PowerToys is a utility that I use on my main Windows PC and a couple of virtual machines. It's grown from a small set of tools to over 30 utilities that fill the enormous gap left by Windows 11. Most of these features are extremely useful from a power user standpoint, and the successive upgrades in PowerToys have made it a robust app for multiple tasks.

I once used multiple different utilities for adding features missing in Windows, and now most of them have become obsolete because PowerToys has a solution built in. It took a few years for PowerToys to reach this level of maturity, where I could entrust my entire workflow to its tool suite. Let's discuss the tools that the PowerToys suite perfectly replaced on my system.

Command Palette replaced Flow Launcher

Faster search, plugins, and a new dock

Windows search is downright unpleasant, and PowerToys Run was the equivalent of a functional launcher like Flow or Vox. I used Flow launcher for quite a while, but when PowerToys rolled out Command Palette, my interest piqued. I tried it and then didn't feel the need to keep other launchers around.

My main concern with Command Palette was the search performance, and the results were better than last time. The real magic happened when I combined Everything with Command Palette using the ECP3 plugin. Thereafter, all the search queries used Everything, and the search results were more refined.

Using Command Palette has additional perks because I can extend its functionality via plugins, as I do in Flow Launcher. The plugin set is smaller than Flow, but I don't feel constrained by the Command Palette. I can launch apps, run commands, and even access other PowerToys utilities, all from the same bar.

Command Palette is extremely customizable, and I can change the color schemes and even the background for the launcher. Recently, the tool included a dock which acts like a taskbar, but with more customization and features. I've stopped using the native taskbar and use the dock instead. It's easy to reposition the dock, and since it's my new taskbar, I prefer to keep it on the top.

Earlier, I needed the Explorer Patcher tool to play with the taskbar position, and it was at the mercy of Windows updates. The tool stopped working after a major Windows version update, and I had to resort to another tool to get the job done.

FancyZones manages layouts

Display Fusion can take a hike

Windows 11 Snap layouts are a useful feature because manually arranging active windows is a difficult task. One click can snap the open windows into predefined layouts, but for power users, it's not enough. If you have multiple monitors or a very big primary monitor, you can either use a paid tool like Display Fusion or switch to PowerToys.

I've been using FancyZones for a long time, and it can do what the native snap feature in Windows 11 does, along with a few other quirks. It can remember layouts, which is a big thing if you prefer retaining the layouts. FancyZones is lightweight compared to tools like Display Fusion and serves all my requirements, including the ability to program custom layouts.

I can build a complex layout structure that conforms to my window needs and then open apps in that layout. FancyZones doesn’t complicate display layout management, and I haven’t encountered major crashes while using it on my dual-display setup.

Mouse Without Borders helps me control multiple systems

No more Share mouse

I used Share Mouse when I had a Windows 10 and a Windows 7 laptop to control and monitor the tasks running on them. Share Mouse worked nicely and eliminated the need to buy a separate mouse for each system. I could connect via Bluetooth, but it required switching back and forth between the dongle and Bluetooth mode.

PowerToys incorporated the Mouse Without Borders tool in its suite, and it uses a network connection pairing to achieve what Share Mouse offers. I only need to pair the target device once, and then I can control the system with ease. The pairing process generates a secret key, so your PC remains protected.

I faced initial hurdles with setup and control when the tool first debuted in PowerToys. It failed to connect, but when I revisited it a year later, there was no problem with it. The best part is that I can add up to four devices and control them with one mouse.

Honorable mentions

Advanced paste, file locksmith, power rename, and more

I use PowerRename a lot to rename images from my phone for a specific event. Whenever I go to a park or visit a special place, the screenshots pile up. Adding the event or place name with automatic serial numbers makes it easy to search and find.

Other tools like File Locksmith help identify the app that’s using the file I’m trying to move or copy. Advanced paste lets me paste text in a specific format rather than plain text. There are many other smaller, occasional-use case utilities that I launch from Command Palette when I need them.

PowerToys is a complete suite

I no longer need to keep separate apps for minuscule tasks like renaming, resizing, copy operations, mouse cursor controls, or sharing them across multiple systems. Command Palette acts as a central hub from where I can access all the PowerToys tools, and FancyZones remembers my layouts. All these features ship inside one tool, and my system feels lightweight as it doesn’t need to run independent tools.