Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.82.0 and it's chock-full of massive changes

PowerToys updates are always keenly received, and while users are hoping for new utilities every time, even those releases that are focused on "stability and improvements" can be exciting.

The release of PowerToys v.082.0 does not, sadly see the addition of new modules, but it is a big release. The number of bug fixes and tweaks is impressive, but there are also many new options scattered liberally across the suite of utilities.

See also:

• Microsoft releases KB5039302 update to fix the Windows 11 Snipping Tool, restore the Show Desktop button, and more
• Microsoft concedes that a recent update is causing Windows 11 upgrade problems
• Microsoft has an amazing New+ PowerToys module under development for Windows power users

The highlights from this release are difficult to pick out. PowerToys is now such a vast collection that there are few people who will make use of all of its modules. Deciding which changes are most significant is entirely subjective because of differing usage scenarios, but Microsoft daws attention to key updates to PowerRename, Paste As, Color Picker and PowerToys Run:

• New feature added to PowerRename to allow using sequences of random characters and UUIDs when renaming files. Thanks @jhirvioja!
• Improvements in the Paste As JSON feature to better handle other CSV delimiters and converting from ini files. Thanks @htcfreek!
• Fixed UI issues that were reported after upgrading to WPF UI on Color Picker and PowerToys Run.

This is just the start of what to expect from this latest release, though. The full changelog for PowerToysv0.82.0 is huge, with just about every module receiving a significant update:

Advanced Paste

• Fixed an issue causing external applications triggering Advanced Paste. (This was a hotfix for 0.81)
• Added a GPO rule to disallow using online models in Advanced Paste. (This was a hotfix for 0.81)
• Improved CSV delimiter handling and plain text parsing for the Paste as JSON feature. Thanks @htcfreek!
• Added support to convert from ini in the Paste as JSON feature. Thanks @htcfreek!
• Fixed a memory leak caused by images not being properly cleaned out from clipboard history.
• Added an option to hide the UI when it loses focus. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Improved telemetry to get better data about token usage and if clipboard history is a popular feature. Thanks @craigloewen-msft!

Color Picker

• Fixed the opaque background corners in the picker that were introduced after the upgrade to WPFUI.

Developer Files Preview (Monaco)

• Improved the syntax highlight for .gitignore files. Thanks @PesBandi!
• Checking for the sticky scroll option in code behind was being done twice. Removed one of the checks. Thanks @downarowiczd!

Environment Variables Editor

• Added clarity to the UI section tooltips. Thanks @anson-poon!

File Explorer add-ons

• Fixed a crash when the preview handlers received a 64-bit handle from the OS. Thanks @z4pf1sh!
• Fixed a crash when trying to update window bounds and File Explorer already disposed the preview.

Find My Mouse

• Added the option to have to use the Windows + Control keys to activate. Thanks @Gentoli!

Hosts File Editor

• Improved spacing definitions in the UI so that hosts name are not hidden when resizing and icons are well aligned. Thanks @htcfreek!
• Changed the additional lines dialog to show the horizontal scrollbar instead of wrapping contents. Thanks @htcfreek!
• Improved the duplication check's logic to improve performance and take into account features that were introduced after it. Thanks @davidegiacometti!

Installer

• Fixed the remaining install failures when the folders the DSC module is to be installed in isn't accessible by the WiX installer for user scope installations.
• Fixed an issue causing ARM 64 uninstall process to not correctly finding powershell 7 to run uninstall scripts.

Peek

• Prevent activating Peek when the user is renaming a file. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Added support to preview special folders like Recycle Bin and My PC instead of throwing an error.
• Fixed a crash caused by double releasing a COM object from the module interface.

Power Rename

• Improved apostrophe character handling for the Capitalize and Titlecase renaming flags. Thanks @anthonymonforte!
• Added a feature to allow using sequences of random characters or UUIDs when renaming files. Thanks @jhirvioja!

