When Microsoft released the first version of the OS Windows in 1985 no one foresaw that in a matter of a few decades hundreds of millions of people would be using it daily. Many of us couldn’t live or work without it.
The environment has rivaled Linux and MacOS for years, but it has always been the winning horse in a race that may seem like three, but has only one king. For very good versions of Linux and macOS that they were launched, windows gained in number of users.
For you, who are immersed in the operating system more than 8 hours a day, there are a number of free windows 11 tools that can make your life much easier from now on.
5 free tools for Windows 11
The best free tools for windows 11 that you can find today are:
1. PowerToys FancyZone: Create Your Own Window Layouts: If you’re looking for very custom windowing options, like setting up a quick window zone that’s exactly the width of two Tweetdeck columns, you’ll need something powerful, like UltraMon.
But if you don’t need the bunch of UltraMon features, there is an official plugin from Microsoft that can do this for free. The latest version of PowerToys includes a tool called FancyZonesamong many others.
It allows you to create custom window layouts to quickly organize programs on your monitor. And it works great in multi-monitor setups, too.
2. SharpKeys: Reprogram any keyboard: If you have a full-size keyboard, chances are there are at least one or two keys that you never use. When was the last time you had to search for a rare key? If you prefer to associate them with something more useful, like multimedia controls, SharpKeys by RandyRants is your solution.
SharpKeys modifies Windows Registry files to permanently remap keys. So unlike, say, a programming tool for a specific Razer keyboard, this software will work on a laptop and any third-party keyboards you plug in.
You only have to save settings, reboot and you’re done. I use it to disable Caps Lock (which I never use) and change the Page Up, Page Down, and Home buttons to Volume Up/Down and Mute, respectively.
3. MiniBin: Remove the recycle bin from the desktop: How often do you use your recycle bin? And it is that many people hardly use it. So why does that icon need a dedicated spot on your desktop? If you want to get it out of the way, take a look at MiniBin of e-sushi.
This little tool reproduces the recycle bin as a taskbar icon in the notification area. The icon shows you roughly how full it is, and you can right-click to open or empty the recycle bin.
4. SpaceSniffer: Locate the files clogging your hard drive: Managing the storage space of your computer is difficult. Windows will tell you how much space is left on your hard drive, and that’s it; it’s up to you to dive into a million different directories and clean up the junk when you’re running out of space.
space sniffer solve this problem by scanning an entire drive and presenting your files and folders in a visual grid. Since each directory takes up proportional space on the screen, it’s easy to see where big programs and media files are hiding.
Can delete unwanted folders directly in the program, and delete them without opening a file explorer. It’s a great way to clean up hard drive space quickly.
5. SoundSwitch: Quickly switch between sound devices with a key command: Windows is still not good at managing more than one sound device. Even in Windows 11, it takes at least three clicks to switch, for example, from laptop speakers to Bluetooth headphones.
This can be a hassle if you’re switching between speakers and headphones on a regular basis for work meetings. sound switch, from developer Antoine Aflalo, fixes it. Once installed, the little program sits in the toolbar, waiting for you to type a keyboard shortcut.
When you do, it will switch between any number of sound devices, without needing to dig through the cumbersome sound menu. And, with this last tool, you would already have Windows 11 in the best shape to get all the performance out of it.
