Boost Development Productivity: Windows Latest Tools and Tips

Session Date: May 22, 2025
Duration: 1 hour
Venue: Microsoft Build 2025 Conference - Session BRK226
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon (Senior Product Manager, Microsoft), Craig Loewen (Senior Product Manager, Microsoft), Larry Osterman (Principal Software Design Engineer, Microsoft)
Link: Microsoft Build 2025 Session BRK226

Introduction and Session Overview
PowerToys Enhanced Utilities Suite
- 2.1. ZoomIt Integration
- 2.2. Advanced Paste AI-Powered Clipboard Enhancement
- 2.3. Media Format Conversion Capabilities
Command Palette Next-Generation Launcher
- 3.1. Evolution from PowerToys Run
- 3.2. Core Features and Functionality
- 3.3. Live Extension Development
Windows Built-in Text Editor “Edit”
- 4.1. Console-Based Editing Solution
- 4.2. Performance and Large File Handling
- 4.3. Open Source Development
Windows Settings Improvements
- 5.1. Developer Settings Reorganization
- 5.2. File Explorer Git Integration
- 5.3. Advanced Features Access
WinGet Configuration Management
- 6.1. Export and Import System Configuration
- 6.2. Desired State Configuration DSC v3
Windows Terminal Enhancements
- 7.1. User Interface Improvements
- 7.2. Path Translation Features
Windows Subsystem for Linux Open Source
- 8.1. Community and Ecosystem Impact
- 8.2. Developer Workflow Integration

1. Introduction and Session Overview

Timeframe: 00:00:00 - 00:02:30 (2m 30s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon

The session opens with Kayla Cinnamon establishing the focus on Windows developer productivity tools. She introduces the comprehensive suite of tools the team maintains, including PowerToys, Windows Terminal, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), WinGet package manager, and various Windows enhancements.

Cinnamon emphasizes that the session will be “entirely live demos” with “three friends showing cool stuff,” setting an informal, demonstration-heavy tone. The team’s philosophy centers on making Windows “that much more delightful” for developers through integrated utilities and workflow improvements.

The session structure is outlined as covering PowerToys updates, Command Palette extensibility with live extension creation, Windows improvements, and command-line enhancements, reflecting the team’s comprehensive approach to developer experience optimization.

2. PowerToys Enhanced Utilities Suite

Timeframe: 00:02:30 - 00:15:45 (13m 15s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Craig Loewen

2.1. ZoomIt Integration

Timeframe: 00:02:30 - 00:04:00 (1m 30s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Craig Loewen

The latest PowerToys integration brings ZoomIt, the popular screen annotation tool from SysInternals, directly into the PowerToys package. This integration eliminates the need for separate installation while maintaining full open-source availability.

Key benefits include:

Bundled experience - No separate installation required
Live annotation capabilities during presentations and demonstrations
Seamless PowerToys integration with consistent user experience
Conflict prevention - Users should run only one ZoomIt instance to avoid conflicts

Craig Loewen emphasizes the utility’s value for screen sharing and code demonstrations, noting its frequent use throughout the session.

2.2. Advanced Paste AI-Powered Clipboard Enhancement

Timeframe: 00:04:00 - 00:12:30 (8m 30s)
Speakers: Craig Loewen, Kayla Cinnamon

Advanced Paste represents a significant evolution in clipboard functionality, combining AI capabilities with local Windows APIs. The utility launches with Shift + Windows + V and provides intelligent content transformation.

Core Capabilities Demonstrated:

HTML to Markdown conversion - GitHub issue content automatically formatted
CSV to Markdown table transformation with custom formatting requests
AI agent integration for complex multi-step operations
Image OCR extraction - Serial numbers from images converted to files
Intelligent content chaining - Multiple transformation steps in single operations

Technical Implementation: The system uses AI agents that intelligently analyze clipboard content, determine appropriate transformations, and execute multi-step workflows. For example, when copying an image containing a serial number, the AI automatically:

Detects image content on clipboard
Performs OCR text extraction
Identifies and isolates the serial number
Creates a text file with the extracted content
Places the file in File Explorer

Loewen demonstrates the audit trail functionality, showing how the system logs all operations while maintaining privacy by redacting user requests. The approach mirrors Model Context Protocol (MCP) concepts, bringing agentic experiences to Windows workflows.

