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PowerToys for Windows has been revived by Microsoft as an open-source project

By Wong Chung Wee - on 9 May 2019, 4:11pm

PowerToys for Windows has been revived by Microsoft as an open-source project

Image source: Microsoft

PowerToys is a collection of utilities for Windows power users that was first introduced to Windows 95. It wasn’t officially supported by Microsoft but its intended audience made full use of its tools to enhance their user experience with the Windows operating system.

According to Microsoft, the rebooted version of PowerToys will allow the same target audience to “squeeze more efficiency out of the Windows 10 shell and customize it for individual workflows.” The first two utilities of the new PowerToys are the Maximize to new desktop (MTND) widget and the Windows key shortcut guide.

Image source: Microsoft

The MTND widget modifies the behavior of the maximize button, and allows the user to expand a window to a new desktop.

Image source: Microsoft

The Windows key shortcut guide adds a new function to the Windows key, and enables it to display a shortcut menu when depressed.

There are also 10 other utilities that may be included in PowerToys. They are:-

  • Full window manager including specific layouts for docking and undocking laptops
  • Keyboard shortcut manager
  • Win+R replacement
  • Better alt+tab including browser tab integration and search for running apps
  • Battery tracker
  • Batch file re-namer
  • Quick resolution swaps in taskbar
  • Mouse events without focus
  • Cmd (or PS or Bash) from here
  • Contents menu file browsing

This open-source project welcomes contributions and suggestions and they are governed by a Contributor License Agreement (CLA). It has also adopted the Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct. The first two utilities are slated from preview this June; for more information, please head over to PowerToy’s GitHub page.

Source: Microsoft

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