PowerToys is Microsoft’s free collection of extra Windows utilities. It adds practical tools such as custom window layouts, a fast keyboard launcher, batch renaming, a color picker, quick previews, and more without relying on an unofficial tweak package.
This guide applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11. PowerToys is an official Microsoft open-source project and can be installed from trusted Microsoft sources.
Does This Affect You?
If you want Windows to snap windows into custom zones, launch apps faster from the keyboard, rename many files at once, grab text from an image, or keep a window pinned on top, PowerToys is usually the cleanest way to add those features.
Install PowerToys
Installation only takes a few minutes, and the Microsoft Store and direct installer both provide the same app.
- Open the Microsoft Store, search for PowerToys, and choose Install. You can also download it from Microsoft’s PowerToys page or the PowerToys GitHub releases page.
- Open PowerToys from the Start menu.
- Use the sidebar to browse the available utilities. Each tool has its own on/off switch and settings page.
- PowerToys runs in the background and places an icon in the system tray so you can reopen settings later.
Set Up FancyZones
FancyZones gives you custom snapping layouts beyond the standard left, right, and corner snap positions built into Windows.
- In PowerToys, select FancyZones and turn it on.
- Click Launch layout editor.
- Choose a preset such as Columns, Grid, or Priority Grid, or create a new layout by splitting and merging zones.
- Close the editor. Hold Shift while dragging a window to show the zones, then release the window over the zone you want.
- Return to FancyZones settings if you want zones to activate without holding Shift, appear on every monitor, or behave differently with multiple displays.
Use PowerToys Run and Everyday Tools
PowerToys Run is a quick launcher that appears anywhere in Windows and can open apps, find files, run simple calculations, and start commands.
- Open PowerToys Run in the sidebar and turn it on.
- Press Alt + Space to open the launcher.
- Type part of an app name, file path, setting, or calculation, then press Enter on the result you want.
- Consider enabling Color Picker for grabbing screen colors, PowerRename for advanced batch renaming in File Explorer, Always on Top for pinning one window above the others, and Text Extractor for copying text from an image or video frame.
- Check each utility’s settings page for its shortcut and change any shortcut that conflicts with another app.
PowerToys Notes
Run It at Startup
Open General in PowerToys and enable Run at startup if you want your selected utilities ready immediately after sign-in.
Keep It Updated
PowerToys receives frequent fixes and new utilities. Use the update controls under General, or let Microsoft Store update it if you installed it there.
Other Useful Utilities
Peek previews selected files with the spacebar, Image Resizer adds right-click photo resizing, and Environment Variables gives power users a better interface for editing PATH and other variables.
Shortcut Conflicts Are Easy to Fix
If a default shortcut such as Win + Shift + C belongs to another app on your PC, open that utility’s settings and record a different key combination.
Sources
- Microsoft Learn: PowerToys overview
- Microsoft PowerToys GitHub project
- Microsoft Support: Install PowerToys