Windows 10: Microsoft PowerToys 0.18 with Keyboard Manager and Application Launcher released

Microsoft released a new version of the company's open source re-imagination of PowerToys for its Windows operating system. PowerToys 0.18.0 adds two new tools, a keyboard manager and an application launcher, to the collection of programs. Both new programs require Windows 10 version 1903 or newer. It appears that the new version requires .Net Core as it won't run otherwise.

Microsoft released the first preview of the new PowerToys application in September 2019. Developers have released several new versions and integrated new tools into PowerToys since then. Tools like Power Rename, an Image Resizer, or the Alt-Tab alternative Window Walker, are all part of PowerToys now.

We will be taking a look at the two new tools in the new release in the following paragraphs.

Keyboard Manager






The Keyboard Manager can remap individual keys as well as keyboard shortcuts. The functionality is only active if Keyboard Manager runs in the background. To remap a key or shortcut, select the Keyboard Manager from the list of PowerToys tools.

• Remap a Key -- This is the simpler function. It enables you to remap individual keys, e.g. Print, Windows, A, or Up Arrow, to another key.
• Remap shortcuts -- This function enables you to remap a keyboard shortcut such as Ctrl-C to another combination.

Both options work pretty much the same way: select the option that you want, e.g. remap a key, select plus on the page that opens to create a new mapping, and then on "type key" or "type shortcut" to add the source key or shortcut. Repeat the last step for the target key or shortcut, and you are all set to use the newly mapped key or shortcut on the system for as long as Keyboard Remapper is active and PowerToys is running.

Note that there does not seem to be any limitation in regards to remapping keys or shortcuts. I managed to remap shortcuts such as Windows-I to another shortcut without issues. You can use the mouse to trash any remapped key or combination, or simply close the program to restore the original mappings.

PowerToys Run




PowerToys Run is a program launcher that users of the software may activate with the shortcut Alt-Space. Just type the name of the program, a folder or file that you want to launch and select it from the list of results.

The program searches for running processes as well and seems to have incorporated the functionality of Windows Walker. The latter appears removed from the newest PowerToys version.

Another option that users have is to invoke shell by using "> and to use it as a simple calculator.

Run returns four results at the most by default but you can change that in the program options. Esc exits the program interface again.

Additional shortcuts are available

Ctrl+Shift+Enter (Only applicable to applications) Open the selected application as administrator
Ctrl+Shift+E (Only applicable to applications and files) Open containing folder in File Explorer
Ctrl+C (Only applicable to folders and files) Copy path location
Tab Navigate through the search result and context menu buttons
Closing Words


Microsoft continues to work on the new PowerToys and that is without doubt a good thing. The tools provide interesting functionality; most of it can be replicated using third-party tools but some Windows users will surely find PowerToys attractive enough to use it regularly.

Now You: PowerToys yay or nay, what is your opinion?

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New Microsoft PowerToys version 0.15.1 released for Windows 10

Source: Releases . microsoft/PowerToys . GitHub

How to Download and Install Microsoft PowerToys in Windows 10

 

New Microsoft PowerToys version 0.14.0 released for Windows 10

UPDATE 12/5: New Microsoft PowerToys version 0.14.1 released for Windows 10


How to install

For new and existing users, head to Releases . microsoft/PowerToys . GitHub and download the PowerToysSetup.msi installer.

How to Download and Install Microsoft PowerToys in Windows 10




What’s new inside 0.14.0

FancyZones

Changes:

• Removed legacy editor (along with the settings option to choose between the legacy editor and the new editor).
• Added a settings to disable FanzyZones for user defined list of applications.
• The editor now opens highlighting the current active layout.
• Show the correct keyboard key for the editor shortcut (with some limitations due to the WebView control).

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the FancyZones bug that was stealing the number keys (mostly happening when dragging Chrome tabs).
• Fixed a DPI scaling bug in the FancyZones editor that was causing the zones to be placed in the wrong position on the screen.
• Fixed bug preventing several apps from working with FancyZones (there are still some cases, like remote apps, that may not work).

PowerRename

Changes:

• The dialog can be resized (still need to finished the work to handle DPI changes when moving the dialog between screen with different scaling %).
• Added settings to restore search and replace flags value from previous run.
• Added settings to enable autocomplete and auto-suggest.

Bug fixes:

• Improved RegEx replace result.
• Fix bug preventing sub-folder items to be renamed if parent folder is also renamed.

Other bug fixes

• fixed a bug in the runner that was causing the tray icon to not appear.
• minor UI tweaks to the Settings appearance (icons position and margins, module's description text and documentation links position and margins).
• fixed a crash in the SortcutGuide.

NOTE: When upgrading from a previous version, the installer will close all the Windows Explorer windows in order to update the PowerRename shell extension.

 

New Microsoft PowerToys version 0.14.1 released for Windows 10

How to install

For new and existing users, head to Releases . microsoft/PowerToys . GitHub and download the PowerToysSetup.msi installer.

How to Download and Install Microsoft PowerToys in Windows 10




What’s new inside 0.14.1

This is patch release to fix a regression introduced in 0.14.0. (#840 was issue #). It also includes one fix for FancyZones to not interfere with full screen applications.