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Installing Microsoft PowerToys

Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of utilities that help you customize Windows and streamline everyday tasks. This guide covers all installation methods, system requirements, and common troubleshooting steps.

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System Requirements

Before installing PowerToys, ensure your system meets these requirements:
  • Operating System: Windows 10 version 1803 (April 2018 Update) or newer, or Windows 11
  • Architecture: x64 or ARM64
  • .NET: Automatically installed with PowerToys if not present
  • WebView2: Automatically installed with PowerToys if not present
PowerToys requires Windows 10 1803+ (April 2018 Update or newer). Older versions of Windows are not supported.

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Installation Methods

Choose the installation method that best fits your workflow: WinGet is the official Windows package manager and provides the easiest installation and update experience.
1

Install PowerToys (User Scope)

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and run:
winget install Microsoft.PowerToys -s winget
This installs PowerToys for your user account only.
2

Install PowerToys (Machine-Wide)

For system-wide installation (requires administrator privileges):
winget install --scope machine Microsoft.PowerToys -s winget
This installs PowerToys for all users on the machine.
3

Verify Installation

After installation completes, PowerToys will launch automatically. You’ll see the PowerToys icon in your system tray.
Updating PowerToys via WinGet respects your current installation scope. If you installed for your user, updates will maintain that scope.

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Method 2: Microsoft Store

The Microsoft Store provides automatic updates and easy installation.
1

Open Microsoft Store

Search for “PowerToys” in the Microsoft Store or visit aka.ms/getPowertoys
2

Install

Click the “Get” or “Install” button. The Store will handle all dependencies automatically.
3

Launch

Once installed, launch PowerToys from the Start menu or let it start automatically.
Microsoft Store installations receive automatic updates, ensuring you always have the latest features and security fixes.

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Method 3: GitHub Releases

Download the installer directly from GitHub for offline installation or specific version requirements.
1

Navigate to Releases

Visit PowerToys GitHub releases and find the latest version (currently v0.97.1).
2

Download Installer

Click “Assets” to reveal downloads and choose the appropriate installer:
DescriptionArchitectureFilename
Per user - x64Intel/AMD 64-bitPowerToysUserSetup-0.97.1-x64.exe
Per user - ARM64ARM 64-bitPowerToysUserSetup-0.97.1-arm64.exe
Machine wide - x64Intel/AMD 64-bitPowerToysSetup-0.97.1-x64.exe
Machine wide - ARM64ARM 64-bitPowerToysSetup-0.97.1-arm64.exe
Most users should download the Per user - x64 installer unless you’re on an ARM device or need system-wide installation.
3

Run Installer

Double-click the downloaded .exe file and follow the installation wizard. Accept the license agreement and choose your installation preferences.
4

Complete Setup

The installer will install all required dependencies and launch PowerToys automatically.

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Method 4: Chocolatey

Chocolatey is a community-driven package manager for Windows.
Chocolatey is a community-maintained installation method. The PowerToys team does not directly manage or update this package.
choco install powertoys
For issues with the Chocolatey package, visit the package page and follow the Chocolatey triage process.

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Method 5: Scoop

Scoop is another community-driven package manager with a focus on developer tools.
Scoop is a community-maintained installation method. The PowerToys team does not directly manage or update this package.
scoop install powertoys

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Installation Scopes: User vs Machine-Wide

PowerToys offers two installation scopes:
  • Installs to: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys
  • No administrator privileges required
  • Updates automatically without admin prompts
  • Isolated to your user account
  • Recommended for most users

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Machine-Wide Installation

  • Installs to: C:\Program Files\PowerToys
  • Requires administrator privileges
  • Available to all users on the system
  • Useful for enterprise deployments
  • Updates require administrator privileges
You cannot mix installation scopes. If you have a per-user installation and try to install machine-wide (or vice versa), the installer will detect the conflict and prompt you to uninstall the existing version first.

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Post-Installation Setup

After installing PowerToys:
  1. Launch PowerToys: The application launches automatically after installation. Look for the PowerToys icon in your system tray (near the clock).
  2. Configure Startup: By default, PowerToys starts with Windows. You can change this in the PowerToys Settings under “General” > “Run at startup”.
  3. Review Utilities: Open PowerToys Settings to review available utilities and enable the ones you want to use.
  4. Check for Updates: PowerToys includes an auto-update feature. Configure update preferences in Settings > General > Updates.