2.3. Media Format Conversion Capabilities

Timeframe: 00:12:30 - 00:15:45 (3m 15s)
Speakers: Craig Loewen, Kayla Cinnamon

Advanced Paste extends beyond AI to include media format conversion using built-in Windows APIs. This functionality seamlessly blends AI capabilities with local processing power.

Media Conversion Features:

MOV to MP4 conversion - Mobile video format compatibility
Video to MP3 extraction - Audio extraction from video files
Built-in Windows API utilization - No external dependencies required
Seamless workflow integration - Format conversion within paste operations

Cinnamon notes the practical value, mentioning using the feature “last week” for real work scenarios, particularly when dealing with mobile device content in unsupported formats.

3. Command Palette Next-Generation Launcher

Timeframe: 00:15:45 - 00:35:20 (19m 35s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Craig Loewen

3.1. Evolution from PowerToys Run

Timeframe: 00:15:45 - 00:18:30 (2m 45s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon

Command Palette represents a complete architectural rebuild of PowerToys Run, driven by the top user request for extensibility. Rather than retrofitting the existing codebase, the team chose to “start fresh and focus on performance along with extensibility.”

The new implementation addresses fundamental limitations:

Ground-up performance optimization for speed-of-thought responsiveness
Extensibility framework built into the core architecture
Windows + R replacement capability with enhanced functionality
Progressive enhancement maintaining familiar user workflows

Cinnamon emphasizes the performance goal: “Our whole goal is to go faster than the speed of thought,” reflecting the team’s focus on eliminating friction in developer workflows.

3.2. Core Features and Functionality

Timeframe: 00:18:30 - 00:25:00 (6m 30s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Craig Loewen

Command Palette ships with comprehensive pre-installed functionality:

Application Launcher:

Instant app search with keyboard-driven navigation
Run commands integration - Full Windows Run dialog replacement
File search capabilities with intelligent indexing

Bookmark System:

URL and file path support - Mixed content type bookmarks
Quick access to documentation and project folders
Dev Drive integration - Direct access to development environments

WinGet Integration:

Package search interface - GUI alternative to command-line WinGet
Markdown preview - Package descriptions, publisher information
Informed decision making - Complete package details before installation

Community Extension Ecosystem: Extensions are distributed through the WinGet repository with specific metadata marking them as Command Palette compatible. This approach leverages existing package management infrastructure while maintaining discoverability.

3.3. Live Extension Development

Timeframe: 00:25:00 - 00:35:20 (10m 20s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Craig Loewen

The session includes a complete live extension development demonstration, showcasing the full development workflow.

Extension Creation Process:

Built-in scaffolding - Command Palette includes extension creation functionality
Project setup - Automated folder and file structure generation
Visual Studio integration - Direct solution file opening and debugging
ARM64 support - Modern hardware compatibility
Immediate deployment - Extensions available instantly after build

Performance Monitor Extension Example: Craig Loewen demonstrates a completed extension providing:

CPU and memory monitoring - Real-time system resource display
Process information - Top resource-consuming applications
Full debugging support - Breakpoints and step-through debugging
Live data access - Real-time system information integration

Developer Experience Highlights:

Comprehensive documentation - API references and namespace declarations
Development environment integration - Full Visual Studio debugging support
Community contribution model - WinGet repository distribution
Iterative development - Hot reload and immediate testing capabilities

The demonstration proves the extensibility framework’s maturity and developer-friendliness, fulfilling the top user request while maintaining high performance standards.

4. Windows Built-in Text Editor “Edit”

Timeframe: 00:35:20 - 00:45:00 (9m 40s)
Speakers: Larry Osterman, Kayla Cinnamon

4.1. Console-Based Editing Solution

Timeframe: 00:35:20 - 00:40:30 (5m 10s)
Speakers: Larry Osterman

Larry Osterman introduces Edit as a solution to a fundamental developer workflow disruption. The problem: editing configuration files breaks command-line context, forcing developers to switch applications and lose focus.

