The latest release of PowerToys, version 0.72, brings several improvements to the utility suite. The previous update, 0.71, was released on July 6th.
What is PowerToys?
Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of system utilities designed specifically for power users on the Windows operating system. These tools are geared towards enhancing productivity and providing more customization options for users.
Highlights:
- Reduced Installed Space: PowerToys 0.72 significantly reduces its installed size by having utilities share the same path. On a 64-bit machine, the installed version now takes up only 785 MB in the Installed Apps screen (compared to 1.15GB in version 0.71) and 554 MB in File Explorer properties for the installation folder (compared to 3.10GB in version 0.71).
- Value Generator Plugin: A new PowerToys Run plugin, “Value Generator,” has been added. It can generate hashes and GUID values.
- Mouse Highlighter Enhancements: The Mouse Highlighter feature now has the option to make the highlight always follow the mouse pointer.
- Improved PowerRename: PowerRename has been reworked to handle more files without crashing.
Known Issues:
- Users may encounter issues with the Mouse Without Borders service pointing to the wrong place after installation. A toast notification will appear if the service cannot start correctly, and users not running as admins will need to enable service mode again after installation.
- File Explorer extensions may not load correctly until File Explorer and Preview Host processes are restarted. Restarting the computer after updating PowerToys is recommended to avoid any potential problems.
General Improvements:
- Shared dependencies between applications greatly reduce the overall installed size.
- Missing icons and icon sizes have been added to improve the visual experience.
Do you use PowerToys? What’s your favorite feature? Let us know in the comments below.
