By Lydia | Last Updated
Weeks ago, Microsoft published PowerToys v0.82. The newly launched PowerToys New+ introduces more powerful features compared to before. It is indeed a very practical tool. Follow the article to download and try PowerToys Windows step by step.
The latest version of Microsoft PowerToys currently includes over 20 free tools, with the main features and corresponding shortcuts as follows:
1. Always On Top: Press <Win + Ctrl + T> to keep the current window on top while using.
2. Color Picker: Press <Win + Shift + C> and move the cursor over a color to view its RGB and HSL values.
3. FancyZones: Press <Win + Shift + `> to enable window splitting, allowing selection of different layouts or custom window arrangements.
4. File Explorer add-ons: Through the Preview pane in the file system to preview SVG and Markdown files without needing to open them.
5. Image Resizer: Right-click on an image to resize and then select "Image Resizer" in the context menu. It not only supports batch operations but offers common presets or custom dimensions.
6. Keyboard Manager: Allow users to customize keyboard mappings and shortcuts, simplifying complex keystrokes.
7. Mouse utilities: For dual monitors or large displays, double-clicking left Ctrl reveals the mouse pointer's location. Mouse utilities temporarily darken the screen except for a spotlight around the pointer, aiding in locating it quickly.
8. PowerRename: Batch rename files by selecting multiple files, right-clicking and then choosing rules such as regular expressions for text replacement.
9. PowerToys Run: Activate with <Alt + Space>, this helps searches and launches applications swiftly, and performs simple calculations.
10. Advanced Paste: Available from PowerToys v0.81.0 or later, supports multiple paste format presets such as plain text, Markdown, JSON, etc. Besides, it introduces "AI Paste" using OpenAI's API to process copied content. Use <Windows + Shift + V> to directly access the "Advanced Paste" panel.
The PowerToys offers 5 ways for Microsoft PowerToys download - Microsoft Store, GitHub Release, and WinGet/Chocolatey/Scoop package manager, here's how to do that:
Step 1: Type "Microsoft Store" in the search box and press "Enter".
Step 2: In the Microsoft Store search box, type "Microsoft PowerToys" and click the search icon. Hover over the PowerToys tab for a few seconds, when the Install option appears, click it.
Step 3: Once installed, it will automatically open the PowerToys welcome interface.
Note: You can also visit the Microsoft app website and click the "Install" button to start downloading.
Step 1: Open your browser and visit the GitHub Microsoft PowerToys Release Page.
Step 2: Click the corresponding hyperlink to download, depending on your CPU architecture (x64 or ARM64, Per user or Machine wide).
Step 3: Once downloaded, double-click the PowerToys Setup file.
Step 4: Accept the terms and click "Install". You can change the software installation address form "options" button.
After installation, you can access it from the Start menu or find it in the system tray after startup.
In addition to the Microsoft Store, you can use Winget (Windows Package Manager) to install PowerToys. Winget is also a free and open-source tool from Microsoft, available for both Windows 11 and Windows 10, with the ability to install, update, and uninstall applications through a Command Prompt or PowerShell module.
Step 1: Right-click on the Windows logo key and select "Windows PowerShell (Admin)".
Step 2: In the PowerShell window, enter and execute the following command:
winget install Microsoft.PowerToys --source winget
Step 3: PowerShell will start downloading and installing the PowerToys.
If you’ve installed Windows Scoop tool, you can run the following command to download PowerToys:
scoop bucket add extras
scoop install powertoys
Windows Chocolatey is another Windows command line installation tool. Run the following command to add PowerToys to your computer:
choco install powertoys
Step 1: Find PowerToys in the applications list, right-click on it, and select "Uninstall".
Step 2: In the "Programs and Features" window, right-click again on PowerToys and choose "Uninstall". Wait for the uninstallation process to complete.
If you encounter warnings and are unable to uninstall PowerToys, then try the following methods.
Step 1: Open your PowerToys app.
Step 2: Under Dashboard panel, disable all PowerToys items.
Step 3: Right-click on the icon in System tray then Exit.
Step 4: Try to uninstall it again.
Step 1: Right-click on the Windows logo key, and select PowerShell (Admin), then run the command below:
winget uninstall Microsoft.PowerToys --source winget
Step 2: Wait the uninstall process to complete.
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