On the first days of April, Microsoft put out version 0.90.0 of PowerToys, the free set of utilities that has long given Windows users a deeper set of tools than the system provides by default. Its headline is Command Palette, a quieter successor to the PowerToys Run launcher that many people already use to reach apps and files without reaching for the mouse. The release reads as a small step in a long habit of refinement, one that tries to make the familiar faster without asking anyone to abandon what they know. Whether users actually make the move to the new palette will say more about how W
Microsoft PowerToys 0.90.0 Adds Command Palette, Upgrades Color Picker and Peek File Deletion
Delete the file you're previewing, right from Peek
Mark
Why does a launcher get so much attention in this release?
Mimi
Because Command Palette is described as the evolution of PowerToys Run, built around extensibility. It searches apps, shell commands and files, and installs WinGet packages, all from Win+Alt+Space.
Luke
Worth being careful there. The notes say it aims to be more powerful and flexible. That's the stated design goal, not a measured result.
Mark
And the Color Picker change, what is that about?
Mimi
It moved from WPF UI to .NET WPF. The notes say that improves themes and consistency across modes.
Luke
Again, that's Microsoft's own description. Nothing in the source shows how users will notice it.
Mark
Peek can now delete files. Small, but useful?
Mimi
It lets you remove the file you're previewing, with navigation updates and handling for deleted items, so you can clear files as you browse.
Mark
Does this replace PowerToys Run?
Luke
Not announced. The notes call Command Palette the next iteration, and the idea that Run may be superseded is inference. PowerToys Run still received fixes in this very release.
Mimi
Which suggests both are alive for now. Adoption is the thing to watch.
Der Puls
- Microsoft's new Command Palette arrives as a richer successor to PowerToys Run, putting searches for apps, files, shell commands and WinGet packages under one roof.
- The launcher opens with Win+Alt+Space, and its extensibility-first design raises the question of whether the older PowerToys Run will be quietly pushed aside.
- The Color Picker has been rebuilt on .NET WPF to sharpen themes and visual consistency, while Peek now lets people delete the file they are previewing.
- A long run of fixes, from FancyZones layout data and duplicate app entries in PowerToys Run to a crash on Windows 11 build 22000, signals a release aimed at steadying the tools.
- The true test now sits with users, who must decide whether to adopt the new palette or stay with the launcher they already trust.
On the first days of April, Microsoft put out version 0.90.0 of PowerToys, the free set of utilities that has long given Windows users a deeper set of tools than the system provides by default. Its headline is Command Palette, a quieter successor to the PowerToys Run launcher that many people already use to reach apps and files without reaching for the mouse. The release reads as a small step in a long habit of refinement, one that tries to make the familiar faster without asking anyone to abandon what they know. Whether users actually make the move to the new palette will say more about how Windows people choose their tools than any release note can.
Microsoft has released PowerToys 0.90.0, the free collection of utilities that adds power-user features to Windows 11. Its centerpiece is Command Palette, known as CmdPal, a new module meant as the next step beyond PowerToys Run, the launcher many people already depend on. It opens with Win+Alt+Space and can search installed apps, shell commands, and files, as well as install packages through WinGet. The project's release notes say it was built with extensibility in mind, offering a richer display and new capabilities without sacrificing performance.
The Color Picker has also been reworked beneath the surface. Its WPF UI layer has been replaced with .NET WPF, which should bring better compatibility, themes, and visual consistency across its modes. Peek, the file preview tool, now lets users delete the file they are looking at, and the New+ module can now use dates, times, parent folder names, and environment variables in template filenames.
The release also carries a long list of repairs. FancyZones no longer writes bad data when a layout is deleted, PowerToys Run stops showing duplicate applications, and a crash on Windows 11 build 22000 has been resolved. Workspaces now captures certain minimized packaged apps it used to miss. Smaller fixes touch Settings, Mouse Without Borders, and Image Resizer, while the development side has seen dependency updates and new UI tests.
Windows Central points out that PowerToys has often shaped Windows itself, citing the resemblance between FancyZones and Snap Assist. With Command Palette positioned as the evolution of PowerToys Run, the open question is whether people will make the switch from the older launcher.
Microsoft has shipped version 0.90.0 of PowerToys, the free collection of utilities that adds power-user features to Windows 11. The headline addition is a new module called Command Palette, abbreviated CmdPal, which is meant as the next step beyond PowerToys Run, the app launcher many users already rely on.
Command Palette opens with the shortcut Win+Alt+Space. It can search installed apps, shell commands, and files, and it can install packages through WinGet. According to the release notes on the project's GitHub page, it was designed with extensibility at the forefront, and it offers a richer display and added capabilities without giving up performance. The notes credit a group of contributors for the work: zadjii-msft, niels9001, joadoumie, plante-msft, ethanfangg and krschau.
The second major change is under the hood of the Color Picker. Microsoft replaced WPF UI with .NET WPF, which the notes say improves compatibility, themes, and visual consistency across the tool's different modes. The work came from mantaionut, with Jay-o-Way and niels9001 helping review it.
Peek, the file preview tool, now lets you delete the file you are previewing. The change includes updates to navigation and handling for items that have been deleted. It was contributed by daverayment and reviewed by htcfreek. Separately, the New+ module now supports variables in template filenames, including date and time components, the parent folder name, and environment variables. That came from cgaarden.
The release also carries a long list of fixes. In FancyZones, deleting a layout no longer writes incorrect data to the JSON file, layout hotkeys no longer show invalid entries, and the missing "None" option in the editor layout has been restored. PowerToys Run no longer shows duplicated applications, a crash when applying round corners on Windows 11 build 22000 was fixed, and the Unit Converter now accepts "sq" in place of "^2". Workspaces now snapshots some minimized packaged apps, such as Microsoft ToDo and Settings, that it previously missed.
Smaller changes touch Settings, where spell check is disabled in the text boxes of PowerToys Run plugin settings and release-notes error banners now display properly with a retry button. Mouse Without Borders has a logger that tracks file paths for easier debugging, and its Common class was split into separate classes for maintainability. Image Resizer had warnings about uninitialized variables fixed.
Documentation and development work rounds out the release. Two third-party PowerToys Run plugins were added to the documented list: FirefoxBookmark, and SVGL, which lets users search, browse, and copy SVG logos. Under the hood, WindowsAppSDK moved to 1.6.250205002 and CsWinRT to 2.2.0, .NET packages went from 9.0.2 to 9.0.3, and new UI tests cover the Hosts File Editor and FancyZones editor. Microsoft also added telemetry to measure how long the module editor takes to open, to evaluate whether AOT would help.
Windows Central notes that PowerToys has long influenced Windows itself, pointing to the similarity between FancyZones and Snap Assist. With Command Palette built as an evolution of PowerToys Run, the thing to watch is whether users move over to it from the older launcher.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Command Palette was created as the evolution of PowerToys Run with extensibility at the forefront.— PowerToys v0.90.0 release notes on GitHub
Möchten Sie die ganze Geschichte?
Das Original lesen bei Windows Central ↗
Technology