Some PowerToys features work so well that you forget they weren’t always part of Windows. That’s why Microsoft should stop treating them as experimental add-ons and start integrating them into the next version of Windows 11.
8. PowerToys Run
Windows Search is annoying. It's slow, misses obvious results, and prioritizes searching the web over your actual files. PowerToys Run ( Alt + Space ) is a quick launcher that can find apps, files, folders, and system settings instantly.
Type exc and Excel will come up first; type reg to open the Registry Editor . PowerToys Run also learns your habits. If you always select Excel when you type "ex", it will bring Excel to the top after a few uses.
7. FancyZones
Windows Snap lets you quickly arrange open application windows into different layouts. You can use the Win key + Right/Left arrows or simply drag application windows to snap them into different layouts.
But what if you need a custom layout?
FancyZones is a window management utility that allows you to create custom window layouts to improve your workflow. Hold down the Shift key while dragging any window, it will snap into predefined zones.
6. File Locksmith
Normally, when you try to delete a file, Windows will warn you that it can't because the file is being used by another application - but won't tell you which program. File Locksmith can help you identify which application or process is using a file and even close it with a single click.
With File Locksmith enabled in PowerToys, right-click any locked file, select Unlock with File Locksmith , and see what processes have that file open. Click End task to kill the process and you can proceed with deleting the file.
5. Text Extractor
Windows 11 ’s built-in Snipping Tool can not only take screenshots — it can also extract text from images. However, the process is multi-step and not always accurate, especially with small text or odd fonts. Instead, PowerToys Text Extractor (formerly PowerOCR) offers a faster, more reliable alternative.
To extract text, press Win + Shift + T , then click and drag to select an area of the screen containing text. Whether it's an image, video, or a program that doesn't support text selection, the tool will scan the selected area and instantly copy the recognized text to your clipboard.
4. Always on Top
When working with multiple applications, you often need to pin a particular window so that it stays on top, no matter what else you are doing. Since Windows doesn't provide a quick way to pin any application like that, the Always on Top feature helps you do this.
Select the app you want to pin, then press Win + Ctrl + T . A thin colored border will show which window is pinned.
3. Color Picker
Color Picker helps you grab an exact color from anywhere on your screen — whether it's in an app, image, icon, or web page. Turn it on by pressing Win + Shift + C , then click any pixel to copy its color. It works with different formats like HEX, RGB, HSL, and CMYK.
The tool has a magnifying glass so you can select the exact pixel you want and automatically copies the color code to your clipboard. It also saves the last 20 colors so you can reuse them later. You can also tweak any selected color to get the perfect shade.
2. Quick Accent
Typing loanwords like café, résumé, or piñata on an English keyboard means having to memorize Alt codes or switch keyboard layouts. Quick Accent solves this problem brilliantly – hold down any letter and press the spacebar to see all its accented versions. Then use the arrow keys to select the letter you need.
You can configure it for only the languages you use, for quick selection. The overlay will appear at the cursor, so you never lose your place.
1. Awake
Awake temporarily or indefinitely suspends your computer's Sleep mode without affecting your power plan. You can toggle it on/off from the system tray when you start a long download or run an overnight backup. Use it, for example, because Sleep mode disables Wi-Fi and Bluetooth until you reboot - a bug that Awake helps fix.
Awake supports three modes: Indefinitely, for a certain number of minutes/hours, or until a certain time. This makes it useful for two hours as well as keeping your computer awake until 6am for overnight tasks. You can also choose to keep your screen on or just prevent your system from sleeping. When the timer expires, standard power settings will automatically resume.
In the following article, we will present the basic operations to recover deleted data in Windows 7 with the support tool Recuva Portable. With Recuva Portable, you can store it in any convenient USB, and use it whenever needed. The tool is compact, simple, easy to use with some of the following features:
CCleaner scans for duplicate files in just a few minutes, then lets you decide which ones are safe to delete.
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For some reason, your Windows 10 computer lost Admin rights, every time you open an application on the screen you receive an error message. So how to restore lost Admin rights, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.
In this article, WebTech360 will guide you how to turn off the firewall on Windows 11.
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These days, most PCs and Apple devices can handle both MOV and MP4 files, at least to some extent. However, the need to convert MOV video files to MP4 files has not diminished.
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Setting up multiple monitors on Windows is quite simple and only takes a few minutes to do. After setting up multi-monitor mode (multiple screens), you can set up separate wallpapers for each screen. To do this, please refer to the article below from WebTech360.
Hidden deep within Windows is a world of command lines that few people know about. In this article, we will guide you on how to fix errors and make your computer more secure using the cmd command line tool.
Instructions on how to enter BIOS on Windows 10 for you, with video illustration.
Clipchamp is the default video editor on Windows 11, but if you just need to make a quick cut, split a simple photo, or add music to a clip, the classic editor inside the Photos Legacy app is a much better choice.
In the following article, we will present the basic operations to recover deleted data in Windows 7 with the support tool Recuva Portable. With Recuva Portable, you can store it in any convenient USB, and use it whenever needed. The tool is compact, simple, easy to use with some of the following features:
CCleaner scans for duplicate files in just a few minutes, then lets you decide which ones are safe to delete.
Windows doesn't come with security set up by default, which means there are some default settings you need to change.
USB devices have become indispensable in everyday life, allowing us to connect a wide variety of essential hardware to our PCs.
If you properly lock down your guest Wi-Fi network, you can share your Internet connection with any visitors without sharing any other information.
For some reason, your Windows 10 computer lost Admin rights, every time you open an application on the screen you receive an error message. So how to restore lost Admin rights, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.
In this article, WebTech360 will guide you how to turn off the firewall on Windows 11.
After a long wait, the first major update of Windows 11 has officially been released.
The Unhandled exception has occurred error is not related to a specific application, making it more difficult to resolve. This article will guide you through some ways to fix the Unhandled exception has occurred error on Windows 10.
These days, most PCs and Apple devices can handle both MOV and MP4 files, at least to some extent. However, the need to convert MOV video files to MP4 files has not diminished.
Recognizing this need, major online messaging services use a technique called end-to-end encryption, to secure and protect users' conversations.
Setting up multiple monitors on Windows is quite simple and only takes a few minutes to do. After setting up multi-monitor mode (multiple screens), you can set up separate wallpapers for each screen. To do this, please refer to the article below from WebTech360.
Hidden deep within Windows is a world of command lines that few people know about. In this article, we will guide you on how to fix errors and make your computer more secure using the cmd command line tool.
Instructions on how to enter BIOS on Windows 10 for you, with video illustration.
Clipchamp is the default video editor on Windows 11, but if you just need to make a quick cut, split a simple photo, or add music to a clip, the classic editor inside the Photos Legacy app is a much better choice.
