Microsoft have released PowerToys for Windows XP– a set of utilities that extend the Windows interface. Check out some of these tools that could increase productivity in your day.

Some tools Microsoft developers make never see the light of day in major releases of Windows. They may not be fit for the general market for the OS or they simply didn’t include them at the time of shipping. Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP is a set of 10 utilities that are a mix of new and older updated utilities released for previous versions of PowerToys for Windows.

Download the free tools

PowerToys for Windows XP can be downloaded via the Microsoft Web site. Each PowerToy will need to be downloaded and installed individually. If you choose not to use a PowerToy once installed you can remove it via the Microsoft XP Add/Remove function in the control panel.

Important note

Make sure you test these utilities before installing them widespread on systems as PowerToys for Windows XP is not supported by Microsoft.

PowerToys for Windows XP include:

Open Command Window Here

This PowerToy allows users to right-click on a folder and select “Open Command Window Here” that will open up the command line directly at the folder highlighted.

Power Calculator

If you are not getting enough out of the calculator included in XP you may want to try this PowerToy. It enables users to graph, use extended functions and perform conversions.

Alt-Tab Replacement

This Alt-Tab replacement will allow users to view a preview of applications open before selecting them.

CD Slide Show Generator

This utility will create a slide show of your pictures that were burned to a CD.

Tweak UI

This utility will give users the power to change some of the hidden setting that cannot be seen via the XP GUI.

Virtual Desktop Manager

This PowerToy allows users to run up to four desktops, which will be a familiar feature to Linux desktop users.

Image Resizer

This image resizer will allow users to right-click and change the size of a picture without changing the original.

Webcam Timershot

This will take pictures at a specified time from your digital camera connected to your computer and saves them to a folder of your choice.

Taskbar Magnifier

This will magnify the screen via the task bar.

HTML Slide Show Wizard

This utility creates slide shows of pictures saved on your hard drive and converts them to HTML via a wizard.