That first set of 15 free utilities were published and endorsed by Microsoft and made available in a free download.įrom the beginning, PowerToys were designed to be used by “power users” seeking ways to tweak the way the operating system functions. The first set of Windows PowerToys were made available for Windows 95. SEE: 20 pro tips to make Windows 10 work the way you want (free PDF) (TechRepublic) When was Windows PowerToys first available? This TechRepublic cheat sheet describes each available tool or feature provided by Microsoft’s official Windows PowerToys. In 2019, Microsoft, in partnership with development company Janea Systems, released the first two PowerToys for Windows 10, accompanied by a promise of more releases in the near future.

(With the general release of Microsoft Windows 11, the developers are now referring to this project as Windows PowerToys rather than Windows 10 PowerToys.) A set of slightly unusual free Windows tools has been a part of the Windows operating system landscape since Windows 95, but their availability has been noticeably absent for Windows 10 and Windows 11 - at least until September 2019. Microsoft’s acknowledgement of this force of human nature is the Windows PowerToys download. The iteration of an operating system (no matter how well it works) is just part of human nature, and it cannot be suppressed, so, why not embrace it? Must-read Windows coverageĭefend your network with Microsoft outside-in security services No matter how many features Microsoft crams into its Windows 10 operating system, there will always be users looking for a faster, better, or at the very least, different way of doing things.

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