PowerToys is a collection of free utilities for Windows 10 and Windows 11 that aims to streamline the Windows experience for greater productivity. PowerToys first launched for Windows 95, then Windows XP, and now exists as an open-source project for Windows 10 and 11.

PowerToys lets you bulk rename files, batch resize images, quick launch applications, and more. We're going to show you how to download PowerToys and how to use the tools it offers.

What Are PowerToys?

PowerToys are a series of free tools that are designed to improve the functionality of the Windows operating system.

PowerToys for Windows 95 was the first version and included 15 components. You could use AutoPlay on non-audio CDs, open desktop items from a taskbar menu, quickly change screen resolution, and more.

The second version of PowerToys was for Windows XP. Rather than being available in a single package, these were separate downloads. Various components were discontinued over its lifetime, but there were 20 components overall, including an advanced calculator and live window previews via Alt-Tab.

Later operating systems such as Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 didn't receive official support for PowerToys.

In September 2019, Microsoft released the first version of PowerToys for Windows 10 to the public, and it has evolved ever since. These utilities are available in a single package. Although designed for power users, they can be used by anyone thanks to the easy interface.

The utilities included in PowerToys for Windows 10 and Windows 11 are:

  1. Always On Top
  2. Awake
  3. Color Picker
  4. FancyZones
  5. File Explorer Add-ons
  6. Image Resizer
  7. Keyboard Manager
  8. Mouse Utilities
  9. PowerRename
  10. PowerToys Run
  11. Shortcut Guide
  12. Video Conference Mute

We'll explore each of these in detail below.

How to Download PowerToys

PowerToys is an open-source project. Though officially developed by Microsoft, it doesn't come with the operating system.

To download PowerToys, go to the GitHub project page. From the Assets section, download the file PowerToysSetup-0.##.#-x64.exe. The numbers will reflect the current version of PowerToys.

Once downloaded, open the file to install PowerToys.

How to Use PowerToys

general powertoys

When you've installed PowerToys, you can access it from the Start menu. Once opened, it resides in your system tray; you can click the icon to open the PowerToys utility.

The General tab lets you customize a few settings. Importantly, you should enable Download updates automatically and Always run as administrator.

You can also customize the App theme and whether PowerToys should Run at startup.

Some PowerToys are enabled by default. Below, we'll run through each in turn and explain how they work.

1. Always On Top

always on top powertoys

If you have many windows open, it can be hard to keep track of what's important. With the Always On Top tool, you can pin windows above everything else so that they always remain visible.

You can customize the Activation shortcut (Windows key + Ctrl + T by default), whether it works when Game Mode is on, the border color and thickness of the pinned window, and if it plays a sound when pinning. You can also exclude applications from pinning on top.

2. Awake

awake powertoys

There are times when you want to keep your PC awake. Perhaps you're downloading a large file or running a backup. Changing your power plan each time this happens is inconvenient.

With the Awake tool, you can keep your PC awake on demand. You can choose between Keep using the selected power plan, Keep awake indefinitely, and Keep awake temporarily (you set the length of time).

You can also toggle whether to Keep screen on.

3. Color Picker

color picker powertoys

Color Picker is a tool that lets you pick out a color from any running application and copy it to your clipboard in a variety of formats—HEX, RGB, HSL, and more.

4. FancyZones

fancyzones editor powertoys

If you click and drag a window to the side or corner of the screen, it will resize according to a basic grid layout.

With FancyZones, you can create advanced layouts for resizing numerous windows.

Head to the FancyZones section in PowerToys and click Launch Zones Editor. Here you can choose the window layout from some defaults, or click the Custom tab to build your own.

Then, when dragging a window, hold the Shift key to see the zones and drag your window into a section to automatically resize it.

You can edit lots of settings for FancyZones within PowerToys, including removing the requirement of holding Shift, so familiarize yourself with them to take full advantage of this utility.

5. File Explorer Add-ons

svg preview powertoys

File Explorer has a preview pane so that you can view the contents of some file types, like documents and spreadsheets, without opening them.

If you don't see this when you click a file, go to the View tab on File Explorer and click Preview pane to enable it.

With PowerToys, this functionality now supports SVG, MD, PDF, and GCODE files.

6. Image Resizer

image resizer powertoys

You can batch resize images on Mac, and now you can do the same on Windows.

Simply open File Explorer and select the images you want to resize, right-click, and click Resize pictures.

This opens a window where you can select the new image size, along with options like resizing the original (rather than creating copies) and ignoring the orientation of pictures. When ready, click Resize.

Within PowerToys settings, you can edit the default size presets and add your own. You can also change the encoding settings and how the newly resized images are named.

7. Keyboard Manager

remap keys powertoys

With Keyboard Manager, you can create your own keyboard shortcuts or remap existing ones.

For example, you could use uncommon keys to control your media playback or browser navigation. Alternatively, you could do something like changing the shortcut Ctrl + C (which normally copies text) to be paste instead.

There are two sections: Remap keyboard to remap a single key to another key, and Remap shortcuts to remap a shortcut to another shortcut.

Click Remap a key or Remap a shortcut. Click the plus icon to add a remapping. The left side is the existing key or shortcut, while the right is what you want to remap it to. Use the trash icon to remove any remapping. When done, click OK.

8. Mouse Utilities

cursor highlight powertoys

If you constantly lose track of where your mouse is, or want visual feedback to show when you click something, Mouse Utilities can provide this. You can also customize the appearance and behavior of each.

9. PowerRename

powerrename powertoys

It can be difficult for the average user to bulk rename files and folders in Windows without using PowerShell. With the PowerRename utility, it's now a breeze.

In File Explorer, select the files or folders that you wish to rename. Right click and click PowerRename.

This opens a window where you can choose what term to Search for and what to Replace with. There are also helpful options like case-sensitive renaming, exclude folders, item extension only, and more.

10. PowerToys Run

search powertoys

PowerToys Run is a search tool for quickly launching applications, files, and folders. You can also use it to switch to things you have open.

By default, press Alt + Space to open it. Then simply start typing to find something on your computer. Use the Up and Down keys to move between results and Enter to launch.

If you wish, use the icons next to each result to Launch as administrator, Open containing folder, or Open path in console.

11. Shortcut Guide

shortcuts powertoys

Windows is packed full of helpful shortcuts. With Shortcut Guide, you can press Windows + Shift + / to bring up a screen to remind yourself of some.

Within PowerToys settings, you can change the Activation method, Activation shortcut, Theme, and Excluded apps.

12. Video Conference Mute

video conference mute powertoys

If you're constantly in video calls across different applications, it's hard to remember how to mute your camera and microphone on each.

That's why this PowerToys utility is so handy. It gives you keyboard shortcuts to globally mute your webcam and microphone, so you don't need to fiddle around in any video conference menus.

Become a Windows Master

PowerToys is still in active development, so the existing tools could change and new utilities will arrive over time. Some of them may even become part of the default Windows operating system.

With PowerToys, you are well on your way to become the ultimate Windows 10 or Windows 11 master.