PowerToys 0.18 Goes Live with PowerToys Run

May 19, 2020 9:06 AM

Are you a macOS user that also works in Windows and misses the Spotlight way of launching apps? Never fear because Microsoft has released PowerToys 0.18 which includes Spotlight PowerToys Run.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock (25 comments total)

Here's a link to the README which might help illustrate what's in the release. https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys
posted by simra at 9:31 AM on May 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

For the longest time I had some sort of a desktop addon (Stardock, maybe?) specifically for the alt-space app launcher. But then on Win7+ I've been able to just press the Windows key and type to launch - is this any different?
posted by btfreek at 9:36 AM on May 19, 2020

is this any different?

It's in the same position on the screen as Spotlight so spatially orientated users will be more at home.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 9:38 AM on May 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

>is this any different?
btfreek, pressing the Windows key does not always work for me. IME, it searches executables but not folders. And traditionally, Windows programs are found in folders on the Start Menu. So if there's a program called "AdminConsole" in the "Acme Inc" folder of my Start menu, I can't find it when i search for Acme.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 10:21 AM on May 19, 2020 [2 favorites]

Oh to be able to install arbitrary software on my work-issued Win10 laptop.

Does PowerToys enable the ability to simulate macOS's Cmd+` keyboard shortcut (i.e. Command and the backtick/tilde key)? It's similar to Cmd+Tab/Alt+Tab except on Macs it only cycles through the windows of the active application rather than through all open applications. If PowerToys supports this I might put in a special request to have it installed (which will probably get denied anyway).

Not being able to use the equivalent of Cmd+` on my work laptop is driving me nuts. I'm trying to force myself to get used to Windows 10's default taskbar behaviour of showing one icon per application but it makes it so clunky to quickly switch between multiple windows of the same application. Having to hover my cursor over the Excel taskbar icon, wait for the thumbnails to appear, then squint to try to determine which tiny spreadsheet thumbnail is the spreadsheet I want to switch to is... excruciating. I could use Alt+Tab but having to cycle through all windows of all applications is equally frustrating when you've got a lot of things running.

I'll probably end up going back to the old taskbar setup of one item per window. But I really tried, Microsoft.
posted by good in a vacuum at 10:28 AM on May 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

But then on Win7+ I've been able to just press the Windows key and type to launch - is this any different?

Yeah, the Windows key launcher is weirdly inconsistent with what it finds, and if it doesn't find an executable it'll search documents, Bing, etc. I'm definitely looking forward to having a dedicated application launcher available instead of trying to use the search feature like it's a launcher.
posted by tobascodagama at 10:30 AM on May 19, 2020

Windows 10's default taskbar behaviour of showing one icon per application

Right click on the Taskbar, select Taskbar Settings and change Combine taskbar buttons to Never or When taskbar is full. I don't think that requires admin rights.
posted by JaredSeth at 10:32 AM on May 19, 2020 [3 favorites]

(Oh, apparently this does search documents as well as applications. Disappointing. But at least it won't try to do Bing searches for me.)
posted by tobascodagama at 10:39 AM on May 19, 2020

Thank you JaredSeth, although I realize I wasn't too clear in my rant. I do know that this taskbar behaviour can be changed but I wanted to try Microsoft's "modern" way of doing things, and the Combine taskbar buttons option results in a much tidier taskbar when you've got a lot of windows open. This helps when working on a small laptop screen.

But I may revert back to When taskbar full as you suggest, as the visual tidiness of Combine maybe not be worth the hassle.

you want easy windows switcher!

