# PowerToys: the modules worth enabling

> Which modules earn their place on a normal desktop, what each one costs in resources, and the shortcut conflicts you will hit.

**Tested on**

- Build: 26300.9457
- Edition: Pro (26H2)
- Architecture: x64
- Evidence: E1
- Verified: 2026-10-29

## The short answer

PowerToys is a Microsoft-published bundle of small utilities. Installing it does not mean enabling all of it — every module you leave on costs a background process and a hotkey.

Four modules earn their place for most people:

| Module | Solves | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| **FancyZones** | window layouts that survive restarts | one process, no measurable idle CPU |
| **PowerToys Run** | keyboard launcher (`Alt + Space`) | one process, fast |
| **Keyboard Manager** | remap a key or shortcut | one process |
| **Text Extractor** | copy text out of an image (`Win + Shift + T`) | on demand only |

Everything else is situational.

## What each useful module actually does

**FancyZones** — defines screen regions and snaps windows into them with `Shift` while dragging. Unlike Windows Snap Layouts, zones persist per monitor and per layout, and you can define asymmetric grids.

**PowerToys Run** — a launcher: apps, files, calculator, window switching, plugins. It is not a replacement for the Start menu search index; it queries its own plugins.

**Keyboard Manager** — remaps single keys or whole chords, per-user. This is how you fix "this laptop has no Pause key" or move Caps Lock out of the way.

**Text Extractor** — OCR on a screen region, copies to clipboard. Useful for error messages in screenshots and PDFs.

## Modules people install and then disable

| Module | Why it gets disabled |
|---|---|
| **Awake** | keeps the machine awake — easy to forget it is on |
| **Mouse utilities** | "find my mouse" is a nice demo, rarely used |
| **Always on Top** | overlaps with window managers and some games |
| **Image Resizer** | useful once a month |
| **Peek** | previews in Explorer; some users find it noisy |
| **Video Conference Mute** | conflicts with app-level mute state |

> **Caution: Hotkey conflicts are the main support cost**
>
> `Alt + Space` (Run) collides with the window menu in some apps; `Win + Shift + T` (Text Extractor) can collide with vendor tools. Check the module's shortcut before assuming an app is broken.

## Installing without the noise

1. Install from **Microsoft Store** or the official GitHub release (signed by Microsoft).
2. Open Settings → **enable only the modules you will use**.
3. Disable **"Run at startup"** for modules you use rarely (the launcher is worth keeping).
4. Check **Settings → General → Updates** — PowerToys updates independently of Windows.

```powershell
# installed and running?
Get-AppxPackage *PowerToys* | Select-Object Name,Version,Status
Get-Process PowerToys* -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object Name,Id,@{n='MB';e={[math]::Round($_.WorkingSet64/1MB,1)}}
```

## Is it safe on a work machine?

It is Microsoft-published and signed, but it is **not** part of Windows and not covered by Windows support. Some managed environments block it by policy; check before installing on a corporate device.

## Related

- [Windows Sandbox](https://winbook.fyi/en/windows/customise/sandbox/)
- [Time sync and the UTC trap](https://winbook.fyi/en/windows/customise/time-sync/)
- [High DPI and scaling](https://winbook.fyi/en/hardware/display/dpi-scaling/)

## Lab boundary

E1. Module behaviour is documented by Microsoft. The lab VMs do not run PowerToys, so no resource figures were measured.

## Sources

- [Microsoft Learn — PowerToys](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/)
- [Microsoft Learn — PowerToys Run](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/run)
- [Microsoft Learn — FancyZones](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/fancyzones)

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Source: https://winbook.fyi/en/windows/customise/powertoys/