Microsoft to reboot PowerToys for Windows 10 in open source form

guest · Sep 13, 2021

PowerToys 0.46.0 Experimental adds Video Conference Mute utility and some fixes
September 13, 2021
https://www.neowin.net/news/powerto...video-conference-mute-utility-and-some-fixes/

Earlier this month, Microsoft released PowerToys version 0.45.0 with a ton of bug fixes, a new settings menu with Fluent Design and more stability updates. Today, the company has rolled out version 0.46.0 which adds the Video Conference Mute utility. Microsoft does note in the changelog that they expect there may be issues with this Experimental release, so if you're not up for unexpected issues, stay on the stable 0.45.0 release.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.46.0 Experimental Released (September 13, 2021)
Download (GitHub)

This version includes the following updates:

Fixed toolbar top right vertical offset to allow users to close other app windows.

Fixed compatibility issues for certain systems when compiling from source.

Fixed toolbox from persisting on screen.

Fixed microphone un-muting when changing Video Conference Mute toolbar position.

Added Video Conference Mute to the "Welcome to PowerToys" window.

Click to expand...

guest · Sep 17, 2021

PowerToys comes to the Microsoft Store on Windows 11
September 17, 2021
https://www.xda-developers.com/powertoys-comes-to-microsoft-store-windows-11/

Microsoft has released the latest version of PowerToys on the Microsoft Store for Windows 11. This gives users a new way to install the set of utilities meant to enhance the Windows experience for power users. It’s also another step in making the Microsoft Store feel more complete.

The modern release of PowerToys includes nine tools. One of the most recent additions is PowerToys Awake, which prevents your PC from going to sleep for as long as you need it to stay on. There are also tools like PowerRename to rename multiple files at once, Image Resizer, Color Picker, and PowerToys Run.
There’s also an experimental tool called Video Conference Mute, which provides system-wide microphone muting and webcam control.
Click to expand...

Until now, PowerToys was only available to download through GitHub, or using package managers like winget or Chocolatey. It being available on the Microsoft Store should make it more discoverable for users on Windows 11. It seems this should come alongside an official announcement, but the listing went live before it happened.

With Windows 11, Microsoft wants the Store to be your go-to destination for all your apps, and this time, it’s taking that goal seriously.
Click to expand...

If you’re interested, you can head here to download PowerToys from the Microsoft Store, but only if you’re using Windows 11.
Click to expand...

guest · Sep 29, 2021

Microsoft releases PowerToys 0.47 with Shortcut Guide and stability improvements
September 29, 2021
https://www.neowin.net/news/microso...th-shortcut-guide-and-stability-improvements/

Today, the company has rolled out version 0.47.0 which focuses on optimizing existing features, increasing stability, and making accessibility improvements. If you're wondering why 0.46.0 was skipped, it wasn't, that was an experimental release.

The lengthy change log for PowerToys 0.47.0, along with all the credits to contributors, can be seen below:
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.47.0 Released (September 29, 2021)
Download (GitHub)

Our goals for the v0.47 release cycle primarily centered around stability updates and optimizations, installer updates, general bug fixes, and accessibility improvements.

Notably, based on the community feedback received, PowerToys has re-introduced the highly-requested ability to activate Shortcut Guide via holding the Win key. PowerToys also now allows various commands in PowerToys Run to be used in either the universal English phrasing or system-localized translation. The great feedback the community provides is invaluable in helping PowerToys continually grow and improve as a product.
Click to expand...

guest · Oct 12, 2021

Microsoft releases PowerToys 0.47.1 to address stability issues
October 12, 2021
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-releases-powertoys-0471-to-address-stability-issues/

PowerToys is Microsoft's open-source project that offers a collection of nifty tools that people can use to customize the Windows 10 UI and experience to their liking. As we know, depending upon feedback and general stability, some of the utilities also make their way to the OS. A prominent example of this is Snap Layouts and Span Groups in Windows 11 which borrow heavily from the FanzyZones tool in PowerToys.

