Don’t let the odd name fool you, Microsoft PowerToys is a suite of very useful add-on tools for Windows that can be integrated directly into your right-click menu.
In this guide we’ll cover how to install Microsoft PowerToys and provide a few links to the guides that cover using several of the PowerToys tools such as:
Image Resizer
PowerRename
One of the best aspects of PowerToys is that these tools are 100% free and hosted by Microsoft themselves, installing and using PowerToys is quick and easy.
Installing Microsoft PowerToys – Method 1 – Installing via the Microsoft Store
Windows 10 22H2 and Microsoft Account Required – You must be using Windows 10 (v. 22H2) or Windows 11 to install PowerToys. PowerToys for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 is no longer supported.
If installing PowerToys via the Microsoft Store option, you are required to be signed in to your Windows OS with a Microsoft Account. If you are not signed in, clicking the Install from the Microsoft Store’s PowerToys page link below will prompt you to sign in first.
Step 1 – Click the link below and choose Install from the Microsoft Store’s PowerToys page
Click the link below to open the PowerToys page on Microsoft’s website in a new tab:
This link will take you straight down to our recommended installation option, click the blue link labelled Install from the Microsoft Store’s PowerToys page:
Step 2 – Click Download and follow the on-screen prompts
After clicking the Install link, a Microsoft Store tab will appear on your screen, click the blue Download button to proceed:
Your browser will now start downloading the latest PowerToysSetup-0.##.#-##.exe file. If you are using Google Chrome, you can click on the Downloads panel and click on the .exe as it is downloading to instruct Windows to open the installer as soon as it is finished downloading:
Once the installer downloads and opens, you’ll see a small Microsoft Store window appear at the centre of your screen, stating “Retrieving information from the Microsoft Store…”. Depending on your download speed, this may take up to 20 seconds to complete, once it does, click on the blue Install button to proceed:
Depending on the speed of your computer and your download speed, it may take several minutes for PowerToys to install. When the installer has finished, you’ll see a “Installation complete” confirmation message.
Installing Microsoft PowerToys – Method 2 – Installing via GitHub
If you are not signed into your Windows OS or are using an older version of Windows 10, you can install PowerToys manually via GitHub. GitHub is a code repository service wholly owned and operated by Microsoft, so the only difference between install methods is where you are getting the installer from.
We recommend only experienced Windows users follow this method, as this installation method is more manual than the Microsoft Store method.
Step 1 – Click the link below to open the PowerToys GitHub page
Step 2 – Click on one of the Installer Hashes at the top of the page
You’ll now see a GitHub releases page and a table underneath a heading labelled “Installer Hashes”. If you’re not sure which version to pick, we recommend clicking the link next to the “Machine wide – x64” label:
x64 or ARM64? – Most current Windows-based devices still use an x64-based CPU. If you’re not sure if your device contains an x64 CPU or an ARM64 CPU, press the Windows key on your keyboard and type “About” then click on the About your PC option to open the System > About page in your System settings app.
Under the Device specification section, look next to System type: – If you are using an x64 CPU it will say “64-bit operating system, x64-based processor“ – If you are using an ARM64 CPU it will say “64-bit operating system, ARM64-based processor“
Always ensure you are choosing the right installer type for your CPU when manually installing software on Windows, otherwise your software will fail to install or fail to launch.
After clicking on any of the .exe link options, your browser will now start downloading the latest PowerToysSetup-0.##.#-##.exe file. If you are using Google Chrome, you can click on the Downloads panel and click on the .exe as it is downloading to instruct Windows to open the installer as soon as it is finished downloading:
Once the installer downloads and opens, you’ll see a small PowerToys ### Setup window appear at the centre of your screen, follow the installer prompts to finalise installing PowerToys:
Microsoft PowerToys
Don’t let the odd name fool you, Microsoft PowerToys is a suite of very useful add-on tools for Windows that can be integrated directly into your right-click menu.
In this guide we’ll cover how to install Microsoft PowerToys and provide a few links to the guides that cover using several of the PowerToys tools such as:
One of the best aspects of PowerToys is that these tools are 100% free and hosted by Microsoft themselves, installing and using PowerToys is quick and easy.
Installing Microsoft PowerToys – Method 1 – Installing via the Microsoft Store
Windows 10 22H2 and Microsoft Account Required – You must be using Windows 10 (v. 22H2) or Windows 11 to install PowerToys. PowerToys for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 is no longer supported.
If installing PowerToys via the Microsoft Store option, you are required to be signed in to your Windows OS with a Microsoft Account. If you are not signed in, clicking the Install from the Microsoft Store’s PowerToys page link below will prompt you to sign in first.
Step 1 – Click the link below and choose Install from the Microsoft Store’s PowerToys page
Click the link below to open the PowerToys page on Microsoft’s website in a new tab:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/install#installing-with-microsoft-store
This link will take you straight down to our recommended installation option, click the blue link labelled Install from the Microsoft Store’s PowerToys page:
Alternatively, click here to open the PowerToys Microsoft Store page directly from the Guidebase
Step 2 – Click Download and follow the on-screen prompts
After clicking the Install link, a Microsoft Store tab will appear on your screen, click the blue Download button to proceed:
Your browser will now start downloading the latest
PowerToysSetup-0.##.#-##.exefile. If you are using Google Chrome, you can click on the Downloads panel and click on the .exe as it is downloading to instruct Windows to open the installer as soon as it is finished downloading:Once the installer downloads and opens, you’ll see a small Microsoft Store window appear at the centre of your screen, stating “Retrieving information from the Microsoft Store…”. Depending on your download speed, this may take up to 20 seconds to complete, once it does, click on the blue Install button to proceed:
Depending on the speed of your computer and your download speed, it may take several minutes for PowerToys to install. When the installer has finished, you’ll see a “Installation complete” confirmation message.
Installing Microsoft PowerToys – Method 2 – Installing via GitHub
If you are not signed into your Windows OS or are using an older version of Windows 10, you can install PowerToys manually via GitHub. GitHub is a code repository service wholly owned and operated by Microsoft, so the only difference between install methods is where you are getting the installer from.
We recommend only experienced Windows users follow this method, as this installation method is more manual than the Microsoft Store method.
Step 1 – Click the link below to open the PowerToys GitHub page
Click here to open the Microsoft PowerToys GitHub releases page in a new tab.
Step 2 – Click on one of the Installer Hashes at the top of the page
You’ll now see a GitHub releases page and a table underneath a heading labelled “Installer Hashes”. If you’re not sure which version to pick, we recommend clicking the link next to the “Machine wide – x64” label:
x64 or ARM64? – Most current Windows-based devices still use an x64-based CPU. If you’re not sure if your device contains an x64 CPU or an ARM64 CPU, press the Windows key on your keyboard and type “About” then click on the About your PC option to open the System > About page in your System settings app.
Under the Device specification section, look next to System type:
– If you are using an x64 CPU it will say “64-bit operating system, x64-based processor“
– If you are using an ARM64 CPU it will say “64-bit operating system, ARM64-based processor“
Always ensure you are choosing the right installer type for your CPU when manually installing software on Windows, otherwise your software will fail to install or fail to launch.
After clicking on any of the .exe link options, your browser will now start downloading the latest
PowerToysSetup-0.##.#-##.exefile. If you are using Google Chrome, you can click on the Downloads panel and click on the .exe as it is downloading to instruct Windows to open the installer as soon as it is finished downloading:Once the installer downloads and opens, you’ll see a small PowerToys ### Setup window appear at the centre of your screen, follow the installer prompts to finalise installing PowerToys: