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Microsoft PowerToys

📅 2022-Mar-24 ⬩ ✍️ Ashwin Nanjappa ⬩ 🏷️ windows ⬩ 📚 Archive

Microsoft PowerToys is a set of tools that help you configure many aspects of the Windows user experience, far beyond what is possible with the default control settings. The sections below describe each of the utilities in PowerToys that I found useful.

FancyZones

This tool helps split every display you are using into zones into which windows can be snapped into. It comes with various display layouts built in and even offers a layout editor for you to create your own layout.

Windows can be snapped into the zones by just dragging their titlebar into the zones or by pressing Shift while doing that (both options are configurable). There are a ton of options and keyboard shortcuts to configure this tool and it is possible that it satisfies every possible need of users who like to snap windows.

This tool has been a Godsend to manage windows on my ultrawide display. So, I essentially move the windows between displays using Shift + Win + arrow and moving between different snaps inside a given display using Win + arrow.

Mouse utilities

The Find My Mouse tool highlights the position of your mouse cursor when you either press the left Ctrl twice or shake the mouse. I find that the way this highlights the mouse position is more prominent and configurable compared to the default option available in the Windows Control Panel.

The Mouse Highlighter tool highlights mouse clicks when it is enabled. It cannot be enabled by default, but when Win + Shift + H is pressed.

I find that the Mouse Highlighter utility seems to slow down the UI somewhat.

PowerToys Run

Press Alt + Space to launch apps and other simple tricks right in that launcher dialog. See the tool options for all the plugins it ships with that enables you to pull all sorts of results.


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