Windows PowerToys turns a collection of small Windows chores into shortcuts, layouts, and repeatable actions. The free utility pack can arrange windows, open a group of apps, rename hundreds of files, remap keys, and launch commands from one place.
Microsoft maintains more than 30 PowerToys utilities and offers the collection for free on GitHub under an MIT license. It runs on Windows 11 and Windows 10 version 2004 or newer, including both x64 and ARM64 PCs.
You can install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store, GitHub, or WinGet. The command-line installation is:
winget install –id Microsoft.PowerToys –source winget
Each utility has its own toggle, so you can turn features on or off instead of using the whole collection at once. For most people, FancyZones is the best place to start.
FancyZones makes crowded screens easier to manage
FancyZones divides your screen into “zones” where windows can snap into place. It is especially useful when several apps need to stay visible, because each window can keep a predictable position instead of covering the others.
After installing PowerToys, press Win + Shift + `, using the backtick key, to open the layout editor. You can choose an existing template or select Create new layout. A Grid lets you divide and merge areas, while a Canvas lets zones overlap.
If the shortcut does not work, search for PowerToys in the Start menu. On the Home tab, turn on the FancyZones slider. Once a layout is ready, hold Shift while dragging a window. The zones light up, and dropping the window onto one resizes it to fit.
FancyZones can also remember where an app belongs. Turn on Move newly created windows to the last known zone, and apps return to their zones each time they reopen. Custom layouts can receive a number, then you can apply one with Win + Ctrl + Alt plus that number.
Workspaces rebuilds your usual app setup
FancyZones handles window positions, but Workspaces handles the apps themselves. The utility opens the apps for you and saves a complete setup as a desktop shortcut.
Press Win + Ctrl + ` to launch the Workspaces editor. If nothing happens, enable Workspaces in PowerToys first. Choose Create workspace, arrange the apps, and select Capture. You can also add command-line arguments to each app before saving the setup.
There is one important detail: PowerToys cannot tell an app where to open. It launches each app first, then moves it into position. That still removes much of the repeated work involved in rebuilding the same group of windows.
Bulk renaming and custom shortcuts
PowerRename is built for file cleanup. It can rename hundreds of files at once, which saves time when a folder contains names that need the same change.
Select files in bulk by left-clicking and dragging, then right-click and choose Rename with PowerRename. The tool gives you search and replace fields, along with a preview of every new name before you apply the change.
PowerRename also supports regular expressions, counters that begin at any number, and variables that pull in each file’s creation date. For photos, it can read EXIF data, giving you more information to use when creating new names.
Keyboard Manager takes a similar approach to keyboard work. It remaps keys and shortcuts across Windows or inside specific apps, which it identifies by process name, such as msedge.exe for Edge.
A shortcut can expand text, open a URL, or launch an app. Tap-alone remaps let a key perform one action when pressed by itself while still working normally inside shortcut combinations.
Some core combinations cannot be remapped, including Win + L and Ctrl + Alt + Del. The remaps also work only while PowerToys is running in the system tray, which makes them easy to disable for a while.
Command Palette puts several actions behind one shortcut
Command Palette is PowerToys’ launcher. Microsoft introduced it in 2025 as the next iteration of PowerToys Run, and it handles more than opening apps.
Press Win + Alt + Space and start typing. You can open an app, work out a sum, run a command after a >, or search the web after a ?.
That gives PowerToys a useful range. FancyZones organizes the screen, Workspaces restores a group of apps, PowerRename handles file names, Keyboard Manager changes shortcuts, and Command Palette brings actions together through one launcher.
Because the utilities are separate, you can start with one feature and add others only when they solve a real problem. For anyone using Windows 10 or Windows 11, PowerToys offers a free way to turn repeated PC tasks into simple shortcuts.
Based on
- Windows PowerToys can automate some of your more tedious PC tasks — engadget.com
- This Hidden Windows 11 Menu Can Save You Valuable Time When Troubleshooting — engadget.com
- You Might Be Neglecting The One Thing That Keeps Your PC Healthy — engadget.com
- 5 Nifty Ways You Can Reuse Your Old Laptop — engadget.com
- Microsoft Has Listed Some Concrete Ways That Windows 11 Is Getting Better With 8GB Of RAM — engadget.com