At the end of September, Microsoft released PowerToys version 0.47.0 with a ton of bug fixes, a new Shortcut Guide and stability updates. Today, the company has rolled out version 0.47.1 which focuses on increasing stability based on user feedback.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.47.1 Released (October 12, 2021)
Download (GitHub)

This is a patch release to fix issues in v0.47.0 we deemed important for stability based on user feedback.
Click to expand...

guest · Oct 20, 2021

PowerToys 0.48.1 Experimental includes Video Conference Mute utility and one fix
October 19, 2021
https://www.neowin.net/news/powerto...es-video-conference-mute-utility-and-one-fix/

Last week, Microsoft released PowerToys version 0.47.1 to address stability issues and fix bugs. Today, the company has rolled out version 0.48.1 which inlcudes the Video Conference Mute utility and everything in 0.47.1. Microsoft does note in the changelog that they expect there may be issues with this Experimental release, so if you're not up for unexpected issues, stay on the stable 0.47.1 release.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.48.1 Experimental Released (October 19, 2021)
Download (GitHub)

guest · Oct 22, 2021

Microsoft bringing a new Find My Mouse tool and more mouse utilities to PowerToys
October 22, 2021
https://betanews.com/2021/10/22/mic...e-tool-and-more-mouse-utilities-to-powertoys/

Fans of Microsoft's PowerToys have something to look forward to -- there is at least one new utility in the pipeline, very probably several.

Developers are currently working on a Find My Mouse tool which will appear in an upcoming Mouse Utilities section of PowerToys. The new tool will make it easy to locate your mouse cursor on the screen, but there is also the promise of more mouse-related tools in the future.
Click to expand...

Over on GitHub repository for PowerToys, there is a new pull request that sheds some light on the Find My Mouse tool. As you can see in the animation below, when the utility is activated, it lets you quickly home in on your mouse cursor when you are struggling to find it.

Find My Mouse is based on a tool called Super Sonar, and the team describes it saying: "This PowerToy allows focusing the mouse pointer by pressing the Left Control key twice".
As is made clear in the text of the pull request, the new utility is housed in a new Mouse Utilities section of PowerToys.
So far we only know about Find My Mouse, but there should be more on the way before long to justify the pluralized Mouse Utilities section heading.
Click to expand...

guest · Oct 28, 2021

Microsoft PowerToys 0.49.0 adds new Find My Mouse tool and VCM is back
October 28, 2021
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-powertoys-0490-adds-new-find-my-mouse-tool-and-vcm-is-back/

A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft released PowerToys version 0.47.1 to address some bugs and provide stability updates.
Today, the company has rolled out version 0.49.0 which primarily centers around modernizing PowerRename's UI, adding a brand new mouse utility. Perhaps notably, the Video Conference Mute is also merged back into the stable releases.

If you are using PowerToys in Windows 11, you can grab it in the Microsoft Store. For others in Windows 10, you can open the app and click on "Check for updates" under the updates section on the General tab.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.49.0 Released (October 28, 2021)
Download (GitHub)

guest · Oct 29, 2021

Microsoft PowerToys 0.49.1 adds new Find My Mouse tool and VCM is back [Update]
October 28, 2021
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-powertoys-0490-adds-new-find-my-mouse-tool-and-vcm-is-back/

Update Oct 29: Microsoft has rolled out an update with a few fixes that were deemed necessary for the 0.49.0 release, the changelog is below:

#14063 - After updating, the settings are not localized

#14044 - [FindMyMouse] False positive on activation

#14058 - Typo: the word english isn't capitalized

#14009 - Typo in logging

You can grab the update from the Release page, or apply the update through the PowerToys app.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.49.1 Released (October 28, 2021)
Download (GitHub)

guest · Nov 19, 2021

Microsoft is working on a new Mouse Highlighter Powertoy
November 18, 2021
https://mspoweruser.com/microsoft-is-working-on-a-new-mouse-powertoy/

Microsoft has announced a new Powertoy module for their collection of Windows utilities.

The new Mouse Highlighter feature is designed for presenters or those doing screen sharing and allows users to see when the presenter is right or left-clicking easily.
The feature can be found under Mouse Utilities and can be activated by using the Windows+Shift+H key combination.
Click to expand...

The feature is still in development and more information can be found at GitHub here.
Click to expand...

xxJackxx · Nov 19, 2021

The feature can be found under Mouse Utilities and can be activated by using the Windows+Shift+H key combination.
Click to expand...

Though it looks interesting I think that shortcut will be hard enough to remember and use that this won't gain a lot of popularity.

guest · Dec 6, 2021

PowerToys v0.51.0 released with new Presentation Mode, more
November 30, 2021

Microsoft today announced the release of v0.51.0 which introduces some new things regarding Microsoft’s mouse utilities. First Microsoft is added in a presentation mode helper to highlight your mouse when you click. Microsoft also added additional settings toward Find my mouse to enable more customization.

