PowerToys gets improved FancyZones UI and more in latest update

Snapping and managing windows is easier with PowerToys' streamlined FancyZones UI.

What you need to know

• Microsoft's PowerToys recently received an update to version 0.31.
• The update improves the FancyZones user interface and includes several other improvements.

Microsoft's PowerToys is a handy utility that adds several features to your Windows PC. The features it adds are generally for power users, such as renaming several images at once within a set of rules or using File Explorer add-ons. PowerToys recently received an update to version 0.31.1 that includes several new features and improvements.

With the latest build comes a streamlined user interface for FancyZones, a tool that lets you arrange and snap windows into different layouts.

Here's a list of highlighted changes, as found on the PowerToys release page on GitHub:

General

• Bug report tool and improved logging now added to our system tray.
• Added in CodeQL and other CI improvements.
• OOBE Spec should be finalized

ARM64 Progress

• .NET Core upgrade for code bases the PowerToys team controls is complete. We still have two external dependencies that are .NET Framework that need to be updated.

Color Picker

• Bug fixes in editor

FancyZones

• Streamlined, simplified user interface (Massive thanks to @niels9001)
• Dark mode for the editor
• Certain settings (e.g. number of zones, spacing settings) can now be set on individual layouts.
• Bug fixes

File explorer

• Fixed OneDrive SVG Bug
• SVG are scaled appropriately when viewbox is provided
• SVG thumbnail quality improved

PowerToys Run

• Service management plugin (restart, stop, ...)
• Registry key plugin
• System action plugin (Reboot, lock, ...)
• Hyperbolic functions added to calculator
• Icon fixes when running in certain themes
• Unneeded dependencies removed
• Bug fixes

Installer

• Default to .NET Core 3.1.11

This version of PowerToys does not include the Video Conference Utility. Microsoft plans to roll out a DirectShow based version this month. The company hopes to merge it with the main PowerToys repository this month or next month.

Handy little toys

PowerToys

Free at GitHub

Tools that make life just a bit easier

PowerToys has a growing set of useful tools. It's most recent update improved the FancyZones user interface, making it easier to manage and snap your windows.