Microsoft Power Toys - PowerToys For Windows 95

PowerToys For Windows 95

This was the first version of Microsoft PowerToys and included many tools for advanced users. One of the best known ones is TweakUI - a tool that is used to customize the user interface and advanced settings in Windows. It does this by modifying the registry. A total of 15 "PowerToys" were included in this package. They include:

• CabView - To open cabinet files like ordinary folders
• CDAutoPlay - To make AutoPlay work on any non-audio CD
• Command Prompt Here - To start a command prompt from any folder in Windows Explorer by right-clicking (native in Windows Vista onwards)
• Contents Menu - To access folders and files from a context menu without having to open their folders
• Desktop Menu- To open items on the desktop from a menu on the Taskbar
• Explore From Here - To open Windows Explorer view from any folder such that that folder acts as the root level folder
• FindX - To add drag-and-drop capabilities to Find (now called Search) menu
• FlexiCD - To play an audio CD from the Taskbar.
• Quick Res - To quickly change the screen resolution
• Round Clock - An analog round clock without a square window
• Send To X - Shell extensions which add several commonly accessed locations such as clipboard, desktop, command-line or any folder to the Send To context menu in Explorer
• Shortcut Target Menu - To access the target file a shortcut is pointing to from the context menu or directly cut, copy, delete the target, create shortcut to the target or view its properties.
• Telephony Location Selector - For mobile computer users to change their dialing location from the Taskbar
• Tweak UI - To customize the user interface, including menu speed, window animation and other settings
• Xmouse 1.2 - To make the window focus follow the mouse without requiring to click the window to make it active

The Windows 95 Power Toys set was developed by the Windows Shell Development Team. Most Windows 95 PowerToys worked correctly up to Windows XP but do not install or work correctly beginning with Windows Vista due to extensive changes to the shell and the introduction of User Account Control. Also, on 64-bit operating systems, these 32-bit shell extensions cannot work.