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Troubleshooting

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Installation Fails or Won’t Start

1

Check System Requirements

Verify you’re running Windows 10 version 1803 or newer:
winver
The version number should be 1803 or higher.
2

Install WebView2

Some features require WebView2. Download and install it manually:Download WebView2 Runtime
3

Check .NET Requirements

Ensure .NET Desktop Runtime is installed. PowerToys uses .NET 8.0.Download .NET Desktop Runtime
4

Run as Administrator

Try running the installer as administrator (right-click > “Run as administrator”).

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Mixed Installation Scope Error

Problem: Error message about conflicting per-user and machine-wide installations. Solution:
  1. Uninstall the existing PowerToys installation via Windows Settings > Apps
  2. Remove any remaining files from:
    • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys
    • C:\Program Files\PowerToys
  3. Reinstall using your preferred installation scope

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Context Menu Integration Not Working

Problem: PowerRename, Image Resizer, or other context menu features don’t appear. Solution:
1

Restart File Explorer

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find “Windows Explorer”, right-click, and select “Restart”.
2

Re-enable Utilities

Open PowerToys Settings, disable and re-enable the affected utility (e.g., PowerRename, Image Resizer).
3

Repair Installation

If issues persist, repair the installation:
  • WinGet: Run the install command again
  • Microsoft Store: Right-click PowerToys in your library and select “Repair”
  • GitHub installer: Download and run the installer again

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PowerToys Not Responding After Update

Problem: PowerToys becomes unresponsive or crashes after an update. Solution:
  1. Close PowerToys completely (right-click system tray icon > Exit)
  2. Navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys (per-user) or C:\Program Files\PowerToys (machine-wide)
  3. Delete the settings folder (your settings will reset to defaults)
  4. Restart PowerToys

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Utilities Not Working on Windows 10

Problem: Some utilities (like Image Resizer) stop working after upgrade on Windows 10. Solution: This was a known issue in v0.97.0, fixed in v0.97.2. Ensure you’re running the latest version: 
winget upgrade Microsoft.PowerToys

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Hotkeys Conflict with Other Applications

Problem: PowerToys keyboard shortcuts don’t work or conflict with other apps. Solution:
  1. Open PowerToys Settings
  2. Navigate to the specific utility (e.g., PowerToys Run)
  3. Click the hotkey field and press your desired key combination
  4. If conflicts are detected, PowerToys will warn you
  5. Choose a different, non-conflicting shortcut
Some system shortcuts like Win+L (lock screen) and Ctrl+Alt+Del cannot be remapped as they’re handled at a lower level by Windows.

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Uninstalling PowerToys

To completely remove PowerToys:

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Via Windows Settings

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows 11) or Apps & features (Windows 10)
  2. Search for “PowerToys”
  3. Click the three dots menu > Uninstall
  4. Follow the uninstallation wizard

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Via WinGet

winget uninstall Microsoft.PowerToys

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Via Chocolatey

choco uninstall powertoys

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Via Scoop

scoop uninstall powertoys

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Clean Uninstall

For a complete removal including all settings:
  1. Uninstall via your preferred method above
  2. Delete remaining folders:
    • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys
    • %APPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys
    • C:\Program Files\PowerToys (if machine-wide install)
  3. Restart your computer

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Enterprise Deployment

For IT administrators deploying PowerToys across an organization:

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Group Policy Support

PowerToys includes ADMX templates for Group Policy management. Templates are located in the installation directory under gpo folder.

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Silent Installation

Per-User Silent Install
PowerToysUserSetup-0.97.1-x64.exe /silent /install
Machine-Wide Silent Install
PowerToysSetup-0.97.1-x64.exe /silent /install

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Deployment via Microsoft Intune

  1. Download the appropriate installer from GitHub releases
  2. Package as a Win32 app in Microsoft Intune
  3. Configure installation command: /silent /install
  4. Set detection rules to check for PowerToys executable
  5. Deploy to target device groups
For detailed GPO and enterprise deployment information, see the official Microsoft Learn documentation.

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Next Steps

Now that PowerToys is installed:

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Getting Help

If you encounter issues not covered in this guide:

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