Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.45.0 with Windows 11 styling

With the latest release of PowerToys, Microsoft has focused primarily on fixing bugs and improving stability, with the promise that updated utilities will be included in next week's experimental version.

But PowerToys v0.45.0 also sees a visual makeover which had been teased recently. The update gives the suite of utilities a modern look that is in keeping with Windows 11. The development team may be slightly biased, but describes this as a "truly spectacular update".

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There are a huge number of tweaks, fixes and updates for many of the utilities that make up PowerToys -- Awake, Color Picker, FanzyZone, File Explorer add-ons, Image Resizer, Keyboard Manager, PowerRename, PowerToys Run, and Video Conference Mute. And it is this last tool which is next in line for a revamp in the next release.

But it is the Windows 11 update which is most interesting for now. The developers say:

Settings and OOBE windows updated with Fluent UX! We hope you enjoy the new modern feel of the application menus as we align our product with upcoming Windows 11 interfaces. Special thanks to @niels9001 for driving the development of this UI, along with many thanks to the various community members who offered constant feedback and adjustments to make this a truly spectacular update!

Writing about the new release on GitHub, Deondre Davis from the PowerToys team says:

Our goals for the v0.45 release cycle primarily centered around stability updates and optimizations, installer updates, general bug fixes, and accessibility improvements.

We also worked extensively with the community to build an updated settings menu UI. This UI update takes advantage of the latest styling elements to provide users with a refreshed, modern experience navigating the various utilities and their settings.

An experimental version of PowerToys (v0.46) will be released the 2nd week of September and will include an updated version of Video Conference Mute.

If you already have PowerToys installed, you can use the built-in updater to grab this latest version, otherwise you can download it here.