Core Design Philosophy:

Windows-familiar interface - Standard File/Edit menus and keyboard shortcuts
No learning curve - File → Exit instead of cryptic command sequences
Context preservation - Editing without leaving command-line environment
Standard functionality - Mouse support, scrolling, familiar operations

Osterman emphasizes the workflow benefits: “It doesn’t break my flow, and that’s a big deal for me… I don’t have to remember control W, Q, exclamation point, X, S, C, magic.”

Interface Features:

Standard Windows menus - File, Edit, View with familiar commands
Keyboard and mouse support - Full input method compatibility
Search functionality - Ctrl+F familiar experience
Word wrap and formatting - Text presentation options

4.2. Performance and Large File Handling

Timeframe: 00:40:30 - 00:42:30 (2m 00s)
Speakers: Larry Osterman

Edit implements sophisticated performance optimizations for handling large files, a critical requirement for developer workflows involving log files and large datasets.

Smart Loading Technology:

Partial file reading - Only loads visible content portions
Instant startup - 100MB+ files load immediately
Dynamic memory management - Memory usage scales with displayed content
Responsive scrolling - Smooth navigation through large files

Dynamic Interface Adaptation:

Console window resizing - Automatic adjustment to terminal changes
Real-time adaptation - Interface scales dynamically with window size
Seamless integration - Behaves as native console application

Practical Use Cases: Osterman shares real-world applications including protocol sequence decoding and log file analysis, positioning Edit as both a configuration editor and general-purpose development tool.

4.3. Open Source Development

Timeframe: 00:42:30 - 00:45:00 (2m 30s)
Speakers: Larry Osterman, Kayla Cinnamon

Edit follows Microsoft’s open source commitment with active community engagement and development.

Community Engagement:

GitHub repository - github.com/MicrosoftEdit with active contribution
Community contributions - Issues, pull requests, and feature requests welcomed
Developer roadmap - Long-term feature planning with community input
Rapid adoption - Active community development within days of release

Distribution and Availability:

GitHub releases - Available immediately for download
Future Windows integration - Coming as built-in Windows component
Developer adoption - Osterman uses it across all development machines

The open source approach enables community-driven enhancement while maintaining Microsoft’s quality and integration standards.

5. Windows Settings Improvements

Timeframe: 00:45:00 - 00:55:30 (10m 30s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Larry Osterman

5.1. Developer Settings Reorganization

Timeframe: 00:45:00 - 00:48:00 (3m 00s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Larry Osterman

Windows Settings receives a significant reorganization focused on improving discoverability and accessibility of advanced features. The “For Developers” page becomes “Advanced” while maintaining backward compatibility.

Redesign Rationale:

Broader applicability - Features useful beyond developers
Improved discoverability - Advanced users can find relevant features
Maintained compatibility - Search terms and deep linking preserved
Reorganized layout - Popular features prominently displayed

Fan Favorite Features:

End Task Integration:

Context menu access - Right-click process termination without Task Manager
Workflow preservation - No application switching required
Immediate action - Direct process management from interface

Long Paths Support:

Registry key automation - One-click maximum path limitation removal
Developer workflow support - Long file and folder name compatibility
Simplified access - No manual registry editing required

5.2. File Explorer Git Integration

Timeframe: 00:48:00 - 00:52:30 (4m 30s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Larry Osterman

File Explorer gains native Git repository awareness through Windows Insider channels, providing integrated version control information directly in the file system interface.

Git Integration Features:

Repository detection - Automatic Git repository identification
Branch information - Current branch display in status bar
File status indicators - Modified, committed, staged file visualization
Column integration - Native File Explorer column enhancement
Diff information - Changes between branch and origin display

Technical Implementation:

Open source component - Powered by Windows Advanced Settings
Native integration - Built into File Explorer core functionality
Windows Insider availability - Dev and Beta channel distribution

Developer Benefits: Osterman expresses enthusiasm: “Oh, wow, you’ve just eliminated, like, half of the reasons why I ever go to GitHub. Because looking up this history, seeing what the state of my current repo is…”

The integration provides immediate repository status awareness, reducing context switching between File Explorer and Git tools.

