A must-install for Windows users! Four highly recommended features of PowerToys

If you work in Windows, Microsoft PowerToys is worth installing right away. It is a collection of free utilities made and distributed by Microsoft, and its four standout features are Color Picker, FancyZones, PowerToys Run and Text Extractor.

PowerToys is full of powerful features that scratch the itches basic Windows leaves unscratched. Among its many functions, these four are the ones I consider most useful day to day.

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🎨 1. How do you grab any color on the screen? Color Picker

• Shortcut: Win + Shift + C Hover the mouse anywhere on the screen and press the shortcut, and the color code (HEX, RGB, CMYK, etc.) of that pixel is immediately copied to the clipboard. Designers and front-end developers will appreciate it: there is no need to open Photoshop or install a separate eyedropper program.

🪟 2. How do you split windows exactly the way you want? FancyZones

FancyZones lets you divide the screen far more freely than the Windows default screen division (Win + arrow keys), which makes it essential on a large monitor or dual monitors. Create a layout (zone) in advance with the ratio and position you want, then drag a window while holding down the Shift key, and it snaps into the set area with its size adjusted automatically.

🔍 3. Is there a Mac Spotlight for Windows? PowerToys Run

• Shortcut: Alt + Space Yes: press Alt + Space and a simple search box appears in the center of the screen, much like Mac's 'Spotlight'. From there you can run programs, search files, do simple calculations, and even convert units using just the keyboard. It drastically cuts the time spent fumbling through the Start menu with the mouse.

📌 4. How do you copy text from an image? Text Extractor

• Shortcut: Win + Shift + T Press the shortcut and drag over an area of the screen, and the text in that area is recognized (OCR) and copied to the clipboard as plain text. It works on text inside images or on copy-blocked webpages, so you no longer have to retype it. Its Korean recognition rate is also quite good, which greatly improves the efficiency of document work.

What else does PowerToys include?

PowerToys also offers keyboard remapping, batch image resizing, and pinning a window always on top, among other gem-like features. It's completely free and doesn't weigh down your system, so if you're a Windows user, install it and boost your productivity!