powertoys

Windows 11 feels familiar the instant you log in, but a handful of free, first‑party Microsoft apps quietly amplify that experience in ways most new users never discover — PowerToys, Diagnostic Data Viewer, Windows File Recovery, Windows HDR Calibration, and Windows Scan are five such tools...

The Command Palette in PowerToys arrives on Windows 11 as a compact, keyboard-first command center that behaves like macOS’s Spotlight or Alfred but is built for Windows power users and developers. It consolidates app launching, settings access, quick calculations, system commands, WinGet...

Windows 11’s real productivity story isn’t flashy animation or rounded corners — it’s the small, well-integrated tools that quietly shave minutes off everyday workflows and add up to hours saved over weeks. Built‑in features like the Snipping Tool, the modern clipboard, Snap Layouts, Focus...

PowerToys’ new Light Switch is one of those small, shockingly practical features that makes you wonder why Windows 11 Settings never baked it in to begin with—yet the feature’s rough rollout, unexpected default enablement for some users, and leftover platform problems mean making it a default...

PowerToys’ Color Picker is a deceptively simple utility that solves a persistent pain point for designers, developers, and anyone who needs precise color values: pick any pixel on the screen, get a clean color code in the format you need, and move on—fast. Background Since its modern revival as...

PowerToys can feel like a secret power-up for Windows — a compact, official toolbox from Microsoft that fills the small but persistent productivity gaps the OS leaves alone, and in 2026 there’s no better way to tune Windows 11 to your workflow than selectively installing and configuring the...

Microsoft's PowerToys has quietly delivered one of the most persuasive arguments yet that the traditional Start menu and Windows Search are overdue for a rethink: the new Command Palette is faster, cleaner, and far more extensible than the built‑in search box — and for many everyday workflows it...

Microsoft’s PowerToys Awake is useful, simple, and uncontroversial on paper — but the recent Neowin “Closer Look” column arguing that Awake is not its author’s favorite tool touches on wider, real usability and reliability questions that matter for anyone who needs predictable keep‑awake...

Microsoft PowerToys quietly does what Windows 11 sometimes only promises: it fills small but persistent productivity gaps with lightweight, well-designed utilities that save time every day — and seven of those utilities deserve immediate attention on any modern Windows machine. Background /...

Microsoft’s PowerToys has quietly turned the humble clipboard into a programmable AI surface: the Advanced Paste utility in PowerToys v0.96 now lets users choose where AI-powered clipboard transformations run — on local model hosts such as Foundry Local or Ollama, or on a choice of cloud...

Microsoft has quietly repositioned a humble clipboard utility into a practical bridge between local-first AI and cloud models: Advanced Paste in PowerToys now supports multiple cloud providers and on‑device model runtimes, letting users choose where clipboard transformations run — on a remote...

Windows already ships a decent set of utilities, but a handful of small, focused open‑source apps deliver everyday quality‑of‑life features so clean and well‑engineered that they deserve serious consideration from Microsoft — either as built‑in capabilities, tightly integrated optional...

Windows is the invisible workhorse in millions of workflows — but beneath the familiar desktop lies a toolkit that can turn a good user into a true power user. This feature walks through ten practical, tested hacks that accelerate common tasks, reduce friction, and give you more control over how...

Microsoft’s PowerToys is about to make one of its most visible utilities — the Command Palette — significantly more personal, and the wider toolkit is quietly expanding with two new experimental utilities that aim to control displays and even improve how users look on video calls. Background /...

Microsoft’s PowerToys is getting a fresh round of polish and personality work that goes beyond bug-fixes — the next feature update promises first-class customization for the Command Palette plus two bold new utilities that expand PowerToys’ remit into display control and video-call lighting. The...

If Windows search has ever left you staring at a blank Start menu while the clock ticks, there are three practical, battle-tested replacements that restore speed, control, and reliability: Everything, PowerToys Run / Command Palette, and Flow Launcher. Each solves a specific pain point—instant...

When a MakeUseOf writer described Windows Search as “painfully slow and cluttered” and swore by a trio of third‑party launchers—Fluent Search, PowerToys Run, and Command Palette—their setup crystallized a practical truth for many Windows 11 power users: a small set of focused tools can...

Microsoft's PowerToys team is preparing a practical new utility called PowerDisplay that promises to solve one of the most persistent pain points for power users: controlling external monitor settings from Windows without wrestling with vendor on‑screen menus or third‑party hacks. The module...

Microsoft’s PowerToys is preparing a practical fix for one of Windows 11’s most persistent everyday annoyances: a new utility — shown in early teasers as PowerDisplay (also discussed as Power Monitor) — that promises per‑monitor brightness, contrast, color temperature and even speaker volume...

Microsoft is rolling out what may be the most practical, long‑overdue quality‑of‑life upgrade for multi‑monitor users: a PowerToys module (internally referred to as Power Monitor or PowerDisplay) that promises to put per‑monitor brightness, contrast, color temperature, and even speaker volume...