5.3. Advanced Features Access

Timeframe: 00:52:30 - 00:55:30 (3m 00s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Larry Osterman

The Advanced settings page centralizes previously scattered developer and power user features into a cohesive interface.

Virtual Workspace Management:

Hyper-V enablement - Single-click virtualization activation
Windows Sandbox access - Isolated environment setup
Planned WSL integration - Future centralized Linux environment management

Development Environment Features:

Default Terminal configuration - Terminal Canary and other options
Sudo support - Direct command-line elevation capabilities
Dev Drive creation - High-performance developer storage setup

Osterman appreciates the centralization: “It’s so lovely to have this thing just centralized in a place where you can find all of these settings” rather than searching through the often-renamed Windows Features dialog.

6. WinGet Configuration Management

Timeframe: 00:55:30 - 01:02:00 (6m 30s)
Speakers: Larry Osterman, Kayla Cinnamon

6.1. Export and Import System Configuration

Timeframe: 00:55:30 - 00:58:30 (3m 00s)
Speakers: Larry Osterman

WinGet configuration management enables complete system state capture and restoration, supporting team standardization and environment consistency.

Configuration Export Capabilities:

winget configure export

System State Capture:

Complete application inventory - All installed applications and versions
System settings preservation - Configuration preferences and customizations
PowerShell script integration - Dynamic configuration detection and application
Team standardization - Shared configuration files for consistent environments

Live Demonstration: Larry Osterman demonstrates the complete workflow by changing system themes (dark to light mode) and showing how configuration export captures these changes for later restoration.

6.2. Desired State Configuration DSC v3

Timeframe: 00:58:30 - 01:02:00 (3m 30s)
Speakers: Larry Osterman, Kayla Cinnamon

DSC v3 extends beyond application installation to comprehensive system configuration management, enabling declarative infrastructure approaches.

Advanced Configuration Features:

Application-specific settings - Beyond installation to configuration management
Visual preferences - Progress bar themes, interface customizations
Registry and system settings - Dark/light mode, advanced Windows preferences
Validation and skipping - Intelligence to avoid reinstalling existing components

Hands-Free Environment Setup: The demonstration shows automated team environment configuration with:

Complete automation - No user interaction required during setup
Intelligent detection - Skip already-configured components
Settings synchronization - Complete environment replication across machines
Team consistency - Standardized development environments through shared configuration

The approach enables Infrastructure as Code principles for Windows development environments, supporting DevOps workflows and team standardization initiatives.

7. Windows Terminal Enhancements

Timeframe: 01:02:00 - 01:08:30 (6m 30s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Larry Osterman, Craig Loewen

7.1. User Interface Improvements

Timeframe: 01:02:00 - 01:05:00 (3m 00s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Larry Osterman

Windows Terminal receives significant user interface enhancements focused on profile management and organization, available in Terminal Canary.

Tab Menu Customization:

Visual drag-and-drop - Rearrange profiles without JSON editing
Folder organization - Group related profiles (WSL distros, development environments)
Separator support - Visual organization of favorite profiles
Intuitive management - No manual configuration file editing required

Larry Osterman’s reaction: “Finally! It’s just like I’ve wanted this feature for, like, forever” demonstrates the long-standing user demand for these organizational capabilities.

7.2. Path Translation Features

Timeframe: 01:05:00 - 01:08:30 (3m 30s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Larry Osterman, Craig Loewen

Terminal introduces automatic path translation for seamless cross-platform file system navigation, particularly benefiting WSL workflows.

