PowerToys Run - Microsoft PowerToys

PowerToys Run is a fast, keyboard-driven launcher that helps you search your machine and the web instantly. Activate it with a keyboard shortcut to search for applications, files, folders, execute calculations, and more using a plugin-based architecture.

Activation

Default Activation

Press Alt + Space to open PowerToys Run from anywhere in Windows.

Customize Shortcut

Open PowerToys Settings > PowerToys Run > Activation shortcut to configure your preferred hotkey.

PowerToys Run must be enabled in PowerToys Settings for the activation shortcut to work.

Core Features

Global and Direct Query Modes

PowerToys Run supports two query modes:

Global Query
Direct Query

Search across all enabled plugins without using action keywords:

notepad

Results from all plugins (Programs, Folder, Indexer) are combined.

Use an action keyword to target a specific plugin:

= 2 + 2
< chrome
? localhost:3000

Only the targeted plugin returns results.

Search Position Options

Window Positioning

Configure where PowerToys Run appears on screen:

Primary Monitor: Always appears on the primary display
Cursor Position: Appears on the monitor containing the mouse cursor
Focus: Appears on the monitor with the currently focused window

Enable “Remember last launch location” to pin the window position.

Search Performance

Search Input Delay Settings

PowerToys Run implements throttled search for better performance:

Fast results delay: Default 150ms - shows quick results from lightweight plugins
Full results delay: Default 300ms - executes all plugin queries including slower ones
Disable delay: Set “Search query results with delay” to off for instant search

From source /src/modules/launcher/PowerLauncher/MainWindow.xaml.cs:273-277:

.Throttle(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(_settings.SearchInputDelayFast))
.Do(@event => Dispatcher.InvokeAsync(() => PerformSearchQuery((TextBox)@event.Sender, false, @event)))
.Throttle(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(_settings.SearchInputDelay))
.Do(@event => Dispatcher.InvokeAsync(() => PerformSearchQuery((TextBox)@event.Sender, true, @event)))

Built-in Plugins

PowerToys Run includes 20 built-in plugins. Each can be enabled/disabled independently.

Calculator Plugin

Action Keyword

=

Global Query

Enabled

Examples:

= 2 + 2
= sqrt(144)
= sin(pi/2)
= 0x2A + 0b101010

Calculator Features

Supports basic arithmetic, trigonometric functions, logarithms
Hexadecimal (0x) and binary (0b) number formats
Trigonometry modes: Radians (default), Degrees, Gradians
Constants: pi, e
Input/output format options (English vs. locale-specific)
Replace input mode: Type = at end to replace query with result

Plugin ID: CEA0FDFC6D3B4085823D60DC76F28855

Program Plugin

Action Keyword

.

Global Query

Enabled

Searches installed applications, Win32 programs, and UWP apps. Examples:

chrome
vscode
. calculator

Plugin ID: 791FC278BA414111B8D1886DFE447410

Window Walker Plugin

Action Keyword

<

Global Query

Enabled

Search and switch between open windows. Examples:

< browser
< untitled
code

Plugin ID: F737A9223560B3C6833B5FFB8CDF78E5

Shell Plugin

Execute shell commands directly. Examples:

> ipconfig /all
> dir C:\Users
> netstat -an

Folder & Indexer Plugins

Search for files and folders using Windows Search index. Examples:

report.docx
C:\Projects\PowerToys
%APPDATA%

URI Plugin

Open URLs and URIs directly. Examples:

https://github.com
file:///C:/temp/test.html
mailto:[email protected]

Unit Converter Plugin

Convert between units of measurement. Examples:

cm to inches
kg to lbs
fahrenheit to celsius

Value Generator Plugin

Generate UUIDs, GUIDs, hashes, and base64 encoding. Examples:

uuid
guid
md5 hello world
base64 encode test

VS Code Workspaces Plugin

Quickly open VS Code workspaces and remote SSH connections.

System Plugin

Execute system commands. Examples:

shutdown
restart
lock
sleep
empty recycle bin

Time & Date Plugin

Display current time, convert timestamps, and manage timezones. Examples:

time
date
timestamp
unix 1234567890

Windows Settings Plugin

Quickly access Windows Settings pages. Examples:

settings display
settings bluetooth
settings wifi

Windows Terminal Plugin

Open Windows Terminal profiles directly.

History Plugin

View and re-execute previous PowerToys Run queries.

Registry Plugin

Navigate to registry keys. Examples:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
HKLM\System

Service Plugin

Search and manage Windows services. Examples:

service windows update
service print spooler

OneNote Plugin

Search and open OneNote notebooks and pages.

PowerToys Plugin

Quickly access PowerToys utilities and settings.

Web Search Plugin

Search the web using configured search engines.