PowerToys Run

• Improved the plugin descriptions for consistency in the UI. Thanks @HydroH!
• Fixed UI scaling for different dpi scenarios.
• Fixed crash on a racing condition when updating UWP icon paths in the Program plugin. Thanks @davidegiacometti!
• Fixed PowerToys Run hanging when trying to close an unresponsive window in the WindowWalker plugin. Thanks @GhostVaibhav!
• Fixed the example in the UnitConverter description to reduce confusion with the inches abbreviation (now uses "to" instead of "in"). Thanks @acekirkpatrick!
• Brought the acrylic background back and applied a proper fix to the titlebar accent showing through transparency.
• Fixed an issue causing the transparency from the UI disappearing after some time.

Quick Accent

• Added support for the Crimean Tatar character set. Thanks @cor-bee!
• Added the Numero symbol and double acute accent character. Thanks @PesBandi!
• Added the International Phonetic Alphabet characters. Thanks @PesBandi!
• Fixed the character description center positioning. Thanks @PesBandi!
• Added feminine and masculine ordinal indicator characters to the Portuguese character set. Thanks @octastylos-pseudodipteros!

Screen Ruler

• Updated the default activation hotkey to Win+Control+Shift+M, in order to not conflict with the Windows shortcut that restores minimized windows (Win+Shift+M). Thanks @nx-frost!

Settings

• Disabled the UI to enable/disable clipboard history in the Advanced Paste settings page when clipboard history is disabled by GPO in the system. (This was a hotfix for 0.81)
• Updated Advanced Paste's Settings and OOBE page to clarify that the AI use is optional and opt-in. (This was a hotfix for 0.81)
• Corrected a spelling fix in Advanced Paste's settings page. Thanks @htcfreek!
• Added localization support for the "Configure OpenAI Key" button in Advanced Paste's settings page. Thanks @zetaloop!
• Fixed extra GPO warnings being shown in Advanced Paste's settings page even if the module is disabled. Thanks @htcfreek!
• Fixed a crash when a PowerToys Run plugin icon path is badly formed.
• Disabled the experimentation paths in code behind to improve performance, since there's no current experimentation going on.

Documentation

• Adjusted the readme and release notes to clarify use of AI on Advanced Paste. (This was a hotfix for 0.81)
• Added the Edge Workspaces plugin to PowerToys Run thirdPartyRunPlugins.md docs. Thanks @quachpas!
• Removed the deprecated Guid plugin from PowerToys Run thirdPartyRunPlugins.md docs. Thanks @abduljawada!
• Added the PowerHexInspector plugin to PowerToys Run thirdPartyRunPlugins.md docs. Thanks @NaroZeol!
• Fixed a broken link in the communication-with-modules.md file. Thanks @PesBandi!
• Updated COMMUNITY.md with missing and former members.

Development

• Fixed ci UI tests to point to the correct Visual Studio vstest location after a Visual Studio upgrade. (This was a hotfix for 0.81)
• Updated System.Drawing.Common to 8.0.6 to fix CI builds after the .NET 8.0.6 upgrade was released.
• Removed an incorrect file reference to long removed documentation from the solution file. Thanks @Kissaki!
• Upgraded Windows App SDK to 1.5.3.
• Removed use of the BinaryFormatter API from Mouse Without Borders, which is expected to be deprecated in .NET 9.
• The user scope installer is now sent to the Microsoft store instead of the machine scope installer.
• Refactored Mouse Jump's internal code to allow for a future introduction of customizable appearance features. Thanks @mikeclayton!
• Removed a noisy error from spell check ci runs.
• Improved the ci agent pool selection code.
• Updated Xamlstyler.console to 3.2404.2. Thanks @Jvr2022!
• Updated UnitsNet to 5.50.0 Thanks @Jvr2022!
• Replaced LPINPUT with std::vector of INPUT instances in Keyboard Manager internal code. Thanks @masaru-iritani!
• Improved the Microsoft Store submission ci action to use the proper cli and authentication.

You can download PowerToys v0.82.0 here.