Microsoft has released PowerToys 0.102, a new version of its open-source utility suite for Windows that adds two mouse tools called Mouse Button Lock and CursorHide, according to the release announcement on the company's Windows Command Line blog.
The update also brings a quick-access shelf to Command Palette, snip dictation in ZoomIt, and command-line tools for automating PowerToys. Version 0.102 is available now through the built-in updater and the PowerToys release page on GitHub.
Mouse Button Lock and CursorHide in PowerToys 0.102
Mouse Button Lock targets long drag and selection operations. Users press and hold a mouse button for a moment and then let go, and Windows keeps treating the button as held until any button is clicked again.
Microsoft names gaming, professional applications with heavy dragging and selection work, and accessibility for users who find it hard to hold a button down for extended periods as the main use cases.
CursorHide hides the mouse pointer while the user types, after a period of inactivity, or both. The pointer returns as soon as the mouse moves.
Both tools build on earlier mouse additions to the suite. PowerToys 0.97 added CursorWrap in January for multi-monitor setups, and Window Hopper arrived in August for switching between an app's windows.
Command Palette Shelf, ZoomIt Dictation and Command-Line Tools
Command Palette, the PowerToys quick launcher, gets an optional quick-access shelf that shows up to nine pinned commands below the search box while the palette is collapsed. Setting it up takes three steps:
- Open Command Palette settings and go to Settings > Appearance > Compact mode.
- Turn on the quick-access shelf and pin frequently used commands, apps, or settings.
- Press Alt+1 through Alt+9 to run a pinned command, or Alt+Shift plus the number to select it without running it.
Other Command Palette changes include fuzzy search in settings, keyboard focus for the dock with Win+Alt+J, support for the Copilot key, and multiple dock clocks with separate time zones.
ZoomIt adds Snip with dictation. With the option enabled, pressing Space while dragging out a snip records a spoken description, which ZoomIt transcribes on the device. A single paste then delivers both the screenshot and the text.
The new command-line tools cover Advanced Paste, Light Switch, Settings, Peek and PowerDisplay. Settings can enable or disable utilities even while PowerToys is not running, and FancyZones, Image Resizer, File Locksmith and PowerDisplay commands now work from any terminal folder.
Keyboard Manager picks up tap-alone remaps, where tapping a key on its own triggers a different action while the key keeps its normal behavior in shortcuts. Large remap lists get search, filters and bulk deletion. Color Picker and Text Extractor move to WinUI 3, and Microsoft says existing shortcuts and settings carry over.
The release notes also list fixes for a File Explorer memory leak in New+ and a memory leak in Settings when switching pages, along with a confirmation prompt in Workspaces before launching an unverified app configured to run as administrator.
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