Advanced Features

Keyboard
Mouse

Use arrow keys to navigate results:

↑ ↓ Navigate results
← → Navigate context menu actions
Enter Execute selected action
Tab Cycle through results

File Drag & Drop

PowerToys Run supports dragging file results to other applications. From source code (MainWindow.xaml.cs:349-378):

Detects IFileDropResult context data
Creates drag data object with file path
Generates thumbnail as drag image
Supports standard drag-drop operations

Auto-Complete

PowerToys Run shows auto-complete suggestions based on the selected result. The gray text after your query indicates the full match.

Plugin Overview

When PowerToys Run opens with an empty query, it displays an overview of available plugins with their action keywords.

Navigate the plugin overview with ↑ ↓ or Tab keys, then press Enter to start a query with that plugin’s action keyword.

Configuration

Global Settings

Maximum Results

Configure how many results to display (default: 4, max: 16).

Clear Input

Choose whether to clear the previous query when opening PowerToys Run.

Hide on Deactivate

Automatically hide when focus is lost (enabled by default).

Per-Plugin Settings

Each plugin can be:

Enabled or disabled
Configured with custom action keywords
Set to global mode or direct query only
Given plugin-specific settings (varies by plugin)

Disabling all plugins will make PowerToys Run non-functional. Keep at least one plugin enabled.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Alt + Space`	Open/Close PowerToys Run (default)
`Esc`	Close PowerToys Run
`↑` `↓`	Navigate results
`←` `→`	Navigate context menu
`Enter`	Execute selected result
`Tab` / `Shift + Tab`	Cycle through results
`Page Up` / `Page Down`	Jump through results
`Ctrl + C`	Copy result (when supported)
`Ctrl + Shift + Enter`	Run as administrator (when supported)
`Backspace` (hold)	Clear input

Use Cases

Quick Calculations

Use PowerToys Run as a calculator without opening a separate app:

Convert units: 100 usd to eur
Calculate tips: = 45.50 * 0.18
Hexadecimal: = 0xFF + 256

Developer Workflows

Generate UUIDs for code
Encode/decode base64 strings
Open project folders quickly
Launch VS Code workspaces
Open terminal profiles

System Administration

Manage Windows services
Execute shell commands
Navigate registry
Access Windows Settings
Lock, shutdown, restart

Window Management

Switch between open windows by name
Find windows across virtual desktops
Access applications by typing partial names

Performance Optimization

If PowerToys Run feels slow, try these optimizations:

Disable plugins you don’t use (especially Indexer on slow drives)
Reduce the search delay to 0ms for instant results
Limit the maximum number of results
Disable “Include in global result” for resource-intensive plugins

Telemetry

PowerToys Run collects anonymous usage telemetry:

Activation count and timing (cold/warm state)
Plugin enabled/disabled state
First delete event (to measure discoverability)

From source MainWindow.xaml.cs:100-121, MainWindow.xaml.cs:806-814.

Source Code

Location: /src/modules/launcher/

Main window: PowerLauncher/MainWindow.xaml.cs
Plugin manager: Plugin system in /launcher/Plugins/
View model: ViewModel/MainViewModel.cs

Get Started

Core Utilities

Mouse & Input

Productivity Tools

Configuration

Community & Support

​Activation

​Core Features

​Global and Direct Query Modes

​Search Position Options

​Search Performance

​Built-in Plugins

​Calculator Plugin

Action Keyword

Global Query

​Program Plugin

Action Keyword

Global Query

​Window Walker Plugin

Action Keyword

Global Query

​Shell Plugin

​Folder & Indexer Plugins

​URI Plugin

​Unit Converter Plugin

​Value Generator Plugin

​VS Code Workspaces Plugin

​System Plugin

​Time & Date Plugin

​Windows Settings Plugin

​Windows Terminal Plugin

​History Plugin

​Registry Plugin

​Service Plugin

​OneNote Plugin

​PowerToys Plugin

​Web Search Plugin

​Advanced Features

​Context Menu Actions

​Auto-Complete

​Plugin Overview

​Configuration

​Global Settings

​Per-Plugin Settings

​Keyboard Shortcuts

​Use Cases

​Performance Optimization

​Telemetry

​Source Code

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Activation

Core Features

Global and Direct Query Modes

Search Position Options

Search Performance

Built-in Plugins

Calculator Plugin

Program Plugin

Window Walker Plugin

Shell Plugin

Folder & Indexer Plugins

URI Plugin

Unit Converter Plugin

Value Generator Plugin

VS Code Workspaces Plugin

System Plugin

Time & Date Plugin

Windows Settings Plugin

Windows Terminal Plugin

History Plugin

Registry Plugin

Service Plugin

OneNote Plugin

PowerToys Plugin

Web Search Plugin

Advanced Features

Context Menu Actions

Auto-Complete

Plugin Overview

Configuration

Global Settings

Per-Plugin Settings

Keyboard Shortcuts

Use Cases

Performance Optimization

Telemetry

Source Code