Microsoft PowerToys: 10 Tools That Improve Windows Daily

Microsoft PowerToys is a free open-source utility pack that adds features Windows should have built in. Here are the 10 most useful tools and how to use each.

Install PowerToys

winget install Microsoft.PowerToys

Or download from github.com/microsoft/PowerToys.

Runs in the system tray. Open settings: right-click tray icon → Settings

1. FancyZones — Custom Window Layouts

Snap windows to custom zones instead of just halves.

Setup: PowerToys Settings → FancyZones → Launch layout editor

Create a layout: drag zone dividers to define areas. Then hold Shift while dragging any window to snap it to a zone.

Useful layouts:

3-column with different widths for primary monitor
Main + sidebar for reference materials
Custom grid for 4K monitor

2. PowerRename — Batch Rename Files

Rename hundreds of files with regex, find/replace, or counter:

Right-click files in File Explorer → PowerRename

Example: rename IMG_001.jpg through IMG_500.jpg to Vacation-001.jpg through Vacation-500.jpg with preview before applying.

3. File Locksmith — See Who's Using a File

Find which process is holding a file open (so you can delete or rename it):

Right-click any file or folder → Unlock with File Locksmith

Shows the process name and PID. Option to end the process directly from the dialog.

4. Always on Top — Pin Window Above Others

Keep any window always visible above others:

Default shortcut: Win + Ctrl + T while the window is focused.

The window gets a highlighted border. Press again to unpin.

Useful for: documentation while coding, calculator while in a form, chat window while working.

5. Color Picker — Pick Any Color on Screen

Win + Shift + C → crosshair cursor → click any pixel → copies the color value.

Copies to clipboard in HEX, RGB, HSL, or other formats. Click the color in the picker to cycle through format options.

6. Text Extractor — OCR from Anywhere

Extract text from any part of the screen — screenshots, images in browsers, non-selectable text in PDFs:

Win + Shift + T → select region → text is copied to clipboard

Far faster than manual transcription. Works on any visible content.

7. Keyboard Manager — Remap Keys and Shortcuts

Remap any key or create custom shortcuts, per-application or globally:

PowerToys Settings → Keyboard Manager → Remap a key

Common remaps:

Caps Lock → Ctrl (or disable entirely)
Right Alt → Right Ctrl
Custom shortcuts to launch apps

8. Mouse Without Borders — Control Multiple PCs

Use one keyboard and mouse across up to 4 PCs seamlessly. Move cursor past the edge of one screen to control the next PC.

Setup: install PowerToys on both PCs → Mouse Without Borders → pair with a security code.

9. Hosts File Editor — Manage /etc/hosts GUI

Edit the Windows hosts file without opening Notepad as administrator:

PowerToys Settings → Hosts File Editor → Launch Hosts File Editor

Add entries to block domains or point domains to custom IPs. Much safer than manually editing the file.

10. Run — Spotlight-Like App Launcher

Alt + Space → type to search and launch apps, files, web searches, calculator, unit conversion

More powerful than Windows Search for quick actions:

=2+2 for inline calculator
>cmd /c command to run commands
//github.com to open URLs

Other Useful PowerToys

Peek — quick file preview (Ctrl + Space) without opening the file Paste as Plain Text — Win + Ctrl + Alt + V strips formatting when pasting Mouse Highlighter — highlights cursor position for presentations Screen Ruler — measure pixel distances on screen

PowerToys Settings Sync

PowerToys settings export/import via Settings → General → Backup & Restore. Useful for keeping the same configuration across multiple PCs.

Summary

FancyZones for multi-monitor layouts, Text Extractor for OCR, File Locksmith for locked files, Color Picker for design work, PowerRename for bulk operations. All free, all from Microsoft, all in one install. winget install Microsoft.PowerToys — takes 2 minutes and pays for itself daily.