Articles about PowerToys

Windows 11 may not have had a proper release yet, but there are already tools and apps available for the latest version of the operating system. We've already seen Start11 for tweaking the Start menu, and now we have ThisIsWin11 for tweaking, customizing and debloating Windows 11.

This free app makes it easy to remove unwanted components from Windows 11 to help create a more streamlined system, as well as giving you great options for customization. You can increase your privacy and security by changing settings in ThisIsWin11 that are deeply hidden within Windows, and it quickly becomes clear why the developer calls this "the real PowerToys for Windows 11".

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If it feels like a while since there was an update to PowerToys, that's because the last significant release was a little over a month ago. But now Microsoft has broken the dry spell by pushing out PowerToys v0.43.0.

Sadly, there are no new utilities to play with in this particular release, but it remains important. In terms of bug fixes, improvements and changes, this is one of the biggest updates to the suite of tools in quite some time. There is also the slightly controversial addition of telemetry to one of the utilties.

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As if the arrival of an entirely new utility was not enough, Microsoft developers have now released yet another build of PowerToys.

In addition to making important changes to the new Awake tool, PowerToys v0.41.4 is the third release from the PowerToys team in less than a week. It also addresses a number of other key problems and includes a handful of changes.

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Microsoft has pushed out two new PowerToys builds in very quick succession, fixing lots of issues, making numerous improvements, and adding a brand new utility.

The bulk of the changes came in PowerToys v0.41.2, but this was followed mere hours later by PowerToys v0.41.3 because of a compatibility issue with BitDefender. The latest build is interesting not just because of the number of changes it includes, but also the arrival of the new tool called Awake.

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If you're a fan of utilities, you've very probably installed PowerToys for Windows 10. Long an essential software collection for older versions of the operating system, Microsoft gave the beloved tools a reboot for Windows 10 a couple of years ago, and it has gained an enthusiastic following.

And this is not surprising; the utility collection includes some incredible tools, and there's the promise of more great additions in the future. But it's not just us users who think PowerToys is great, the developers behind Windows 11 also appear to be fans. So much so that they decided to steal a few ideas from PowerToys and integrate them into Windows 11.

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If you think it feels like a long time since PowerToys received any significant updates, you're not wrong -- it has indeed been a while. But that's about to change as Microsoft is preparing to add a new utility to the collection.

Briefly known as Espresso (in a nod to the 'caffeinate' command in macOS), the new tool is called Awake. Coming to PowerToys v0.39, this is a keep-awake utility that can be used to stop Windows from going to sleep.

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It feels like it has been a while since the last PowerToys update, but today that changes. Microsoft has released PowerToys v0.37.2 bringing a couple of key changes to the suite of utilities for Windows 10.

Anyone hoping to see the appearance of the Video Conference Mute tool will remain disappointed. As this is only a minor version number increase, however, it is not really surprising that there are no major additions.

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The development of PowerToys continues, and this widely appreciated labor of love is gradually gaining more and more utilities. The latest instalment in the tool's story sees Microsoft releasing PowerToys v.0.37.0.

For now, this is primarily a bug fixing and improvement-introducing release, and some important changes have been made to some of the individual utilities. As of this release, PowerToys now requires at least Windows 10 version 1903 (because of future adoption of WinUI 3). While this requirement will not represent much of an issue for many people, the fact that the eagerly anticipated Video Conference Mute is missing is a disappointment.

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While there have been new PowerToys builds released over the last few months, it has been a while since a new tool was added. Now, with the launch of PowerToys Experimental v0.36.0, this changes.

The latest release of the much-loved Windows 10 utility collection now features the Video Conference Mute tool, giving users the ability to quickly mute their microphone and turn off their camera with a keyboard shortcut.

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It seems like it has been a while since there was a new version of PowerToys for Windows 10, but Microsoft has now pushed out a new release in time for Easter.

We've now made it up to PowerToys v0.35.0, and while this is not a major upgrade from the previous version, it is still significant thanks not only to the number of bug fixes and improvements, but also the number of new features. FancyZones, PowerToys Run and Color Picker are among those gaining new options.

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It has been a little while since there was a PowerToys update, but Microsoft has today rectified this with the release of version 0.33.1 of the suite of Windows 10 utilities.

There are a number of notable changes in this particular release, including improvements to plugins in PowerToys Run, and the editor UX in FancyZones. PowerToys v0.33.1 also features a new 'First time load' experience which serves to introduce new users to what is available in the software.

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It is only a few days since Microsoft released PowerToys 0.31.1, but there is already a new version for you to install.

While there are no major changes in the latest release of the utility suite, does include important bug fixes. Microsoft detected issues with the FancyZones PowerToy, and deemed them significant enough to push out this patch release.

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Microsoft has released a new version of its PowerToys utilities collection for Windows 10, bringing improvements to FancyZones and PowerToys Run. The latest update also includes numerous bug fixes.

Included among the new arrivals in PowerToys 0.31.1 are a new dark mode option and an enhanced interface for FancyZones.

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Just days ago, Microsoft pushed out PowerToys v0.29 as the last release of 2020 -- now it's time for the first release of 2021.

Skipping over versions 0.29.1 and 0.29.2, the company has unleashed PowerToys v0.29.3. So, what is there to look forward to in this first release of the new year?

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We might be in the middle of the holiday season, but that doesn't mean that software developers stop working. As we approach the end of 2020, Microsoft has pushed out one final version of PowerToys for the year.

PowerToys v0.29 lays the groundwork for big changes and additions that are planned for 2021. There are quite a lot of fixes and improvements in this releases, but it is the promise of what's to come that is arguably of greater interest.

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