The PowerToys utility suite for Windows 10 and 11 has just received a small update, correcting several bugs and improving general performance while providing some new functional features.
If you don’t know about PowerToys, you may be missing out on one of the best ways to improve your comfort and increase your productivity on Windows. A sort of toolbox, PowerToys are small free utilities that add specific and very practical functions to the Microsoft operating system, such as the ability to easily type accented capital letters, rename files in batches or prevent the computer to go to sleep. Developed in open source by a multitude of people, PowerToys regularly receive updates, which fix bugs, improve their stability and add new functions. This is the case of version 0.79, published on March 4, 2024 on Github, which brings some nice new features to this collection of tools, including a particularly practical one. This new version is available, like the previous ones, for Windows 10 and 11, and can be downloaded directly from the project’s Github page, pending its direct distribution via the Microsoft Store. And of course, in our download section.
PowerToys 0.79: keyboard shortcuts to launch applications and open sites
Alongside the various bug fixes and general improvements, one of the PowerToys is enriched with a very appreciable new function: the possibility of creating keyboard shortcuts to launch software or to open a web page. This new capability is accessible via the Keyboard Manager utility, which already allowed you to reassign keyboard keys or shortcuts. From now on, it is also possible to assign (almost) any key combination to launching an application or a website, to instantly open your favorite spreadsheet or news site. However, this function still seems somewhat unstable, and the shortcuts created sometimes stop working for no apparent reason, which proves a little frustrating to use. We can bet that the developers will be able to correct the situation and improve everything in a future update.
Another of the most practical PowerToys is also getting a little makeover. Color Picker, an eyedropper for capturing the color of any element on the screen, has had its graphical interface redesigned to follow Fluent UX principles, which are the most recent design standards in the Windows universe. The color selector therefore benefits from a modernized interface, more in line with current design canons.
Another little new feature, more anecdotal, the Preview utility, which allows you to obtain a quick preview of a file without opening the associated application, such as an image, a text or PDF file, can now display some brief information on the readers , such as local or network disks.
Finally, the File Locksmith module benefits from a dedicated entry in the Windows context menu, in order to be able to unlock a file more quickly, by closing the processes that use it. No revolution therefore for the PowerToys, but small improvements and welcome new functions, which continue to enrich this suite of very practical tools on a daily basis.