Regular Computeractive readers will already know how much we love PowerToys – Microsoft’s ever-expanding suite of free Windows tools. It’s one of those rare downloads that would be genuinely worth paying for if it wasn’t free. It’s endlessly useful and constantly improving.
Now, with the latest major update (version 0.90), PowerToys just got even better, thanks to a tool called Command Palette. It’s one of the biggest improvements to Windows in years. Here, we’ll show you how to get started with it, walk you through its best features, and share some clever ways you can use it to perform almost any task on your PC – from launching apps and finding files to running commands and making quick calculations.
Why Command Palette is so essential
Part search bar, part Command Prompt, Command Palette is technically a universal launcher. In practice, it’s a multi-faceted ‘do-anything’ box you can use instead of the current Windows Start menu, Run commands, File Explorer and other areas of the operating system.
Command Palette uses extensions that specialise in searching or launching specific types of content. It comes with several extensions built in, which are displayed below the search box whenever you launch the tool. Another bonus is that you can use it almost entirely without resorting to your mouse. You launch it with a keyboard shortcut, then navigate extensions using the up and down keys or just start typing keywords.