Reviving Historical Utilities for Modern Windows

Having previously cooperated with our team, Microsoft entrusted us to bring PowerToys back. We had to create a version compatible with Windows 10 and newer systems and ensure its stability. This project is vital for Microsoft as it allows them to test and polish features for new Windows releases.

First, we planned to build the Shortcut Guide module. As we progressed, we broadened our scope and also included modules like FancyZones and PowerToys Run. In addition, our role involved setting priorities for issues after each new release, reviewing code contributions from the community, and addressing their special requests.

The development of FancyZones came with its fair share of technical obstacles, especially when dealing with different monitor setups. Some users have identical monitors with the same ID model name, and the monitor manufacturers sometimes don’t provide a unique identifier for each screen. This made it difficult to distinguish between screens, especially when users typically want to set up different zones per screen.

We solved this problem with several iterations. Our team ensured that the custom window layouts remained as users set them, even when they connected or disconnected monitors, restarted their computers, or locked their screens. On top of that, we helped upgrade the open-source launcher project Wox by developing and integrating Command Palette. This project now exists as PowerToys Run, which functions as a mini-app within PowerToys, accepting plugins for different search queries.

Overall, our team achieved a stable experience across user environments and helped deliver around 30 modules during our cooperation with Microsoft.

Managing High-Volume Community Engagement

Running an open-source project means we constantly receive feedback from the community. Users find bugs, suggest new features, and contribute their own code. Therefore, the open-source nature adds a social aspect to this project, which calls for just as much attention as the technical side of PowerToys.

Early Adoption of Microsoft UI Frameworks

In addition, we had the opportunity to work with Microsoft's newest UI frameworks, which was an exciting yet challenging task. Since these frameworks were still in active development, we had to adapt to their evolving specifications and features and think outside the box.

This was a win-win situation, since we also provided detailed feedback on issues we faced, improving their frameworks and streamlining the PowerToys development.

Maintaining Accessibility

Microsoft demands excellent accessibility in all their products, and we put serious efforts to ensure PowerToys performs well for everyone. Accessibility problems received different priority tags, and "priority one" were the most urgent and needed immediate fixes. This made us integrate accessibility thinking into our development process, which significantly helped us introduce accessible solutions on time.