Automatic Path Conversion:

Slash orientation - Windows backslashes automatically convert to Linux forward slashes
Drive letter mapping - D: automatically becomes /mnt/d/ for WSL compatibility
WSL auto-detection - Enabled by default for Linux distribution profiles
Drag-and-drop enhancement - Seamless file path integration across environments

Cross-Platform Integration: The demonstration shows dragging a Windows file path into a WSL terminal session, with automatic conversion to proper Linux path format including mount point translation.

Craig Loewen emphasizes the user experience: “It all feels like the same machine. You don’t have to worry: Am I in Windows? Am I in Linux? You can just drag and drop files over. It just works.”

8. Windows Subsystem for Linux Open Source

Timeframe: 01:08:30 - 01:15:00 (6m 30s)
Speakers: Craig Loewen, Larry Osterman

8.1. Community and Ecosystem Impact

Timeframe: 01:08:30 - 01:12:00 (3m 30s)
Speakers: Craig Loewen

Craig Loewen announces WSL’s transition to fully open source, representing a major milestone in Microsoft’s open source commitment and community engagement strategy.

Major Announcement: WSL is now fully open source

Repository: github.com/Microsoft/WSL
Documentation Hub: wsl.dev
Community contributions welcomed and encouraged

Partner Ecosystem Expansion:

Linux Distribution Partners:

Red Hat, OpenSUSE, Canonical, Debian - Traditional enterprise and community distributions
Arch Linux, Fedora - Recently joined distributions expanding choice
Comprehensive distribution support across enterprise and enthusiast needs

Development Tools Integration:

NVIDIA AI Workbench - GPU-accelerated development workflows
Docker Desktop - Container development and orchestration
Podman Desktop - Alternative container management solutions

Industry Applications:

DreamWorks Moonray - Open source rendering engine for films like “How to Train Your Dragon”
Film industry support - Professional creative workflows using WSL for Linux-based tools

8.2. Developer Workflow Integration

Timeframe: 01:12:00 - 01:15:00 (3m 00s)
Speakers: Larry Osterman, Craig Loewen

WSL demonstrates significant adoption within Microsoft’s own development teams, validating its production readiness and workflow integration capabilities.

Real-World Microsoft Adoption: Larry Osterman shares Azure SDK team experiences:

Universal adoption - “Literally every developer on the team has a WSL distro or several WSL distros”
Windows host, Linux development - Best-of-both-worlds development approach
Cross-platform component development - Essential for multi-platform SDK development
Daily workflow integration - Primary development environment for many developers

Developer Experience Benefits:

Seamless integration - “Really does provide the best of both worlds”
Cross-platform development support - Essential for modern software development
Hypervisor-level performance - Near-native Linux performance on Windows hosts
Community feedback opportunity - Open source enables direct developer influence

The open source transition enables community-driven development while maintaining Microsoft’s integration and performance standards, creating opportunities for broader ecosystem collaboration and innovation.

Appendix: Additional Session Content

A.1. Q&A Session Highlights

Timeframe: 01:15:00 - 01:18:00 (3m 00s)
Speakers: Kayla Cinnamon, Craig Loewen, Larry Osterman

The session concludes with audience Q&A, revealing additional PowerToys utility information:

File Locksmith Feature: Kayla Cinnamon shares her favorite PowerToys utility - File Locksmith, which solves the common Windows file locking problem:

Right-click integration - “Unlock with File Locksmith” context menu option
Process identification - Shows which process is locking a file
Direct process termination - End the locking process immediately
File operation completion - Enables deletion or modification of previously locked files

This utility replaces the more complex SysInternals Handle tool with an integrated, user-friendly File Explorer experience.

A.2. Resources and Download Information

Resource Links Provided:

PowerToys: Microsoft Store or GitHub repository
Windows Terminal Canary: Advanced features preview channel
Edit Text Editor: github.com/MicrosoftEdit releases page
WSL Documentation: wsl.dev comprehensive developer documentation
Command Palette Documentation: Developer API references and extension authoring guides

Related Build Sessions:

Command Palette Extension Development: Earlier Build demo with live extension creation
Simplified Dev Setup with WinGet and Microsoft DSC: Following day at 8:30 AM - Deep dive into configuration management