PowerToys may soon make it easier to launch utilities with built-in Launcher

Microsoft and the open-source community are working on adding new features to PowerToys. Future updates may finally add the option suggested almost three years ago—the ability to launch utilities using the PowerToys Run launcher.

PowerToys Run is a search bar-like launcher that lets you search for files, perform calculations, execute commands, navigate the registry, convert units, and many more. Just press Alt + Space (default shortcut) and start typing your request. Unfortunately, as of now, PowerToys Run does not support launching other PowerToys utilities, which slowly becomes a problem as the number of tools steadily grows with each major update. An upcoming PowerToys Run update may soon fix this (via Deskmodder).

As proposed by @davidegiacometti on GitHub, an updated PowerToys Run would let you type the name of the tool you want to find, plus get a list of the running utilities with a quick shortcut to their corresponding settings sections. According to the draft published on PowerToys’ GitHub repository, the project still needs some work, so do not expect it to arrive tomorrow.

In case you missed it, the latest PowerToys update added a brand-new Registry Preview utility. It allows visualizing and editing complex Windows Registry files, making the registry less intimidating and more convenient. You can learn more about the release in our dedicated coverage.