Articles about PowerToys

Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.53.1 and adds new Always On Top utility

Microsoft PowerToys

The first PowerToys release of 2022 is here, and it is a strong start to the year. With the release of PowerToys v0.53.1, Microsoft has not only added a new utility in the form of Always On Top, but has also made lots of fixes, changes, additions and improvements to the existing tools in the suite.

Among the other notable additions to this release are new supports options in the File Explorer preview pan, and the arrival of web searching from PowerToys Run. Microsoft says that "the v0.53 release cycle was designed for a maintenance sprint but with some amazing community support, it is loaded with greatness" -- and there certainly is a lot of greatness to explore.

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PowerToys alternative ThisIsWin11 gets a huge visual revamp

For anyone making the switch from Windows 10 to Windows 11, there is quite a lot to learn, as well as a reasonable amount of stuff to unlearn. And for anyone venturing out into computing for the first time, or people making the switch from macoS or Linux to Windows, there even more to consider!

ThisIsWin11 is a free portable app that serves several purposes, one of which is introducing some of the key features of Windows 11. The app started life as a simple project to help people to become familiar with the latest version of Windows, but it has expanded to be a tweaking tool as well. And the latest incarnation introduces a completely new look.

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Microsoft releases yet another version of PowerToys to improve FancyZones and more

Microsoft PowerToys

It is mere days since Microsoft released PowerToys v0.51.0 complete with the new Mouse Highlighter utility. Now the company has another update available which offers improvements to the FancyZones and PowerToys Run tools.

PowerToys v0.51.1 is by no means a big release, especially when you look at the huge list of improvements and additions in the previous update, but it remains an important one. The changes introduced in this latest version come, Microsoft says, in response to user feedback, and will be of particular interest to Windows 11 users.

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Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.51.0 with lots of fixes, a new mouse utility... and two exciting teasers

Microsoft PowerToys Mouse Highlighter

The release of a PowerToys update is always exciting, but this is especially true when Microsoft adds new utilities. And with the release of PowerToys v0.51.0, the development team does not disappoint.

We recently told you that the team was busily working away on a new Mouse Highlighter utility, and this has now been officially added to the PowerToys collection. Version v0.51.0 includes a lengthy list of tweaks, fixes and improvements, and there is also the promise of a new tool called Always On Top as well as something intriguingly referred to as "centers of gravity".

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Windows 11 is drawing inspiration from PowerToys utilities

Microphone channel 11

The Windows 11 development team and the one behind PowerToys are entirely separate entities, but it seems like one is being inspired by the other.

While the PowerToys utilities exist to improve on the features found in Windows -- as well as adding completely new options -- sometimes the utilities collection has an influence on the operating system. A good case in point is the new microphone-muting keyboard shortcut that has just been added to the latest builds of Windows 11.

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Microsoft is preparing to release a great new PowerToys utility for your mouse

Microsoft PowerToys Mouse Highlighter

It is only fairly recently that Microsoft added a new utility to PowerToys -- the incredibly useful Find My Mouse. Now the company is getting ready to launch another addition to the new Mouse Utilities section.

While Find My Mouse makes it easy to locate your mouse cursor when you are unable to track it down yourself, the upcoming Mouse Highlighter takes a slightly different approach. It's a utility that will appeal to anyone who uses their computer to give presentations, and Microsoft has shared details of what we can expect.

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Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.49 with new mouse utility and UI updates

Microsoft PowerToys

A new release cycle has started for the PowerToys collection of utilities. Kicking off with PowerToys v0.49, Microsoft promises that this and the upcoming batch of releases include "exciting new updates".

And things get off to a great start with the arrival of not only the Video Conference Mute tool in the stable build, but also a brand-new utility -- Find My Mouse. There are also numerous fixes and improvements as a well as a UI update for PowerRename.

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Microsoft bringing a new Find My Mouse tool and more mouse utilities to PowerToys

Microsoft PowerToys

Fans of Microsoft's PowerToys have something to look forward to -- there is at least one new utility in the pipeline, very probably several.

Developers are currently working on a Find My Mouse tool which will appear in an upcoming Mouse Utilities section of PowerToys. The new tool will make it easy to locate your mouse cursor on the screen, but there is also the promise of more mouse-related tools in the future.

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Microsoft releases PowerToys Experimental v0.48.1 with fixes and new features

Microsoft PowerToys

It was entirely planned, but it does feel like a good while since there was an exciting PowerToys release with new things to play with. But now, with the release of PowerToys Experimental v0.48.1, this changes.

There are, of course, fixes and -- as this is an experimental release -- some known issues, but there is also the return of Video Conference Mute tool which has quickly turned into a fan-favorite.

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Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.47.1, fixing bugs in FancyZones and more

Microsoft PowerToys

With the current PowerToys release cycle, Microsoft had vowed to work on stability and optimization, and the company is making good on this promise.

It is only a couple of weeks since the release of v0.47.0 of the utility collection, but now there is another update to install. This time around, there are fixes for PowerToys Run, FancyZones and Shortcut Guide.

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Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.47.0 -- download it now!

Microsoft PowerToys

Microsoft has released an update to PowerToys, taking the utility collection up to version 0.47.0. Although the company has said that this release cycle would be focused on stability updates and optimizations, installer updates, general bug fixes, and accessibility improvements, there's still a welcome change for the Shortcut Guide tool.

Perhaps more interestingly, there is also news about the next experimental release -- PowerToys v0.48 -- which will appear just before the rollout of Windows 11 begins.

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PowerToys is now available to download from the Microsoft Store for Windows 11

PowerToys Windows 11

Microsoft recently started the process of giving PowerToys a Windows 11 makeover ahead of the launch of the operating system next month.

Now the company has released the latest version of the essential collection of utilities to the Windows 11 Microsoft Store. This means that PowerToys is now likely to gain a much bigger following as until now it has only been available to download from GitHub.

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Microsoft releases new PowerToys build complete with Video Conference Mute tool

Microsoft PowerToys

We've just written about Microsoft giving its PowerToys utilities a Windows 11 makeover. While a new coat of paint is all well and good, what people really want is new tools to play with -- and with the newly released PowerToys Experimental v0.46.0, this is precisely what Microsoft has delivered.

This latest release sees the addition of the much-touted Video Conference Mute tool which provides global audio and video controls for video calling apps that make use of cameras and microphones. The release also fixes a variety of issues with the collection of utilities.

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Microsoft is giving more PowerToys a Windows 11 revamp

Windows 11 PowerToys

With Windows 11 comes a new look, a new visual language. It is central to the operating system and the way it feels, and software developers are preparing to embrace this new aesthetic in their products.

Not surprisingly, Microsoft has embarked on a mission to update the look of many of its products and services to match that of Windows 11, and one area in which this can be seen is in PowerToys. There have already been some changes introduced to the collection of utilities, and now the team behind the much-loved Windows enhancement suite has given a glimpse of further updates to comes.

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Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.45.0 with Windows 11 styling

Windows 11 PowerToys

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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