Best PowerToys Tools for Windows: Top Features You Should Use

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On Hands-On Windows, Paul Thurrott explored the latest version of PowerToys, Microsoft’s free collection of productivity utilities, highlighting both recent upgrades and practical favorites that every Windows user should know about. This episode is your guide to the top PowerToys features, with installation tips and usage advice for a smoother, more efficient Windows experience.

Quick Summary: The All-Star PowerToys

The updated PowerToys suite now offers dozens of tools—many inspired by features found on macOS and other platforms—to amp up your daily workflow. Some of these enhancements even make their way into Windows officially, but with PowerToys, you get them first.

The new front-end UI makes it easy to see all utilities, enable only the ones you want, and customize behavior. The collection includes recently refreshed tools and one major new app that’s immediately useful.

Top PowerToys Features You Should Enable

Here’s a breakdown of the favorite utilities featured by Paul Thurrott:

Always On Top

• Instantly keep any window above others for multitasking, presentations, or keeping tabs on work while gaming or browsing.
• One-click operation; just select a window and toggle its status.

Awake

• Prevents your PC from sleeping or your display from turning off for a set period.
• Essential for anyone running background tasks, watching long videos, or using multiple devices in tandem.

Command Palette (successor to PowerToys Run)

• Launch apps, find files, or run commands from a quick-search box, similar to macOS Spotlight.
• Great for power users, coders, and keyboard-centric workflows.

Find My Mouse

• Quickly locate your mouse pointer by pressing the left Control key twice—especially helpful on multi-monitor setups or in light mode.

Keyboard Manager

• Remap any key to another function, or disable keys entirely—ideal for disabling the new Copilot key or tailoring shortcuts to your preferences.

Peek

• Preview file contents (text, images, documents, etc.) by pressing Space while selected, emulating macOS’s Quick Look.
• Saves time when scanning through documents without opening them fully.

Light Switch (Newest Addition)

• Automatically toggles dark and light modes in Windows and apps using a schedule or sunrise/sunset detection.
• Fills a gap in Windows personalization, making theme switches effortless.

What’s New in PowerToys?

• Modern UI: Easier navigation and management of all utilities.
• Light Switch Tool: Schedule dark/light mode changes—the biggest addition for visual comfort and automation.
• Continuous updates mean more utilities and built-in features, with legacy interface support (like true dark mode for older dialogs) on the horizon for Windows 11.

How to Apply These Features

• Download PowerToys from the Microsoft Store.
• Open the main dashboard to see all available utilities.
• Enable or disable individual tools based on your workflow.
• Customize settings for each utility: set shortcuts, schedules, preferences, and more.
• Most features run in the background once enabled, with low resource use.

Key Takeaways

• PowerToys is a free toolkit packing dozens of productivity boosters missing from default Windows setups.
• You can tailor your Windows experience—keep favorite windows visible, automate sleep settings, remap keys, preview files, and automate theme changes.
• Paul Thurrott recommends enabling only the features you need for a cleaner interface and faster system.
• Microsoft is gradually integrating the most popular PowerToys directly into Windows, so you get a sneak peek at future features.

What This Means for You

Whether you’re a casual user, creator, or power user, enabling the right PowerToys can save time, reduce frustration, and personalize your workflow. The toolkit is flexible—try out a couple of tools, disable ones you don’t need, and experiment with new additions as they arrive. Customization is key!

The Bottom Line

If you haven’t tried PowerToys, now’s the time. Install from the Microsoft Store, explore the revamped UI, and enable utilities like Always On Top, Peek, Find My Mouse, Awake, Keyboard Manager, Command Palette, and Light Switch for an upgraded Windows experience. Many new tools—including dark mode automation—are unique and impactful. PowerToys is essential for anyone who wants more control over their PC.

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