The older generation might remember Microsoft PowerToys. Microsoft released it first for Windows 95 and then later for Windows XP as well. Back in the day, they gave us a few extra settings to customize Windows and a few tools like an image resizer. Two years ago Microsoft decided to resurrect PowerToys. Even better, it made it a open source utility collection for Windows 10.
I find FancyZones indispensable as it fixes one of the biggest flaws of Windows: Window Snap. I might be a bit dramatic, but it has horrible keyboard support and moving windows is pure guesswork. It is that little mental friction which gets exhausting over time. FancyZones allows us to create custom window layouts with overlapping zones. The tool can remap the standard Win+Arrow shortcut, which makes it very intuitive.
I’ve recently got an ultrawide display. FancyZones transformed this hunk of screen real estate into a highly effective canvas. The setting that made all the difference is
Override Window Snap shortcut (Win + Arrow) to move windows between zone
If I’m not mistaken, it’s turned off by default – I highly recommend activating.
PowerToys is actively maintained and every few weeks new features are popping up. It’s like multiple mini Christmases throughout the year. Thank you, open source community.