Win 10 / 11 · Windows

Install PowerToys — Microsoft's free utility pack

Microsoft's own free toolkit fixes the little things Windows gets wrong. It's official, safe and better than most paid utilities.

DifficultyEasy
Time10 min
RiskLow
ReversibleYes
PlatformWin 10 / 11
UpdatedAug 18, 2026

Written and tested by emdottech

What that means

Low risk. This fix only checks things, or changes settings you can switch back in the same place. This change is reversible — you can return to the previous state without professional help or data loss.

The five most useful PowerToys utilities — Run with Alt+Space, FancyZones layouts, Awake to block sleep, Color Picker, and Text Extractor, from the Microsoft Store or GitHub only

Steps

01
- Get it from the Microsoft Store (search 'PowerToys') or GitHub — never a third-party download site
02
- PowerToys Run (AltSpace): a fast app launcher that also does math and unit conversion
03
- FancyZones: snap windows into custom layouts — ideal for dual-monitor setups
04
- Awake keeps the PC from sleeping while you render or download; Color Picker samples any on-screen colour with WinShiftC
05
- Text Extractor (WinShiftT): grab text straight out of screenshots, including PDFs and video frames

How to verify the fix

PowerToys Run (Alt + Space), FancyZones and Text Extractor all respond as described after installing from the Store/GitHub.

If this didn't fix it

A PowerToys utility crashes or doesn't appear — update it via the app's updater; avoid third-party download sites entirely.

Next stop: the related fixes below, or start a guided diagnosis.

Still stuck? Diagnose my problem Browse all Windows fixes

Install PowerToys — Microsoft's free utility pack

Steps

✓How to verify the fix

!If this didn't fix it

Related fixes

How to verify the fix

If this didn't fix it