Microsoft has also been focusing work on “Always on Top” system to help make any window you want to be the topmost.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.51.0 Released (November 30, 2021)
Download (GitHub)

guest · Dec 6, 2021

Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.51.1 to fix FancyZones and outdated plugins
December 3, 2021

A few days ago, on Tuesday November 30, Microsoft released PowerToys v0.51.0 after just over a month of no stable or experimental releases. Understandably many fixes have made its way into the newest release, but it appears it wasn't as stable as the developers would have liked, making a new release necessary. Today Microsoft released 0.51.1 with two fixes, which you can view below: [...]

The first bug appears to be an issue with FancyZones not enabling when booting up Windows 10 or 11, users would have to go into PowerToys, disable FancyZones, and then enable again to get it working.
The second bug appears to be a problem that has stayed with older versions of PowerToys, where in some cases newer installs have not removed older plugins, and those plugins fail to start. the v0.51.1 release fixes that.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.51.1 Released (December 3, 2021)
Download (GitHub)

guest · Jan 6, 2022

PowerToys 0.53.1 adds G-code support for thumbnails and preview pane in File Explorer
January 6, 2022

Just over a month on from the previous 0.51.1 release, Microsoft has gone ahead and released 0.53.1 today. Microsoft notes that the v0.53 release cycle was designed for a maintenance sprint but with some "amazing community support" it ended up being loaded with greatness!

Microsoft says they are still working on improving the installer, but this release should drastically improve things. The three main things to check out are G-code support in file explorer preview pane and thumbnails, the new web search plugin from PowerToys Run via ?? action phrase, and the new Always on Top utility via Win+Ctrl+T.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.53.1 Released (January 6, 2022)
Download (GitHub)

guest · Jan 31, 2022

Microsoft PowerToys 0.55.0 introduces three new utilities for File Explorer and Mouse
January 31, 2022

Microsoft released PowerToys 0.55.0 today, marking already the third release of the year. In the release notes the firm added that the v0.55 release cycle is a continuation toward getting PowerToys ARM64 ready, fix some top issues and introduce new utilities.

Work from last month helped enable the team to upgrade the code base to .NET 5 and next month onward to .NET 6 which should bring stability and speed improvements. In the vein of introducing new utilities, Microsoft announced three new Toys, which are described below.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.55.0 Released (January 31, 2022)
Download (GitHub)

The v0.55 release cycle continued our progress toward getting PowerToys ARM64 ready, fix some top issues and new utilities. Work from last month helped us enable us to upgrade the code base to .NET 5 and next month onward to .NET 6. This will provide stability and speed improvements.
Click to expand...

We're also extremely existed to bring on 3 new PowerToy utilities.

File Explorer add-on: Developer files for preview pane. This should add about 150 file extensions total. We are using the Monaco Editor to power this experience. Thanks @aaron-junker!

File Explorer add-on: STL file format thumbnail and preview pane generation! Since STL is a common 3D file format, this allows a quick visual check. Thanks @pedrolamas!

Mouse Utility: Crosshair over pointer via Ctrl+Alt+P. This feature was co-developed with the accessibility team at Microsoft. When the team told us about the idea and described trying to find your cursor by looking through a straw, we knew we could leverage code from the other mouse utilities to quickly enable this feature. Below is a quote from one of the testers with a rough validation build:

Click to expand...

guest · Feb 2, 2022

Microsoft releases PowerToys 0.55.1 to patch issues with Settings not saving and more
February 2, 2022

Microsoft has released PowerToys v0.55.3 only a couple of days after releasing v0.55.0. However, this is just a patch release to address some issues, as shown below. Microsoft notes that the patch was needed to fix issues in v0.55.0 that they deemed important for stability based on user feedback.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.55.1 Released (February 2, 2022)
Download (GitHub)

This is a patch release to fix issues in v0.55.0 we deemed important for stability based on user feedback. See v0.55.0 for full release notes. We'd like to thank everyone to help us diagnose and fix these.
Click to expand...

#15910 - Shortcut keys retain taken after disabled for Shortcut Guide, Mouse highlighter, Mouse pointer crosshair. This was a bug we had for a while but with the increased mouse utilities using the shared code path, it was just noticed.

#15450 - Fixing a bug where settings wasn't properly saving. This bug was introduced with 0.53 installer update and now is fixed with 0.55.1.

