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microsoft / powertoys Architecture and code health

Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of utilities that supercharge productivity and customization on Windows

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What is powertoys?

PowerToys is a collection of over 30 utilities that help users customize Windows and streamline everyday tasks. Each utility handles a specific job, and users change how each one behaves from its Settings window. The code is written mainly in C# and C++. To install it, run winget install Microsoft.PowerToys -s winget and follow the steps below. Its code health is 7.0 out of 10 (Fair). The last commit to powertoys was on Nov 11, 2026, and 717 people have contributed.

As of commit 37bdbbc, indexed Nov 11, 2026. What it is comes from a model reading the README; the rest is measured from the source and git history, not from the maintainer.

For agentspowertoys.md

Repo facts: type, license, health, rank, contributors
powertoys facts
LicenseMIT
Code health7.0 / 10 (Fair)
Health rankNot ranked (not on a leaderboard yet)
Last commitNov 11, 2026
Contributors717
Bus factor8
Size7,249 files, 772,359 lines

Install powertoys

Commands copied from the README

  1. 1Install PowerToys with the user scope installer, which is the default, using WinGet from the command line or PowerShell.
    winget install Microsoft.PowerToys -s winget
  2. 2For a machine-wide install, run the WinGet command with the machine scope option.
    winget install --scope machine Microsoft.PowerToys -s winget

Releases on GitHub (latest v0.102.3101, Nov 6, 2026)

Full install notes on GitHub

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Featured answer

Give me an overview of powertoys

PowerToys is a Microsoft collection of over 30 utilities that help users customize Windows and handle everyday tasks, and its code is written mainly in C# and C++. Each utility handles one specific job, and users adjust how each one behaves from its Settings window. The chart shows eight layers by file count, with Application the largest at 3667 files, followed by Utility at 1057 and Docs & Tooling at 414. Most code lives under src, which holds 6223 of the repository's 7249 files, and src/common provides shared code for logging, settings files, version data and UI test automation that the runner uses more than any other part. Entry points include src/dsc/v3/PowerToys.DSC/Program.cs and src/dsc/PowerToys.Settings.DSC.Schema.Generator/Program.cs, while installer/PowerToysSetupCustomActionsVNext adds custom installer steps. To start reading, begin with src/common and its interop folder, then look at the entry point files named above.

Files per layer in powertoys8 layers.

Basis: Inferred · knowledge graph· as of 37bdbbc

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microsoft/powertoys FAQ

What is PowerToys?

PowerToys is a collection of over 30 utilities that help users customize Windows and streamline everyday tasks. Its utilities include FancyZones, PowerToys Run, Keyboard Manager and Workspaces.

How does PowerToys work?

PowerToys runs each utility as its own module that users configure from a Settings window. Shared Windows code in src/common supports the modules and the runner.

How do I install PowerToys?

PowerToys can be installed with WinGet by running winget install Microsoft.PowerToys -s winget, which uses the user scope by default. A machine-wide install uses the --scope machine option, and the .exe file is also available on GitHub releases. See the install steps

What language is PowerToys written in?

PowerToys is written mainly in C# and C++, with smaller amounts of JavaScript and Python. Its code targets Windows.

How is the PowerToys code organized?

PowerToys keeps most of its code under src, with shared Windows code in src/common and helper code for logging and native API calls in src/common/interop. The installer custom steps live in installer/PowerToysSetupCustomActionsVNext.

Who is PowerToys for?

PowerToys is for Windows users who want to customize their Windows experience and streamline everyday tasks. It offers a set of separate utilities so users can choose which ones to use.

What license does PowerToys use?

PowerToys is released under the MIT license, identified as MIT in its repository metadata. The license permits use, modification and distribution of the code.

Code health

6.9out of 10Fair

Hotspots average 4.4, the place fixes pay off most.

Full health report

Key features of powertoys

  • Provides over 30 utilities, including FancyZones, PowerToys Run, Keyboard Manager and Workspaces, to customize Windows.
  • Helps users customize and optimize their Windows experience and streamline everyday tasks.
  • Can be installed from GitHub releases, the Microsoft Store, WinGet, or community methods such as Chocolatey and Scoop.
  • Publishes release notes that describe what has changed in each version.
  • Logs basic diagnostic data (telemetry), with details in the PowerToys Data and Privacy documentation.

How microsoft/powertoys works

Most of the code sits under src, which holds 6223 of the repository's files. src/common is shared Windows code for logging, settings files, version data and UI test automation, and the runner calls into it more than any other part. src/common/interop provides helper code for logging, named-pipe trust, update state, notifications and native API calls. src/dsc/v3/PowerToys.DSC/Program.cs is one of the program entry points, and src/dsc/PowerToys.Settings.DSC.Schema.Generator/Program.cs is a separate entry point for the Settings DSC schema generator. installer/PowerToysSetupCustomActionsVNext adds custom steps to the installer, including handling of files-in-use prompts during setup.

The codebase has 7,249 files and 84,216 symbols in 6 modules, mostly C by code size, with the most files in C#. Code health is 6.9 out of 10, rated fair.