#PowerPlatformTip 46: 'PowerToys'

TL;DR: Speed up Power Platform work on Windows with Microsoft PowerToys: FancyZones, PowerToys Run, Color Picker, Text Extractor and more.

💡 Challenge

Finding efficient tools compatible with Power Platform development. Maker work is unusually browser- and window-heavy, a canvas app studio, a flow designer, Dataverse table editor, and reference docs are frequently open at once, and none of that is native Windows software, so generic Windows productivity tools don’t always map cleanly onto it.

✅ Solution

Utilize Microsoft PowerToys, a set of utilities that enhance Windows functionality and developer productivity. A handful of its modules line up especially well with the day-to-day mechanics of building in Power Apps and Power Automate.

🔧 How It’s Done

Here’s how to do it:

1. Install and configure FancyZones. 🔸 Simplifies window management with customizable layouts.

   🔸 Ideal for handling multiple Power Platform projects simultaneously.

2. Use PowerToys Run. 🔸 Access apps, documents, and tools quickly with a single keystroke.

   🔸 Enhances overall efficiency by reducing navigation time.

3. Remap keys with Keyboard Manager. 🔸 Create shortcuts tailored to frequently used Power Platform functions.

   🔸 Reduces development time through customized key mappings.

4. Utilize Color Picker. 🔸 Select colors from anywhere on your screen easily.

   🔸 Apply color schemes directly in Power Platform projects.

5. Extract text using Text Extractor. 🔸 Use OCR to capture text from images or videos.

   🔸 Facilitates integration of external data into your solutions.

6. Resize images via Image Resizer. 🔸 Batch resize images directly in File Explorer.

   🔸 Streamlines asset management for Power Platform assets, useful since canvas apps embed images at their original resolution unless you resize them first, and large unoptimized images add directly to app load time and to the app’s storage footprint.

7. Keep long import/export operations from being interrupted with PowerToys Awake. 🔸 Exporting a large solution, running a bulk Dataverse data import, or waiting on a long environment copy can take well past your laptop’s sleep timeout. PowerToys Awake keeps the machine (and the browser tab doing the work) from sleeping mid-operation without you having to change your system power plan and remember to change it back.

🎉 Result

Microsoft PowerToys boosts your productivity and workflow efficiency when working with Power Platform projects.

🌟 Key Advantages

🔸 Customizable window layouts for multitasking.

🔸 Fast access to tools and files.

🔸 Streamlined color and asset management.

🔸 Enhanced keyboard shortcuts and automation.

🔸 Keeps long-running maker operations (solution exports, bulk imports) from being interrupted by sleep, without a manual power-plan change.

Worth being upfront about the ceiling here: PowerToys is a general Windows productivity layer, not a Power Platform-specific tool, so it speeds up how you work around the browser-based studios rather than changing anything inside them.

🛠️ FAQ

1. Is Microsoft PowerToys officially supported by Microsoft?

Yes, PowerToys is an official Microsoft open-source project, regularly updated and maintained by Microsoft developers.

2. Can PowerToys interfere with Power Platform functionality?

No, PowerToys enhances your Windows experience without affecting Power Platform services. All tools work independently of browser-based applications.

3. Which PowerToys feature is most useful for Power Platform development?

FancyZones for window management and Color Picker for UI design are particularly valuable for Power Platform developers working with multiple screens and design elements.

🔗 Related Tips

🔸 #PowerPlatformTip 73: ‘Quick Switch to Maker Mode’ - another small productivity trick, this time a bookmarklet for jumping into edit mode.

🔸 #PowerPlatformTip 119: ‘Web-Based Editing with VS Code’ - a roomier editor for the complex formulas PowerToys’ Text Extractor and Color Picker feed into.