Amazing PowerToys Tools that will Change Your Windows Experience

Sure, Microsoft’s PowerToys is a well-known program that offers a set of helpful features to increase productivity or add more customization to the Windows user interface. In the world of computers, PowerToys is considered one of the strongest and best tools from Microsoft as a “means” to improve the way we use Windows daily. The program includes a wide range of functions and new features are constantly added which are truly useful and must be used without a doubt. Many of the tools available in PowerToys will enhance your productivity and save you time. Most of these tools have been discussed separately in previous articles, and today we have gathered the best and most important tools in one place. So, if you haven’t tried PowerToys before, you can download it for free from the Microsoft store to benefit from the mentioned tools.

Download it from the Microsoft Store for free to utilize the mentioned tools.

The first program allows you to change keyboard key functions or switch between them as you wish. For example, you can change the Caps Lock key function from typing English words in uppercase to a key for muting and unmuting sound or starting and stopping videos, etc. All keyboard keys are changeable, even the “Copilot” key in new “Copilot+ PCs” from Microsoft. In short, you can change keyboard key functions by accessing the PowerToys settings window, selecting the “Keyboard Manager” tool, and clicking on “Remap a key”. For more details, you can refer to our article on changing keyboard key functions.

The feature allows you to display any window above other windows so that it always appears even if you click elsewhere on the screen. We have explained everything in detail in an article on keeping a window always on top. If you like the idea and want to benefit from it directly, press “Windows + Ctrl + T” after installing PowerToys on any window, and it will stay on top; above all other windows. Note that you can use the first feature and change the shortcut to activate this feature.

The PowerToys Run tool serves as an alternative to the traditional Windows Start menu, offering a simple interface with practical and useful features. It allows you to search the internet using your preferred search engine, unlike the “Start Menu” which forces you to use Bing and Edge. You can access files and programs faster, have access to a calculator and various tools for measurement and unit conversion, among many other features. To open this alternative menu, press “Alt + Space” after installing PowerToys and explore all its features.

The Image Resizer tool is perfect for quickly and easily changing the dimensions of a group of images. To use it, make sure PowerToys is installed, then go to File Explorer, select the images you want to resize, right-click, and choose “Resize with Image Resizer” for Windows 10, or “Show more options” for Windows 11. Enter the desired dimensions in the Height and Width boxes, then click “Resize”.

This tool allows you to organize and manage your programs easily on the desktop, whether you have one screen or multiple screens. By using this tool, you can customize a “workspace” containing a specific set of programs of your choice. By running this Workspace, programs will open in the order they were last arranged without the need to open each program and arrange them individually. You can review our previous article on a new Microsoft tool for running and automatically arranging programs for more details on how to use this tool.

This feature also deals with a group of files, but this time for renaming them. If you want to rename multiple files, you can use “PowerRename” to do it all at once instead of dealing with each file individually. To use the feature, select the target files, right-click, and choose “Rename with PowerRename”. The files will be displayed in a large box, and on the left, you will see details of these files. Make sure all files are selected, then click on one of the options “aa” or “AA” or “Aa” or “Aa Aa” on the left to change the name. Enter the new name in the “Replace with” box to rename all the files and a unique number “1”, then “2”, then “3”, etc. will be added next to them.

This feature is very useful for applications that require the use of the camera and/or microphone. It allows you more options to control them by disabling or enabling them from keyboard shortcuts directly. This will be useful in your meetings or while playing online, for example. We have already explained the importance of this tool and how to activate and use it. In short, to use Video Conference Mute, go to PowerToys settings, then to “Video Conference Mute”, and switch it from “Off” to “On”. Below, you will find a set of shortcuts; the first one for disabling the microphone and camera, the second for muting the microphone only, and the third for disabling the camera only.

This feature is similar to the “Caffeine” feature on Mac devices, as it prevents the computer from entering sleep mode or automatic shutdown. This will be very helpful if you are downloading large files from the internet or installing a large program or game. To use it, click on the icon in the notification area of the taskbar, right-click and choose “Keep awake indefinitely” to keep the computer active until you disable the feature by clicking on “Off (keep using the selected power plan)” or select “Keep awake on interval” to keep the computer active for a specified time interval.

Despite text extraction from images being available in the Snipping tool on Windows 11, the “Text Extractor” tool in PowerToys allows you to do this on Windows 10 as well. The usage is easier and supports all languages including Arabic. Simply open the image and press “Windows + Shift + T” to recognize and extract the text visually.

The tenth tool in PowerToys provides you with more formatting options when pasting texts. It allows you to paste any copied text in any desired format, which will be beneficial in many fields, such as programming. For example, you can copy a text written in XML and paste it in JSON format by pressing “Windows + Ctrl + Alt + V” to paste and then selecting the format.

Although some applications already offer this feature, PowerToys makes it available in all applications. Recently, this tool has started using artificial intelligence to format clipboard content easily, but you will need an OpenAI API key to use it. This feature may be available for free in the future using the neural processing unit NPU on new “Copilot + PCs”.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 provide options for split-screen, but they are somewhat limited. However, the “FancyZones” tool in PowerToys allows you to divide your computer screen into different windows in a flexible and efficient way. You can customize their shape, size, and navigate between them easily using keyboard shortcuts. Most importantly, you can make Windows remember the arrangement of the windows as you last opened them, saving you a lot of time in the future.

Finally, PowerToys contains many other tools and features waiting for you to explore. Download the program if you haven’t already and take a look at its features that will definitely benefit you.