microsoft says a pinned window should stay above ordinary non-topmost windows. It also says PowerToys can't guarantee that it will sit above other topmost windows. Microsoft specifically lists Citrix, Remote Desktop (RDP) and VMware windows as cases where the pinned window may end up behind. If you pin a note and it disappears during a remote session, that is probably why.

Workspaces: launch the whole setup, not just arrange it​

The problem it solves: Every morning you open Chrome and Slack and drag them into place, then repeat it all tomorrow.

How it works: Workspaces is described by Microsoft as a utility for launching a set of apps to custom positions with a single click. Unlike Snap Layouts, it opens the apps for you.

Steps:

1. Enable Workspaces in PowerToys Settings.
2. Open the editor from Settings or with Win+Ctrl+backtick.
3. Click Create workspace. The desktop stays usable, so open and position your apps the way you want them.
4. Select Capture.
5. In the editor, name the workspace and adjust window sizes. You can also add command-line arguments, remove apps, and create a desktop shortcut before saving.
6. Launch it later from the editor's list or from the desktop shortcut. You can pin that shortcut to the taskbar. Microsoft notes that pinning a workspace to the taskbar directly isn't supported.

What to expect on launch:

• Windows jump into place. PowerToys can't tell an app to open at a given position. It launches the app, then moves and resizes the window, so you will see the windows hop. A status dialog shows each app's progress and any failures.
• Existing windows vary by app. Some apps reposition the window already open, while others open a new one. Turn on the Move existing windows option to reposition apps that are already running. For finer control, use command-line arguments. Microsoft's example is adding --reuse-window for VS Code.
• Single-instance apps behave differently. Windows Settings is one example, because only one copy can run.
• Snapped layouts aren't restored. Microsoft's FAQ says Workspaces uses the FancyZones engine and public APIs for positioning, which doesn't include snapping. If your windows were snapped when you captured them, they won't come back snapped.
• Admin apps are a known problem. Microsoft's page lists a known issue where apps launched as admin can't be repositioned. Microsoft says a fix is in progress.
• Unsigned admin apps need confirmation. PowerToys 0.102 added a prompt before launching an unverified app configured to run as administrator.
• Re-capturing resets arguments. Capturing again after editing does a clean re-capture and removes earlier command-line arguments and settings. It can be reverted.

FancyZones: Snap Layouts with your own rules​

The problem it solves: The built-in layouts don't match your monitor, or your habits.

How it works: FancyZones takes Snap Layouts further by letting you customize the zones, using templates or your own designs.

Steps:

1. Enable FancyZones in PowerToys Settings.
2. Open the layout editor from Settings or with Win+Shift+backtick. You can change that shortcut in Settings.
3. Select a monitor, then pick a template or create a custom layout. Grid layouts split and merge zones and resize with the screen. Canvas layouts use free-floating zones that can overlap.
4. Hold Shift while dragging a window to show the zones, then drop it into one.

Settings worth knowing:

• Move newly created windows to the last known zone. This is the option Sanhz relies on. Microsoft describes it as moving a newly opened window to the last zone that application was in. It applies to new windows and doesn't promise a perfect restore of every window in every app.
• Keep windows in their zones when the screen resolution changes. This repositions windows after a resolution change.
• Hold Shift to activate zones. Switch this off and the zones appear as soon as you start dragging.
• Override Windows Snap. This lets Win+arrow keys move windows between zones. TechSpot suggests this tip.
• Mouse wheel layout switching. Off by default, it lets you roll the wheel while dragging to change layouts.

Multi-monitor caveats: The option to span zones across monitors requires every monitor to use the same DPI scaling. Microsoft warns of unexpected effects when monitors have different orientations. On mixed-DPI setups, a snapped app that isn't DPI-aware may sit a few pixels from the screen edge.

Microsoft also lists a few apps that can't be zoned. If one refuses to snap, check the exclusions list in the FancyZones settings first.

FancyZones vs. Workspaces: don't mix them up​

How-To Geek makes a helpful distinction. FancyZones arranges the windows you already have open into reusable zones, while Workspaces remembers which apps you want to open and where their windows should appear. They complement each other, and Workspaces even borrows FancyZones' positioning engine.

Which one should you start with?​

The verdict​

The MakeUseOf piece is a first-person recommendation, and Sanhz says she still uses Snap Layouts for quick jobs. That's a fair position. Snap needs no setup and no extra install, while PowerToys rewards a few minutes of configuration. The caveats above matter most for people who rely on remote sessions, run admin-level apps, or use monitors with mixed scaling.

Start with the one tool that fixes your biggest daily irritation. If it earns its keep, add another. The shortcuts are all configurable, so you can resolve any clashes in Settings.