Microsoft is launching a big copy and paste update – but only for some users
>
A major copy-and-paste shakeup is on the way for some Windows users, which might make them breathe a sigh of relief.
The company has announced that it will bring the “paste as plain text” option to Windows 11 and Windows 10 apps with PowerToys, giving users of the open source platform a much smoother experience when copying information.
Previously, PowerToys users were somewhat hampered by the lack of a full paste feature, which allowed users to simply copy text as is, without preserving any formatting such as size, color, or other differences.
Copy and paste PowerToys
The update was discovered in a Github post (opens in new tab)where the responsible developers outlined how the feature, triggered by the familiar Ctrl+Win+V keystrokes (although users can customize and create their own custom shortcut), will work in any app where PowerToys works.
“This is based heavily on the work done for the ‘Text Extractor’ module and then extracting anything that may not be needed. The same KeyboardMonitor is implemented and used,” the developers said.
“The interesting logic is really in the KeyboardMonitor, because that’s where the clipboard is opened/read/modified and then a ctrl+v input string is injected.”
There’s no news on when the Paste as Plain Text tool will roll out, but given the number of PowerToys users who have requested it, the launch could start soon.
PowerToys is an open source suite of tools for advanced Windows users, designed to bypass certain settings and perform actions that are not available by default. It also offers a wider range of customization options.
Since its relaunch in 2019, Microsoft has regularly maintained PowerToys with new tools and features, a pattern that has expanded with the latest release.
Another PowerToys update earlier in 2022 also included several useful additions, including an “Always on Top” utility that allows users to switch a window in focus to be on top with a quick press of Win + Ctrl + T. Microsoft also changed the keyboard shortcut to mute your webcam and microphone from Win + N to Win + Shift + Q to avoid conflicts with an existing Windows 11 keyboard shortcut.
The latest version of PowerToys is available through both the Microsoft Store (opens in new tab) and the GitHub page (opens in new tab).
Through: Newwin (opens in new tab)