Microsoft PowerToys

Submitted by Rick on April 28, 2006 - 10:22pm.

Over the years we have mentioned various Microsoft PowerToys. PowerToys are free tools that help you customize or enhance Windows. One of our favorites is the Picture Resizer tool. One of our user group members here in Colorado turned us onto this one and it works amazingly well. Microsoft offers many other fun and useful tools for XP users.

The tools are offered free of charge, but Microsoft offers no official support for them. You install and use them at your own risk.

My favorite PowerToys (besides the Picture Resizer tool) are:

  • Tweak UI - Provides many tweaks and customizing options for Explorer Windows, the desktop, taskbar and more
  • Power Calculator - An advanced calculator including some graphing capabilities
  • CD Slideshow Generator - Make slideshows of your digital photos on CD
  • Alt-Tab replacement - makes the Windows task switcher display thumbnails of the open windows (a feature that Microsoft cheerleaders are lauding in the upcoming Windows Vista update)

While I haven't tried them, digital photo enthusiasts might enjoy the Control Panel Color Applet and the RAW Image viewer.

All the PowerToy downloads are pretty small and download quickly even on a dial-up connection. Give a few of them a try and breathe some life into your Windows installation. 

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