Microsoft’s Powertoys programs to update automatically

Microsoft now automatically updates its new Powertoys collection of programs, so you don’t have to keep checking for updates.

Powertoys first appeared in Windows 95 as a package of 15 programs offering advanced functions for the operating system. It included Tweakui, which let you change some of the operating system’s more obscure settings, and Flexicd, which let you play an audio CD from your taskbar.

Powertoys was also part of Windows XP – adding tools like CD Slide Show Generator that let you make a slideshow from photos burned to a CD – before being left out of Vista, 7 and 8.

When Microsoft relaunched Powertoys last year it contained just two tools: a guide to Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts and Fancyzones, which lets you divide your desktop into resizable windows for different programs.

Since then, Microsoft has added Powerrename, which lets you quickly rename batches of files; Image Resizer, for resizing multiple images quickly; and Window Walker, which lets you move through open programs using keyboard shortcuts.

But until now, you’ve had to manually update the tools to get the latest version. That will now change, following the release of version 0.17.0 in late April, which added automatic updating.

You’ll still need to manually update Powertoys to get version 0.17.0 - do so by visiting www.snipca.com/34740, then scrolling down and clicking ‘Powertoyssetup0.17.0-x64.msi’.

Once you’ve done that, future versions of Powertoys will be automatically updated on your computer. Microsoft says this was a much requested feature from users.