Microsoft PowerToys

ApplicationMicrosoft Corporation

Also called power toys, fancyzones, powertoys run

Microsoft CorporationSystem

A Microsoft utility pack with FancyZones, Run, Awake, and more. The runner is PowerToys.exe. Windows 95 PowerToys is nostalgia, not this install.

What you need to know

This PowerToys is the 2019 Microsoft suite. Windows 95 PowerToys is a different product.

Microsoft PowerToys is an open-source pack: FancyZones, Run, Awake, and more. Get it from Microsoft Learn. Windows 95 PowerToys (TweakUI) is nostalgia, not this install. PowerToys.exe is the runner.

What is it?: Microsoft's 2019 utility pack
Same as Windows 95 PowerToys?: No. TweakUI is a different product
FancyZones / Run?: Yes. Those modules live here

Feex says

If you want FancyZones, I would install the 2019 PowerToys from Microsoft Learn. I would not hunt a Windows 95 TweakUI download. That is a different century.

What is Microsoft PowerToys?

PowerToys.exe is the runner that starts modules. FancyZones, Run, and Awake are separate exes. The Windows 95 PowerToys TweakUI is not in this tree.

If you have never used it

If you want FancyZones, PowerToys Run, or Awake, this is the 2019 Microsoft PowerToys suite. Download it from Microsoft Learn or the GitHub releases Microsoft links. It is not the Windows 95 PowerToys pack (TweakUI and friends). That old CD is nostalgia, not this installer.

What is it used for?

FancyZones window layouts

Snap windows to custom zones. The Windows 95 pack did not include FancyZones. That name is 2019+.

PowerToys Run (Alt+Space)

A launcher. It is not Listary's Explorer hook and not the 1995 PowerToy.

Awake, Color Picker, PowerRename, and more

Each module can be its own process. Turn them off in PowerToys Settings. TweakUI is not one of these modules.

Who is it for?

People who want FancyZones or Run on current Windows
Anyone who googled PowerToys and found a Windows 95 article
Users who should install from Microsoft, not a "PowerToys 95" exe host

Current status

Microsoft PowerToys (2019) is a current utility suite from Microsoft Corporation. The vendor still points Windows users at https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/powertoys/.

How old is it?

Windows 95 PowerToys was a 1990s Microsoft extras pack. The current open-source PowerToys launched in 2019. Same nickname, different product. Microsoft Learn documents Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or newer, and a 64-bit x64 or ARM64 CPU.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

GitHub / Learn installer

Microsoft Store

winget Microsoft.PowerToys

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or newer, per Microsoft. 64-bit x64 or ARM64
RAM	Enough for current Windows plus the modules you enable. Microsoft documents WebView2 as an installer dependency

Resource profile

CPU demand: Low when modules are idle
RAM demand: Small for the runner. Modules add their own rows

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
PowerToys.exe	Runner and settings host
PowerToys.FancyZones.exe	Snap layouts
PowerToys.PowerLauncher.exe	Run (Alt+Space)
PowerToys.Awake.exe	Keep awake

Startup components

PowerToys can start with Windows from its own setting. That starts the runner, not FancyZones by itself.

File locations

Common Microsoft PowerToys locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\PowerToys\

File formats

Settings JSON under the user profile. Modules vary

Common problems

People download a Windows 95 PowerToys archive

That will not add FancyZones. This product is the 2019 GitHub / Learn suite.

Runner missing after a portable copy

Install from Learn or GitHub. A random PowerToys.exe on the desktop is not the suite.

Getting unstuck

Install from Microsoft Learn or aka.ms/installpowertoys

Windows 95 PowerToys pages are history. This runner needs Windows 10 2004 or Windows 11, 64-bit, per Microsoft.

Open PowerToys Settings from the tray and disable the module you do not want

Ending FancyZones does not quit the runner. Ending PowerToys.exe can take the modules down.

Repair with winget install Microsoft.PowerToys if the runner will not start

That is the current product id. There is no TweakUI package name.

Alternatives

Listary for an Explorer launcher. Windows Terminal for tabs. The Windows 95 pack is not a current alternative.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	learn.microsoft.com/windows/powertoys/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	learn.microsoft.com/windows/powertoys/install Vendor support
Official site	learn.microsoft.com/windows/powertoys/ Start here, not a random exe host
GitHub releases	aka.ms/installpowertoys Official installer Microsoft documents

Related hardware

Microsoft lists a 64-bit x64 or ARM64 processor. FancyZones wants a working multi-window desktop, not a famous GPU name.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Microsoft PowerToys official site · Vendor product page
Microsoft PowerToys help · Vendor support
PowerToys GitHub · Releases and source
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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