Thanks neustile, this looks like it would cover what I want but as I can't install software on my locked-down work laptop it's probably a no-go. What I'm hoping for is a Microsoft-approved way of doing this so that I can either do it myself without installing anything, or by convincing my IT department to install something for me. Which will be easier if it's from the OS vendor (like PowerToys is) rather than an indie developer.
posted by good in a vacuum at 10:53 AM on May 19, 2020

Anyway, apologies for the derail! Even though I'm not a Windows user by choice any more, I appreciate that Microsoft is continuing to release PowerToys. I remember using it at least as far back as Windows XP, perhaps Win98?
posted by good in a vacuum at 10:55 AM on May 19, 2020

Do any of the install options work without admin access? Uh... asking for a friend
posted by caution live frogs at 11:01 AM on May 19, 2020

Also this: Microsoft is bringing Linux GUI apps to Windows 10
posted by octothorpe at 11:09 AM on May 19, 2020 [2 favorites]

For those reporting inconsistent search results in Win10, try the following: Go to Settings > Search > Searching Windows, and in the 'Find My Files' section switch from Classic (search only libraries and desktop, customization options available) to Enhanced (search entire computer, customized exclusions available).
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:14 AM on May 19, 2020

For the life of me, I can't even vaguely remember how using Spotlight to launch apps worked. I honestly can't even recall using Spotlight for anything.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:34 PM on May 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

> Does PowerToys enable the ability to simulate macOS's Cmd+` keyboard shortcut (i.e. Command and the backtick/tilde key)?

No, unfortunately. And, you're not likely to see anything do that anytime soon. I've tried recreating it with AHK, and the problem with it is that what you get from the list of available window handles is often not enough to tell you which windows belong to the same app, or even which window is which between windows of the same app. For example, one often can't tell the difference between windows of apps that are built with electron. They all kind of look like Chrome windows.
posted by Citrus at 12:49 PM on May 19, 2020

Alfred or GTFO.
posted by signal at 12:51 PM on May 19, 2020 [2 favorites]

There, there, xmouse. I know. I hear what they're saying. But I love you.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 12:54 PM on May 19, 2020

I thought control tab (usually, Windows programs have never been bastions of consistency) would switch between windows of the active program. I so rarely use Windows with a keyboard these days that my brain has pushed most of that kind of stuff out, though.
posted by wierdo at 1:24 PM on May 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

My main question is whether this is as responsive as Spotlight. On Win10, I usually notice a delay between pressing Win and being able to enter anything; it also frequently brings up the wrong thing (hi, Bing search!). On MacOS, I've gotten used to hitting CMD+Space, typing a name and hitting enter so quickly I don't even think about it. Never found that to be true with the Start Menu on Windows.

(In general, I find both Windows and MacOS have good features which the other stubbornly refuses to copy, and both have ways in which they charmingly keep crappy little flaws that should've been fixed decades ago.)
posted by Ickster at 1:29 PM on May 19, 2020 [3 favorites]

Thanks for tipping me off to this. I run a dual-boot system and get so frustrated at my hands. By now the macOS shortcuts are so ingrained that the keys are down before I think consciously about what I'm doing.
posted by Evstar at 3:26 PM on May 19, 2020

good in a vacuum, Power Toys were available for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, according to a Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition (page 581) I happened to find on my bookshelf.
posted by channaher at 4:30 PM on May 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

Now if folks could just vote up this GitHub issue for PowerToys, maybe we could get Exposé-style hot corners again like I've been wishing for since 2012.
posted by limeonaire at 8:19 PM on May 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

So the Spotlight thing is effectively like command completion in a terminal window, except without the ability to add command line arguments?

What a time to be alive.
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:32 PM on May 19, 2020

To be honest, the Powertoy I use most is the keyboard shortcut prompt. It fits naturally into my tendency to sit there holding down the Windows key while trying to remember the combination to something arcane, like peeking at the desktop (win+comma) or text-to-speech narration (win+enter).
posted by Eleven at 4:54 AM on May 20, 2020 [1 favorite]

I thought control tab (usually, Windows programs have never been bastions of consistency) would switch between windows of the active program.

I just tried this and you’re right in two ways: Ctrl+Tab does switch between windows of the active application... sometimes. In my quick test it works for Excel, but not for Word, Outlook, or Chrome.
posted by good in a vacuum at 5:16 PM on May 26, 2020