[Long-Term Updates] Recommended Tools for Windows 10 / Windows 11

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DevOps, Cloud, Kubernetes — personal tech notes by ChengQing Su

This post documents some of the productivity-boosting and visually interesting tools I use on Windows 10. I’ll keep updating it over time — after all, I’m a bit of a Microsoft fan.

General Tools

Microsoft PowerToys

Microsoft PowerToys is a set of small utilities that let users tune and streamline their Windows 10 experience for greater productivity.

power-toys.png

Currently supported features:

  • Color Picker: A small color-grabbing utility. Shortcut: Win + Shift + C. I haven’t used it much — I don’t really have a need for it.
  • FancyZones: A Windows window management tool for smoother and more efficient window layout management. Haven’t used it.
  • File Explorer Add-ons: Enhances File Explorer’s preview functionality by adding Markdown and SVG preview support.
  • Image Resizer: An image resizing tool. Right-click on an image → “Resize Pictures” to generate an image at a specific size.
  • Keyboard Manager: A shortcut key management tool.
  • PowerRename: A powerful file renaming tool. In File Explorer, select multiple files to batch rename them according to specified rules; selecting a folder allows recursive renaming of files within it.
  • PowerToys Run: One of the tools I use most often — it’s extremely powerful. I’ll write a dedicated post about it when I get the chance. Shortcut: Alt + Space
  • Shortcut Guide: When you hold down the Windows key, it shows you a list of useful keyboard shortcuts.

Download: https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/

Snipaste: A Powerful Screenshot Tool

Option 1: Windows built-in Snip & Sketch and Print Screen. Snip & Sketch can be triggered with Win + Shift + S. If you don’t take screenshots very often, this tool is sufficient.

Option 2: A third-party tool called Snipaste — a very capable screenshot tool with better usability than the Windows 10 built-in option. Download: https://www.snipaste.com/

snipaste.png

Bandizip: Archive Tool

This is currently my favorite archive/extraction tool — I haven’t found any significant pain points with it. When I first started using it, the free version had no embedded ads; it does now.

bandizip.png

Download: https://en.bandisoft.com/bandizip/

EasySwitch: Window Switching Tool

Although you can use Alt + Tab to switch windows on Windows 10, that shortcut switches across all applications. For me, what I often need is to switch between windows within the same application — for example, switching between multiple Microsoft Word documents.

If you need to switch between windows across different applications, use Alt + Tab.

If you need to switch between windows within the same application, use EasySwitch. Shortcut: Alt + `

Download: https://neosmart.net/EasySwitch/

Customization Tools

Dynamic Wallpaper Tool: WinDynamicDesktop

This tool brings macOS Mojave’s dynamic wallpaper feature to Windows 10.

win-dynamical-desktop.png

Download: https://github.com/t1m0thyj/WinDynamicDesktop

Developer Tools

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code — a very powerful IDE.

code.png

Download: https://code.visualstudio.com/

Hosts Management Tool: Hozz

I run a small home lab with many services, and I haven’t had time to set up a DNS server yet. That means I need a way to quickly switch my hosts file, making a good hosts management tool quite important.

Hozz is exactly that kind of tool — it helps me access my own services more quickly and conveniently.

Download: https://blog.zhangruipeng.me/Hozz/