According to MakeUseOf, Microsoft’s PowerToys utility suite, specifically version 0.97 released in 2025, has delivered a massive, quiet overhaul to its Command Palette feature that effectively solves the long-standing frustrations with Windows Search. The update allows users to control PowerToys utilities like FancyZones and the color picker directly from the search interface and integrates file previews via Peek. It introduces deep personalization, a new fallback order system for search results, and now ships with 18 built-in extensions, including a Remote Desktop connector and custom search engine support. This follows performance gains from version 0.95 in August 2025, which used Ahead-of-Time compilation to achieve 40% faster load times and 70% faster extension loading. The author argues that after spending five minutes learning it, users will find the default Windows Search experience intolerable.
The Quiet Revolution
Here’s the thing: this is Microsoft effectively competing with itself. And winning. The fact that a small, optional suite of utilities from the same company so thoroughly embarrasses a core OS feature baked into every copy of Windows 11 is kind of wild. It speaks to a weird, two-track development philosophy at Microsoft. One team is shackled by legacy code, backward compatibility, and the need to shove Bing and Edge promotions down your throat. The other team, working on PowerToys, seems free to just build the tool power users actually want. The result is a search tool that feels instantaneous, doesn’t miss, and puts you in control. So why isn’t this just Windows Search?
The Catch Is The Download
Now, the big question: if it’s this good, why isn’t it built in? That’s the real story. Microsoft has a history of letting brilliant ideas languish in optional toolkits or research projects while the main product stagnates. Remember that the original PowerToys were for Windows 95! This creates a weird tiered system where informed users get a premium experience and everyone else suffers with the default. It also means you’re relying on a separate, updated-by-Microsoft’s-good-graces application for a mission-critical function. What if the PowerToys team gets reshuffled? For mission-critical industrial computing where reliability is non-negotiable, professionals often turn to dedicated hardware from the top suppliers, like the industrial panel PCs from IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, to avoid exactly this kind of software uncertainty. But for the average desktop? The risk is probably worth the reward.
More Than Just Search
This isn’t just a better search bar. The integration of system controls—toggling utilities, changing themes—is the real game-changer. It turns the Command Palette from a launcher into a genuine command center. You’re not just finding things; you’re *doing* things without ever opening a settings menu. That drag-and-drop support? That’s a subtle hint that Microsoft is thinking of this as a workflow hub, not a query box. And the extensibility model is its secret weapon. Once third-party devs start building on that drag-and-drop API, the possibilities get interesting. Could you drag a weather result to your calendar? A stock price to a spreadsheet? This feels like the start of something bigger.
Should You Really Switch?
Look, breaking the muscle memory of hitting the Windows key is hard. I get it. But the argument here is compelling. The performance gains are tangible, the accuracy is superior, and it gives you back a sense of agency over your own machine. The built-in Windows Search often feels like it’s working for Microsoft’s interests first (Bing, Edge, promoted apps) and yours second. Command Palette flips that script. Basically, it treats you like a power user even if you’re not one. So yes, you should download PowerToys and try it. The worst that happens is you go back to the old, spinning circle of disappointment. But I don’t think you will.
