PowerToys Run and Keyboard Manager
The Keyboard Manager tool allows you to remap keys, while the application launcher, PowerToys Run, brings in intuitive search results. Apart from these, you also have access to Image Resizer, Window Walker, Markdown, SVG Preview PowerToys, Power Renamer, Fancy Zone, Shortcut guide, and more.
1] Keyboard Manager
Launch the PowerToys application, and then select Keyboard Manager from the list. Next, toggle it on to enable it. There are two features here. Remap a Key: If you have a key that is not working or needs to remap, so it is closed to another key, then use this feature. You can select from the dropdown or press on the Type Key button and then press it physically on the keyboard. The key will be captured and registered in the software. Then you can repeat the same for the new key. So next time, when you press the key, it will be replaced. Remap Shortcuts: The first one allows you to remap shortcuts i.e. override existing shortcuts. Click on it, and then on the left select the original shortcut either by selecting from the dropdown or you can simulate it using the “Type Shortcut” button.
Anytime you want to remove them, use the delete button or toggle off the keyboard manager.
2] PowerToys Run Application Launcher
Using this, when you press ALT + Spacebar, it opens a search bar where you can type anything. If it is available on the computer, it will open it. While it is not meant to replace the file search, but I find it works brilliantly for files and folders as well. It can also search for open tabs in any browser running in the background. Open PowerToys Settings, and then enable PowerToys Run. Under Search and results, choose how many results you need, and then a shortcut which opens it. Depending on the search result, you can choose to copy the path of file or app or open it in file explorer to directly access it.
It is a popular feature of macOS and it is a lot better compared to Start Menu as it is less cluttered. All you get is plain search results without any filter, web results, and start menu distractions. I have mostly used this to rename files, and since it can rename multiple files, replace words or alphabets with the one you want, it is one of my must-have tools for any Windows user.
