Microsoft’s PowerToys bundle is an outstanding assortment of utilities designed to boost your efficiency in various manners. Based on what you require, these numerous tools can simplify many tasks for you.
Whenever I personally use a
Windows 11
PC, I depend on several PowerToys utilities to simplify my daily tasks, often forgetting how much more time-consuming these activities would be without them. For those who haven’t started using them, here are some PowerToys tools that assist me regularly, even during moments when their aid goes unnoticed.
Keyboard Manager
And no, it’s not even because of the shortcuts.
I’ll begin with a few unusual choices that might not resonate with everyone, yet they hold personal significance for me. One such pick is the Keyboard Manager, as it offers numerous possibilities, like setting up shortcuts to execute particular tasks with just a keystroke—or combination thereof. However, what makes the PowerToys Keyboard Manager particularly valuable to me is due to the assortment of laptop test models I receive.
Many companies aren’t specifically distributing Portuguese review units for laptops, so I’ve had to work with various keyboard layouts over time. The German keyboard has been notably challenging due to its QWERTZ configuration instead of the familiar QWERTY setup. To simplify my workflow when using a German test unit, I employ Keyboard Manager to switch the positions of the Y and Z keys. This adjustment makes typing much more intuitive for me.
Occasionally, I lose track of the fact that I’m utilizing this utility. However, once I launch an application with administrative rights, things tend to fall apart since PowerToys struggles to handle my keyboard settings whenever another high-privilege program has center stage. This often leads me to inadvertently press incorrect keys without immediately recognizing the problem.
Quick Accent
Being Portuguese is weird
Another language-specific feature offered by PowerToys that significantly aids me during the day is Quick Accent, which relates once again to working with keyboards not designed for Portuguese (my native tongue). Interestingly enough, despite being intended for English speakers, the US keyboard layout manages quite well in providing easy access to most necessary accent marks. However, switching to layouts like those used in Germany or the UK complicates matters since several essential accented characters become harder to find. While Windows 11 includes an option to input these special characters via a specific menu, PowerToys’ Quick Accent streamlines this process further.
Quick Accent is a very useful tool that shows you a flyout with all the available accents and variations of a letter. All you need to do is hold down the letter and press Space, and then you can navigate the list of available characters with your keyboard to easily enter them. This is much easier and more seamless than the menu used in Windows 11 itself, which is harder to navigate with a keyboard and has a lot of things I don’t always need.
New+
Generating similar types of files is much simpler nowadays.
Transitioning now to another widely applicable tool, we come across New+. Personally, I discovered this quite belatedly, but its utility remains evident nonetheless. The concept of New+ is both innovative and straightforward. Essentially, it generates a dedicated folder for “templates.” This space allows you to save any documents that could serve as foundational models for new files you might need to develop later on.
I often need to generate statements for Portuguese customs when I receive a review unit, which involves adjusting a standard document template repeatedly with various shipment numbers. Using New+, I can save the core format of the statement within the templates directory. This allows me to swiftly produce a fresh document each time there’s a new shipment requiring clearance through customs. All I must do then is input the updated details specific to this particular instance. Typically, recalling the location of the initial file has been challenging.
A lot of applications provide their own templates, yet New+ serves as a versatile utility capable of generating templates for nearly every purpose, which is quite impressive. While my requirements might be straightforward, this feature has the potential to significantly cut down time spent in numerous scenarios.
Workspaces
Start up your essential applications simultaneously
One of the newer entries into the PowerToys collection is Workspaces, yet it stands out just as much for its utility as several of the older tools within the set. The idea behind Workspaces may be straightforward, but it has the potential to significantly cut down on valuable moments throughout your day. Should you find yourself routinely booting up identical applications daily and arranging their layouts similarly, wouldn’t automating this process prove beneficial?
Using Workspaces, you can basically capture a configuration of every application window that’s currently active. Then, with just one click, you can reopen all those applications simultaneously, maintaining their original positioning from when you saved the arrangement. This enables you to quickly jump back into your preferred workspace environment, allowing for immediate productivity without wasting time setting everything up again. Additionally, this feature pairs exceptionally well with another utility called FancyZones, which we’ll explore shortly.
PowerToys Run/Command Palette
Open applications more swiftly than before.
When it comes to things I can’t help raving about, quick launchers take the cake, and PowerToys takes this admiration further by providing not one but two of these tools today. While PowerToys Run has been available for quite some time, the newly introduced Command Palette enhances it with additional functionalities, bringing new features to the table.
No matter which tool you choose, they all significantly cut down on time. While accessing applications through the Start menu or via the desktop might suffice most of the time, switching to solely utilizing the keyboard creates a notable impact. Simply activate the launcher with a quick key combination from your keyboard, begin typing whatever app you desire, and hit Enter to launch it instantly. This method dramatically reduces effort compared to navigating the cursor to select options in the Start menu, making the process considerably speedier.
However, another significant advantage of these launchers is their extensive integration capabilities, which help save even more time. They allow you to execute terminal commands, install applications, conduct mathematical calculations, initiate web searches, and much more. Everything becomes instantly accessible via simple keystrokes through predefined shortcuts. These tools enable rapid access to an array of functionalities, making them among the most valuable utilities for enhancing productivity on your computer.
FancyZones
Perfectly organizing my screen
Juggling multiple tasks can be tough, particularly when you’re trying to fully utilize a 32:9 ultrawide monitor with only the default features available in Windows 11. While Snap Layouts offer some assistance, they still present certain limitations and aren’t always straightforward to configure and adjust according to your needs. However, PowerToys FancyZones completely revolutionizes this aspect; upon initially testing it out on a Mac, I felt compelled to seek out a similar solution for macOS right away.
FancyZones operates on a straightforward concept yet boasts significant capabilities. Using this utility, you can design personalized arrangements featuring various sections where applications can be placed, automatically adjusting their size to match the chosen section. There’s no limit to how many segments you can establish or what proportions they might take, simplifying the process of crafting your perfect workspace. Furthermore, when launching a fresh application, you can position it within an available space—even over another program—resulting in seamless layering of windows.
The ease of use plays a significant role here. In Windows 11, snapping applications to a particular section requires dragging them to the edges of the screen, making it quite cumbersome when trying to position new apps precisely where you want them. However, with FancyZones, all you have to do is press a designated key and drag the window into the approximate location; it automatically adjusts immediately without delay—even bypassing the elaborate animations used by Windows that consume extra time.
PowerToys is a lifesaver
For anyone using Windows, PowerToys is definitely an essential addition for any computer. This tool significantly streamlines task completion and helps save both my time and stress. Over the years, I’ve consistently commended PowerToys, and this admiration won’t wane anytime soon as it truly stands out as an incredible suite of utilities. What I discussed barely scratches the surface; rest assured, you’ll discover numerous additional features worth celebrating within this package.