Hands-On Windows 166: PowerToys 2025 Update

Host: Paul Thurrott
Date: November 13, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Hands-On Windows is dedicated to the latest updates in Microsoft's PowerToys for Windows—a suite of free, productivity-boosting tools and utilities. Host Paul Thurrott reviews the improved user interface, his most-used PowerToys features, and spotlights a brand-new, highly requested PowerToy: Light Switch. The episode is designed as both a practical guide for PowerToys enthusiasts and a showcase of how these tools can streamline everyday Windows tasks.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

A Refreshed PowerToys Interface

Timestamp: 01:50 – 03:30

• PowerToys keeps expanding, with frequent new utilities and interface enhancements.
• The main app now features a more streamlined UI, making it easier to enable or disable individual tools.
• Paul demonstrates reviewing the list and managing which tools are active based on his workflow.

Quote:
"If you look at... this is the new front end. So these are all contracted now. But if you open these things up, you can see there's dozens and dozens of utilities in here."
— Paul Thurrott [02:14]

Favorite and Essential PowerToys

Timestamp: 03:30 – 06:24
Paul walks through his go-to PowerToys, focusing on practical, real-world uses:

• Always on Top: Ensures selected windows always float above others.

  • "You can just point to any window and say, no matter what is going on in Windows, this thing is always going to be on top of the other windows, which is fantastic." [03:48]

• Awake: Prevents a PC from sleeping, ideal when multitasking across devices.

• Command Palette: Lets users quickly run apps or scripts, improving workflow speed.

• Find My Mouse: Locates the mouse pointer with a shortcut—especially handy for high-res or multi-monitor setups.

  • "It's this fun little game I play. It's called 'where's my mouse?' And then I use that thing to find that." [04:55]

• Keyboard Manager: Remaps or disables keys—such as repurposing the Copilot key.

  • "If you don't want to use the copilot key... you can map it to do nothing." [05:12]

• Peek: Provides quick file previews without launching full applications, inspired by macOS's 'Quick Look'.

  • "It's kind of, you know, it literally is what it sounds like. It's a preview of something." [05:48]

Paul candidly shares which tools he doesn't use, illustrating the flexibility of customizing PowerToys to individual preferences.

Spotlight: The New “Light Switch” Tool

Timestamp: 11:14 – 15:05
The episode’s key new feature is PowerToys’ Light Switch utility:

• Bridges a longstanding gap in Windows by automating switching between Light and Dark modes based on time or sunrise/sunset.
• Integrates with Windows' location settings to automatically determine local sunrise and sunset.
• Offers granular settings including offsets and differentiated app/system theming.
• Runs quietly in the background, ensuring uninterrupted operation.

Quote:
"Light Switch is what makes this happen automatically. So it's like Night Light but for dark and light mode."
— Paul Thurrott [12:38]

• Allows users to personalize transitions, such as delaying the dark theme to account for ambient light after sunset.

Quote:
"You might not want it to go to dark mode immediately. When the sun sets, there's still ambient light in the sky, etc. You might want it to be 30 minutes later and you can set that here."
— Paul Thurrott [13:44]

• Paul notes some OS elements and legacy dialogs still ignore the theme setting, but this feature is so essential he predicts it will eventually become native to Windows.

Quote:
"Now it works the way Windows should work. And it's hard to imagine this thing not becoming part of Windows in the future..."
— Paul Thurrott [13:40]

Remaining Limitations and Looking Forward

Timestamp: 14:15 – 15:05

• Despite these advances, some Windows system dialogs stubbornly remain in light mode, a frustration that Microsoft is working to remedy in future Windows 11 updates.
• Paul encourages users to get PowerToys for Light Switch alone if they haven't already.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "This is that set of free utilities that Microsoft makes available. You can get it from the Microsoft Store. It keeps growing. It keeps getting better."
  — Paul Thurrott [01:54]

• "I can't believe this isn't part of Windows. But, you know, that's what we get."
  — Paul Thurrott [14:57]

Episode Flow & Timestamps

| Segment | Key Topics & Takeaways | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-------------| | [Intro, ads skipped] | | | | Show Introduction | PowerToys overview, theme for episode | 01:50 | | PowerToys Interface Update | UI improvements, navigating the new front-end | 02:14–03:30 | | Paul’s Most-Used Utilities | Practical demo of essential PowerToys | 03:30–06:24 | | [Ad break – Skipped] | | | | Light Switch Deep Dive | Setup, usage, and impact of the new utility |11:14–13:57 | | Limitations & Windows Future | Remaining quirks, upcoming fixes, closing thoughts | 13:57–15:05 |

Conclusion

Paul Thurrott’s walkthrough of PowerToys 2025 is both a how-to and a passionate endorsement of this evolving collection of tools. The highlight is the arrival of Light Switch, elegantly solving the problem of automatic theme switching—a feature PowerToys users have long clamored for. With its growing list of utilities and continual refinements, PowerToys remains a must-have for Windows power users and casual fans alike.

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