#15487 - After install, PT won't automatically start as admin unless dont-elevate arg is used. This bug was introduced with 0.53 installer update and now is fixed with 0.55.1.

#15869 - Removed a dead code path and unused DLL

#15885 - Mouse pointer crosshairs crashing race condition bug.

#15348, #15488 - Small UX fixes for helping wayfind.

Click to expand...

guest · Feb 10, 2022

Microsoft releases PowerToys 0.55.2 to fix issues with the previous patch
February 10, 2022

Microsoft has released PowerToys v0.55.2 just over a week to fix yet another problem discovered after releasing 0.55.1 which came shortly after the release of v0.55.0. However, this is a patch release to address an issue that surfaced in the previous patch, as shown below.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.55.2 Released (February 10, 2022)
Download (GitHub)

This is a patch release to fix issues in v0.55.1 due to an installer bug and .NET 5 doing an update for the runtime. We deemed important for stability based on incoming rates. See v0.55.0 for full release notes.

#16203 - Installer didn't handle when a newer version was released for .NET 5

Click to expand...

guest · Feb 28, 2022

Microsoft PowerToys 0.56.1 now has 140 FancyZones, Find my mouse on shake, and more
February 28, 2022

Microsoft released PowerToys 0.56.1 today, moving on from the multiple 0.55.x releases at the beginning of February. Earlier today it was made known via Twitter that a significant step toward full native ARM64 compatibility was made, and that is disclosed in the release notes as "We removed the last .NET Framework dependency", but that's not the only advancement, PowerToys now has a full "What's New" page where you can review the below changelog any time you open the app.

Microsoft also announced that FancyZones zone limit has been increased to 128 zones (from 40) a new setting for Find my mouse, and more below.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.56.1 Released (February 28, 2022)
Download (GitHub)

guest · Mar 6, 2022

PowerToys will soon get a new tool and an option to end running processes
March 6, 2022

According to pull requests on Github, Microsoft and other contributors work on adding a new Time and Date tool alongside improvements for the existing Window Walker module.

“Time and Date” is a new plugin for PowerToys Run. It can show the specified date and time in various formats and copy each result to the clipboard. For example, you can “ask” PowerToys Run to display the current date and time, day of the week, day of the month, day of the year, etc.
Click to expand...

Besides the new “Time and Date” module, PowerToys Run will get an improved Window Walker (a tool finding running apps and windows using the launcher). The upcoming version will let you close windows and kill processes without launching Task Manager or switching to the app you need.
New and improved modules for PowerToys Run will arrive as a part of future updates.

Source: Github (1), (2)
Click to expand...

guest · Mar 7, 2022

Microsoft releases PowerToys 0.56.2 to address FancyZone bugs and more
March 7, 2022

Microsoft has released PowerToys v0.56.2 a week after releasing v0.56.1. However, this is just a patch release to address some issues, as shown below. Microsoft notes that the patch was needed to fix issues in v0.56.1 that they deemed important for stability based on incoming rates.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.56.2 Released (March 7, 2022)
Download (GitHub)

This is a patch release to fix issues in v0.56.1 to fix a few bugs we deemed important for stability based on incoming rates.

#16252: We now pass in /norestart flag to .NET runtime installer for our installer

#16155: FancyZones Template layout reset bug is fixed

#16699: Dev File Preview handler files in use bug is fixed

#16669: Added Find my mouse setting for shake distance to allow for adjustability

#16712: PowerToys Run's Windows Terminal plugin didn't have localization setup correctly and is now correct.

Click to expand...

guest · Jul 17, 2022

Microsoft PowerToys 0.60.1 includes fix for context menu in Windows 11
July 14, 2022

Microsoft has released a patch update for PowerToys 0.60, which was released last week. As such, it contains all of the new features present in the previous release as well as a few fixes for bugs that the team deemed important to release patches for.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.60.1 Released (July 14, 2022)
Download (GitHub)

This is a patch release to fix issues in v0.60.0 to fix a few bugs we deemed important for stability based on incoming rates. See v0.60.0 for full release notes.
• #19253 - Updated the Microsoft Store submission of PowerToys to not show UI while installing.
• #19203 - Fixed a bug causing FancyZones to not apply templates correctly when more than one monitor shared the same serial number.
• #19233 - Fixed the incompatibility not allowing the PowerRename and ImageResizer Windows 11 tier 1 context menus being shown on development insider builds.
• #19219 - The old context menus are now shown on Windows 11 as well, to account for configurations where other third party software might be overriding the Windows 11 context menus.
• #19263 - Fixed a bug making the Find My Mouse overlay hang when activated in the top left corner of the screen.
• #19223 - The FancyZones Editor should no longer crash on configurations where monitors are not detected connected to display devices.
Click to expand...

guest · Aug 1, 2022

Microsoft PowerToys 0.61.0 brings improvements to Always on Top, FancyZones and more
August 1, 2022

Microsoft has released PowerToys 0.61.0 for all users today. The project remains in public preview, but the latest version adds several notable changes and improvements. Microsoft says release 0.61 focuses on stability and improvements.

