Microsoft comes with PowerToys for Windows 10 and makes them open source

By admin On May 9, 2019

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Microsoft is going to release PowerToys for Windows 10. Microsoft makes the new tools open source and lets developers collaborate on new features. Such tools came out before Windows 95 and remained available until Windows XP, after which they disappeared.

MTND widget

Microsoft is going to put its new PowerToys on GitHub so developers can add functionality. Microsoft is currently working on two tools for Windows 10: a Maximize to new desktop widget and a guide to Windows keyboard shortcuts.

The MTND widget displays an additional button in a popup when users mouse over the button in a window to maximize the window. By pressing that button, a new desktop is created and the application is displayed on it full screen.

The Windows hotkey guide is displayed when users press the Windows button on the keyboard for more than a second. An overlay will then appear with all available keyboard shortcuts in the current state of the desktop.

Microsoft is also considering many other tools, including a keyboard shortcut manager, improved Alt+Tab functionality with support for tabs in browsers, and an option to quickly switch resolutions via the taskbar.

In the summer, Microsoft will release preview versions of the first new PowerToys for Windows 10. The source code will also appear on GitHub. Earlier, Microsoft also made Windows 10’s Calculator app open source. As a result, it acquires graphical properties.

PowerToys is the collective name for tools that give Windows users advanced functionality. They were originally created and intended for developers from Microsoft itself. Tools such as Tweak UI, Quick Res, and Send to X first appeared in Windows 95 and remained available into Windows XP. Since then, the PowerToys have been removed from Windows.

PowerToys: Windows Shortcuts Guide