Hold down a letter, press space, get accents
Tools are the quiet extensions of human intention — and with each iteration of Microsoft PowerToys, the distance between what a person imagines and what a computer can do grows a little shorter. Version 0.62.0, released in September 2022, adds three new utilities to this free Windows suite: a pixel-measuring screen ruler, a multilingual accent shortcut called Quick Accent, and a Text Extractor that reads words from images directly into the clipboard. As with most expansions of capability, the update arrives not without friction — certain devices and configurations will need patience before the new tools settle in.
- Three tools that once required workarounds or third-party software are now built directly into PowerToys, quietly raising the floor for everyday Windows productivity.
- ARM64 users on Windows 10 may find Text Extractor silent where it should speak, and Windows 11 users risk losing context menu entries for PowerRename and Image Resizer until a system restart restores them.
- A harder conflict lurks for gamers and overclockers: overlay software like RTSS RivaTuner and MSI AfterBurner can block the PowerToys Settings window from opening entirely after the update.
- Microsoft has kept the update path open through multiple channels — automatic prompt, in-app check, GitHub, and the Microsoft Store — lowering the barrier for both new and returning users.
- For most users the new features outweigh the rough edges, but those dependent on flagged tools may find a brief wait the wiser path forward.
Microsoft's PowerToys suite has grown again with version 0.62.0, adding three new tools to a utility collection that already gained optical character recognition last month with PowerOCR.
The screen ruler measures pixels directly on your display — a small but precise gift for designers and anyone who needs exact on-screen dimensions. Quick Accent solves a quieter frustration: multilingual typists can now hold a letter and press the spacebar to cycle through accented variants like é, ñ, or ü, rather than hunting through character maps. The third addition, Text Extractor, extends what PowerOCR began — select any region of your screen and it will read the text within it using OCR, then copy it straight to your clipboard.
The update is not without its complications. On ARM64 devices running Windows 10, Text Extractor may fail to recognize text altogether. Windows 11 users may find that context menu entries for PowerRename and Image Resizer disappear after updating, returning only after a system restart. A separate conflict affects users running overlay software like RTSS RivaTuner Statistics Server or MSI AfterBurner, which can prevent the PowerToys Settings window from opening entirely.
For those already running PowerToys, an automatic update prompt should appear; it can also be triggered manually through the app's General settings. Fresh installs are available on GitHub and the Microsoft Store. Users who rely on the flagged tools may want to wait a day or two — but for most, the three new features make the download worthwhile.
Microsoft's PowerToys utility for Windows has grown again. Version 0.62.0, released this month, adds three fresh tools to a suite that already includes PowerOCR, the optical character recognition feature that arrived last month and lets users grab text directly from images.
The new screen ruler does what its name suggests: it measures pixels on your display. For anyone who designs interfaces, crops images, or simply needs to know the exact dimensions of something on screen, it eliminates the guesswork. The second addition, Quick Accent, addresses a friction point for multilingual typists. Instead of hunting through character maps or memorizing keyboard codes, you now hold down a letter and press the spacebar to cycle through accented variants—é, ñ, ü, and the rest. It's a small thing that compounds into real time saved across a day of writing.
The third tool, Text Extractor, builds on what PowerOCR started. Like Windows' Snipping Tool, it lets you select a region of your screen, but it goes further: it automatically reads the text in that region using OCR and copies it to your clipboard. The feature came together through work by Joe Finney, a former contributor to this publication.
But the update arrives with complications. On ARM64 devices running Windows 10, the text extractor sometimes fails to recognize text at all. Windows 11 users who update may find that context menu entries for PowerRename and Image Resizer vanish until they restart their system. There's also a broader compatibility issue: some users report they can't open the Settings window after updating, a problem traced to conflicts with overlay software like RTSS RivaTuner Statistics Server and MSI AfterBurner, tools popular with gamers and performance enthusiasts.
If you're already running PowerToys, the app should prompt you to install the update automatically. If not, you can trigger it manually by opening the app, navigating to General, selecting Check for Updates, and clicking Install Now. The version is also available on GitHub and through the Microsoft Store for anyone installing it fresh. The known issues suggest waiting a day or two if you rely on PowerRename, Image Resizer, or any of the flagged overlay tools—but for most users, the three new features are worth the download.
Citações Notáveis
Users can now hold down a letter and press the spacebar to cycle through accented variants— Microsoft PowerToys 0.62.0 release notes
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Why does a screen ruler matter when most design tools already have measurement built in?
PowerToys lives in the OS itself, not in an app. You can measure anything on your screen—a browser window, a photo, a video—without switching contexts. It's friction reduction.
And Quick Accent—is that really solving a problem people have?
If you write in multiple languages or use diacritics regularly, yes. Right now you either memorize Alt codes or dig through menus. Holding a key and pressing space is muscle memory in seconds.
The Text Extractor sounds like it's just PowerOCR with a selection box.
Essentially, yes. But the selection box matters. PowerOCR works on full images you've already captured. Text Extractor lets you grab text from anywhere live on your screen without taking a screenshot first.
Why are ARM64 Windows 10 devices having trouble?
ARM64 is still a smaller platform for Windows. The OCR engine probably wasn't tested as thoroughly on that architecture. It's a known issue they're tracking.
The overlay software conflict—that's serious, right?
For gamers and streamers, yes. If you're running RTSS or AfterBurner and PowerToys won't let you access Settings, you're stuck. A restart fixes it, but it's a friction point they need to solve.