If you are unfamiliar with PowerToys, it is a set of advanced utilities provided by Microsoft and the open-source developer community. It contains various tools, such as an app launcher, bulk file renamer, color picker, a utility to customize shortcuts, etc. Microsoft frequently updates PowerToys with new features and fixes.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.61.0 Released (August 1, 2022)
Download (GitHub)

Highlights

Quality of life improvements for Always on Top, FancyZones and PowerToys Run.

Click to expand...

guest · Aug 2, 2022

Microsoft PowerToys 0.61.1 includes fix for missing Start menu entry and more
August 3, 2022

Microsoft has released a patch update for PowerToys 0.61, which was only released yesterday, a patch was deemed important enough due to the fact that all those that upgraded to 0.61.0 lost all trace of PowerToys in the Start menu. This update contains all of the features present in the previous release as well as a couple of bug fixes listed below.
Click to expand...

PowerToys 0.61.1 Released (August 2, 2022)
Download (GitHub)

This is a patch release to fix issues in v0.61.0 to fix two bugs we deemed important for stability based on incoming rates. See v0.61.0 for full release notes.

#19708 - Fixed an issue causing the PowerToys start menu shortcut to not be installed when updating PowerToys. This only happens on upgrade path.

#19722 - Fixed an issue which created a crash report in the Event Viewer when trying to show PowerRename's Windows 11 context menu entry.

Click to expand...

guest · Aug 11, 2022

PowerToys will soon get new Screen Ruler tool
August 11, 2022

Microsoft PowerToys, a set of useful everyday utilities for Windows 10 and 11, is about to get a brand-new tool called "Screen Ruler." A pull request in PowerToys' GitHub repository reveals early details of the upcoming utility that will allow users to measure pixels between objects on the screen.

PowerToys Screen Ruler features four measuring modes: rectangular area, crosshair, and vertical or horizontal distance to the nearest object. Users can change modes using a small popup on top of the screen, similar to how Snipping Tool works.
Click to expand...

You can check out more details and an early demo of PowerToys Screen Ruler in its repository on GitHub.

According to Clint Rutkas, PowerToys Lead, developers still implement adjustments and perform other preparations before shipping the Measure tool to the public. And because PowerToys is an open-source set of utilities, every developer with the necessary skills can contribute to the project.
Click to expand...

guest · Aug 17, 2022

PowerToys will soon get an OCR tool to copy text from any image
August 17, 2022

Microsoft and the open-source developer community are busy preparing new tools for PowerToys. In addition to the Screen Ruler utility, PowerToys will soon get an OCR "toy", allowing users to copy text from any image or region on the screen.

According to a PR in PowerToys's GitHub repository, PowerOCR supports copying text from a rectangular region, clicking a word, and right-clicking any image file. As of now, PowerOCR is in its early stage, meaning developers have a lot of work to complete before shipping the tool to the public. Meanwhile, users can see the tool in action in the following GIF: [...]
Click to expand...

PowerOCR will be a fantastic addition to PowerToys, especially when you consider that similar capabilities exist on the system level in other operating systems. For example, iOS allows grabbing text from any picture, and the upcoming iOS 16 release will extend these capabilities to videos.

You can follow the development process of the PowerOCR tool on GitHub via this link.
Click to expand...

xxJackxx · Aug 17, 2022

mood said: ↑

PowerToys will soon get an OCR tool to copy text from any image
August 17, 2022
Click to expand...

This may be the thing that gets me to install this again.

Log in or Sign up

Microsoft to reboot PowerToys for Windows 10 in open source form

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

xxJackxx Registered Member

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

xxJackxx Registered Member

Log in or Sign up

Microsoft to reboot PowerToys for Windows 10 in open source form

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

xxJackxx Registered Member

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

xxJackxx Registered Member

Useful Searches