PowerToys 0.85 Release: New Utility, Language Selection, and Major Improvements

PowerToys 0.85 is now available for download. Microsoft has launched a new version of its acclaimed suite of utilities for Windows 10 and Windows 11, introducing the highly anticipated New+ utility, the option to select the UI language independently of Windows localization, and numerous quality-of-life enhancements for existing modules, particularly for Workspaces.

Here are the key highlights from this update:

• New Utility: New+ – This feature allows users to establish a personalized set of templates for swiftly creating files and folders directly from the File Explorer context menu. Thanks to @cgaarden!
• Language Selection – Users can now independently select which UI language PowerToys utilities will utilize.
• Numerous quality fixes for Workspaces, enhancing the support for more applications.
• Memory usage for Peek has been reduced by addressing image leaks. Thanks to @daverayment!

Below is the comprehensive changelog:

General

• A general setting has been added to choose the desired UI language for PowerToys utilities.
• Corrected the internal code for certain policies within Group Policy Objects, which previously read registry entries using incorrect internal functions, and improved code structure to prevent similar future errors.

Advanced Paste

• Fixed telemetry calls to indicate Advanced Paste activation when using a direct shortcut without displaying the UI.
• User-defined custom actions are now only available when AI is enabled; hence, they were disabled in Settings when AI is off and hidden from the Advanced Paste UI.

Awake

• Resolved issues with tray icon behavior; it now appears correctly and displays the right time.

Environment Variables Editor

• Added variables _NT_SYMBOL_PATH, _NT_ALT_SYMBOL_PATH, and _NT_SYMCACHE_PATH to be displayed as lists.

FancyZones

• Allow apps launched by Workspaces to snap effectively.

File Locksmith

• Fixed a bug where File Locksmith was triggered by unrelated context menu commands.

Mouse Pointer Crosshairs

• Enabled crosshairs to have a radius of 0 pixels.

New+

• This new utility allows users to set a tailored collection of templates for quickly creating files and folders from the File Explorer context menu.
• Added a missing entry for New+ policy state reporting in the Bug Report tool.
• Introduced a policy to enable or disable the visibility of filename extensions.

Peek

• Correctly displays the file’s modified date instead of the creation date in the file previewer.
• Fixed a memory leak caused by unmanaged bitmap images not being released.
• Resolved an issue where Peek did not display upon the first use of a preview handler for files.
• Prevented tooltip in the file previewer from overlapping with title bar controls.
• Addressed memory leaks in thumbnails and refined the image previewer.

PowerToys Run

• Enhanced message boxes to provide more clarity when PowerToys Run fails to initialize or when a plugin encounters issues.
• Results in the Unit Converter plugin now display in capital letters.

Quick Accent

• Introduced the Middle Eastern Romanization character set.
• Added the degree sign, integral, and vertical ellipsis for “All Languages”selection.

Settings

• Fixed the link to the Workspaces documentation. (This was a hotfix for version 0.84)
• Resolved flyout issues following the Windows App SDK upgrade.
• Fixed the initialization of the New+ settings page.
• Corrected the enabled state of a control on the New+ settings page based on module policy.
• Prevented crashes when canceling the template folder selection in the New+ settings page.

Workspaces

• Fixed detection and snapping issues for applications like Discord. (This was a hotfix for version 0.84)
• Resolved detection and snapping issues for applications like Steam. (This was a hotfix for version 0.84)
• Addressed button visibility problems within the UI. (This was a hotfix for version 0.84)
• Fixed an issue where the wrong project was launched if the editor was closed without saving or canceling.
• Improved handling for repositioning windows running as administrator.
• Addressed scenarios where a saved workspace’s monitor was no longer present.
• Fixed the workspace launcher from restarting in a loop without success.
• Handled standalone applications more effectively.
• Corrected problems that caused icons not to display.

If you’re already using PowerToys, you can update to version 0.85 by launching the app and selecting “Check for updates”in the General tab. Alternatively, you can download the installer from GitHub or obtain it via the Microsoft Store.

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