

To get started, go to the PowerToys site on GitHub and download the latest release you’ll find it under “Releases” near the top right of the home page, or visit the Releases page directly. ĭespite its preview status, however, the new PowerToys collection is well worth a look. That’s probably because PowerToys’ full name is “PowerToys (Preview).” With a current release number of v0.23 (less than 1.0), it appears the program has some ways to go before it’s ready for the Store. It’s not currently available through the Microsoft Store, though: interested readers will find this open-source tool at GitHub. Unlike the ‘90s tools, which had to be downloaded and installed individually, the newest Windows 10 PowerToys app gives users access to all available PowerToys in one go. Today, Microsoft offers a set of tools under the control of a single UWP app by the same name. Collectively, these programs were called “PowerToys” (see the eponymous Wikipedia article for more history and a list of items). Back in the 1990s, Windows users had access to a number of small, free software tools from Microsoft handy for everyday tasks, such as accessing desktop items from a menu on the taskbar or quickly changing the screen resolution.
