powertoys

  1. Google’s Spotlight-like Windows App Delivers Fast Desktop Search

    Google’s new Windows app is the kind of small, focused product that puts a bright, uncomfortable spotlight on what Microsoft hasn’t delivered: a fast, reliable, keyboard-first search experience that just finds what you need on a PC. The app — an experimental, summonable overlay you open with Alt...
  2. Google Labs Windows App: Floating Spotlight Search with Lens & AI

    Google’s experimental Windows app aims to remove the friction of switching windows to look something up — a floating, Spotlight‑like search bar you summon with Alt + Space that can search local files, installed apps, Google Drive, and the web, and that folds in Google Lens and the company’s AI...
  3. Google's Spotlight-Style Windows Desktop Search with Lens and AI Mode

    Google’s experimental Windows app drops a summonable, Spotlight‑style search bar onto the desktop that promises to surface local files, installed apps, Google Drive content, and web results — and it folds Google Lens and the company’s AI Mode into a single, keyboard‑first interface invoked by...
  4. Google Spotlight-style Windows app blends local search, Drive, Lens, and AI

    Google has quietly planted a new flag on the Windows desktop: an experimental, Spotlight‑style Google app that appears as a summonable floating search capsule (default hotkey Alt + Space) and stitches together local file search, installed apps, Google Drive, Google Lens visual lookup, standard...
  5. Google's Experimental Windows Launcher: Lens, AI Mode, and Desktop Search

    Google quietly dropped an official, experimental Windows app that behaves like a Spotlight- or PowerToys-style launcher — press Alt + Space and you can search local files, installed apps, Google Drive, the web, and even select on-screen content with Google Lens — a direct play into the launcher...
  6. Practical Windows 11 Dark Mode: A System-Wide, Step-by-Step Guide

    Windows 11’s dark mode finally has a practical, reproducible setup that makes the whole desktop — not just a handful of modern apps — feel cohesive, and the path to get there mixes built‑in settings, small automation tools, and a few targeted third‑party utilities that fill the remaining gaps...
  7. How to Access, Install, and Manage Microsoft Copilot on Windows 11

    Microsoft Copilot is now a standard part of the Windows 11 experience for many users, but getting it running — and keeping it under control — still trips up a lot of people; this guide walks through exactly how to access Copilot, install it where necessary, troubleshoot common problems, and lock...
  8. Windows 11 Hidden Productivity Tricks to Boost Your Workflow

    Windows 11 hides a surprising number of high-impact productivity tools beneath its clean new interface — features that can shave minutes off repetitive tasks, reduce interruptions, and make multi-app workflows feel effortless once you know where to look. This piece walks through the most useful...
  9. Master Windows 11 Keyboard Shortcuts for Faster, Focused Workflows

    Windows 11’s keyboard shortcuts are not just a convenience—they’re the backbone of a faster, less distracted daily workflow for power users and knowledge workers alike, and a recent roundup that distilled “73+” essential combinations crystallizes why learning a compact set of keystrokes pays...
  10. Master Windows 11 Shortcuts: Boost Productivity Before Windows 10 Ends

    Windows 11’s keyboard shortcuts are the single easiest way to turn everyday tasks into near‑instant actions — and learning them now matters more than ever as Windows 10 approaches its end of support and organizations and consumers prepare to migrate. Background Windows 11 ships with a broad set...
  11. PowerToys Wishlist: Run+Workspaces, Image Converter, Auto Screenshots, Mouse Remap, Monitor Control

    PowerToys already solves dozens of small-but-annoying Windows problems for power users, and the five wishlist items proposed by the community capture practical, high-impact improvements that could make the suite even more indispensable. Background / Overview PowerToys began life as a set of...
  12. Windows 11 Insider adds Win + Minus shortcuts for en dash and em dash (Magnifier caveat)

    Microsoft has added two ultra-simple keyboard shortcuts to Windows 11 that insert an en dash (–) and an em dash (—) directly into any text field, a small but meaningful productivity tweak rolling out to Insiders now and destined for a wider release later. Overview Microsoft announced that...
  13. PowerToys Run: Replace Start Menu with a Fast Keyboard-Driven Launcher

    PowerToys Run can replace the Start menu, and for a growing number of power users the switch feels less like a tweak and more like a fundamental productivity upgrade. Overview PowerToys Run is a lightweight, keyboard-first launcher included in Microsoft PowerToys that surfaces apps, files...
  14. Windows 11 Screenshot Guide: 7 Quick Capture Methods

    Windows 11 gives you more ways to capture your screen than most users realize — from the classic Print Screen key to a modern Snipping Tool with OCR and video capture — and the short, practical guide in the AOL piece distills seven quick methods for everyday use while also surfacing a few recent...
  15. Windows 11: Dark mode now applies to legacy file dialogs in Insider builds

    Microsoft has quietly begun fixing one of Windows 11’s most persistent visual annoyances: the long-neglected file operation (copy/move/delete/permission) dialogs are finally receiving proper dark‑mode styling in Insider preview builds, and the work is rolling out in stages rather than as a...
  16. Master Windows Shortcuts: 45+ Time-Saving Keystrokes for Fast Productivity

    ZDNET’s compact roundup of "45+ time‑saving Windows keyboard shortcuts" is less a listicle and more a practical playbook: a curated set of high‑impact keystrokes that swap repetitive mouse motions for instant, repeatable actions and unlock features many users overlook. The author prioritizes...
  17. Windows Tiling Window Managers: Four Standout Options for Power Users

    Tiling window managers aren’t a Linux-only productivity secret anymore — Windows has a healthy, maturing ecosystem of tilers that can radically change how you work, and four projects stand out right now for stability, polish, or sheer ambition. Overview Tiling window managers automatically...
  18. Windows 11 25H2 Enablement, ISO Delays, SSD Debate, PowerToys & Files Updates

    This week’s Windows news cycle offered a dense mix of operational updates, surprising bugs, and quietly consequential releases: Microsoft pushed Windows 11 version 25H2 into the Release Preview channel as an enablement package, then quietly edited its blog to say the promised ISOs are “delayed...
  19. PowerToys: Backup, Diagnostics, and Plugins for Windows Power Users

    PowerToys quietly hides a few genuinely time-saving features behind its polished dashboard — tools for backing up your entire configuration, automatic diagnostic logs you can read yourself, and an easy plugin system that turns the launcher into a Swiss Army knife. These three capabilities alone...
  20. Windows 11 Auto Light/Dark Switch with PowerToys Theme Scheduler

    Microsoft is finally giving Windows 11 users a way to switch between Light and Dark themes automatically—without third‑party hacks or manual trips into Settings—but there’s a twist: the feature is arriving via PowerToys, not as a native Windows Settings toggle, and important implementation...