PowerToys 0.53.1 Brings New Always On Top Tool and Web Search Plugin

Microsoft has released a new update for its PowerToys suite of tools this week. The latest update (version 0.53.1) brings a new Always on Top feature that allows power users to pin the active window so that it always stays on top of all other applications.

The Always on Top tool is one of the top-requested features, and it has been designed to improve the multitasking experience on Windows PCs. Users will be able to pin or unpin a selected window with a quick keyboard shortcut (Windows key + Ctrl + T). PowerToys Settings also provide an option to set a border around the pinned app to make it stand out from all other windows. Additionally, users can manually exclude some applications from the Always on Top setting.

Microsoft has added a new web search plugin to PowerToys Run

PowerToys version 0.53.1 also brings some enhancements to the PowerToys Run tool. Microsoft has added a new web search plugin that lets users quickly search the web by entering a query that starts with the “??” command. The feature uses the default search engine and web browser to open the search results on Windows machines.

Microsoft has also announced that the File Explorer add-ons are getting support for G-code files. The PowerToys team and the open-source developer community have collaborated to bring this feature that allows users to preview G-code files via thumbnails. This release also includes bug fixes and enhancements to other PowerToys utilities, including Video Conference mute, FancyZones, ColorPicker, and PowerRename.

Microsoft has also confirmed a known issue in this release. “The new installer currently has a visual quirk when upgrade if you have a custom install path. It will show the default install path but it will actually overwrite the current location. We are investigating how to fix this,” the PowerToys team explained.

If you are interested in trying out the new features, you can download the latest version of PowerToys from GitHub and the Microsoft Store. Those who already have the app installed on their PCs can manually click the “Check for updates” option available in the General tab.