Merge pull request #6014 from MicrosoftDocs/main

Auto Publish – main to live - 2025-11-19 14:22 UTC

Author: learn-build-service-prod[bot]

hub/powertoys/advanced-paste.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: Publish Command Palette extensions
 description: Learn how to publish Command Palette extensions to Microsoft Store and WinGet to share your custom experiences with users.
-ms.date: 02/28/2025
+ms.date: 11/17/2025
 ms.topic: how-to
 no-loc: [PowerToys, Windows, Insider]
 # Customer intent: As a Windows developer, I want to learn how to publish an extension for the Command Palette.

hub/powertoys/command-palette/publish-extension.md

@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ To filter host file entries, select the filter icon and enter data in either the
 
 ## Back up Hosts file
 
-Hosts File Editor creates a backup of the hosts file before editing session. The backup files are located near the hosts file in `%SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc` named `hosts_PowerToysBackup_YYYYMMDDHHMMSS` and are deleted after 15 days.
+Hosts File Editor creates a backup of the hosts file before editing session. By default backup files are located near the hosts file in `%SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc` named `hosts_PowerToysBackup_YYYYMMDDHHMMSS`.
+
+Backups are deleted after 15 days, but the most recent 5 are always kept. This behavior can be configured in the PowerToys Settings.
 
 ## Settings
 
@@ -48,6 +50,11 @@ From the Settings menu, the following options can be configured:
 | Placement of additional content | Determines where new host entries are added in the hosts file. Default value is **Top** (new entries are added near the top of the file after the default Windows header comments). If **Bottom** is selected, new entries are added at the end of the file. This affects the organization of your hosts file and can impact which entries take precedence if there are conflicts. |
 | Consider loopback addresses as duplicates | When enabled, multiple loopback addresses (127.0.0.1, ::1) pointing to the same hostname are treated as duplicates. This prevents adding redundant entries and helps avoid conflicts. When disabled, you can add multiple loopback entries for the same hostname, which may be useful for testing different network configurations but could lead to unexpected behavior. |
 | Encoding | Default value is **UTF-8**. If **UTF-8 with BOM** is selected, a Byte Order Mark (BOM) is included at the start of the file. |
+| Backups hosts file | If enabled, a backup of the hosts file is created when you save for the first time in a session. |
+| Location | Specify where backups are created. Default `%SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc`. |
+| Automatically delete backups | Choose **Never**, **Based on count** or **Based on age and count**. |
+| Backup count | When **Automatically delete backups** is **Based on count**, determine the number of backups to keep. Older backups will be deleted once the limit is reached. |
+| Days | When **Automatically delete backups** is **Based on age and count**, determine the number of days to keep backups. Older backups will be deleted once the limit is reached. An optional count of backups can be configured to always keep a fixed number of backups despite their age. |
 
 **Note:** The Hosts File Editor can't be launched with a shortcut key. To open the Hosts File Editor, select the PowerToys icon in the system tray and select **Hosts File Editor**.
 

hub/powertoys/hosts-file-editor.md

@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ The following settings are available for Light Switch:
 | :-- | :-- |
 | Enable Light Switch | Turn the Light Switch utility on or off. |
 | Theme toggle shortcut | Set a keyboard shortcut to manually toggle between light and dark themes. |
-| Schedule Mode | Choose between using dark mode from **Sunset to Sunrise** (automatic based on your location) or **Fixed hours** (set specific times). Note that you must have location services enabled and synced for automatic mode to work. You can also disable the schedule by using the **Off** mode while still having access to the shortcut to toggle your theme. |
-| Location | Sync your location to enable automatic switching based on local sunrise and sunset times. |
+| Schedule Mode | Choose between using dark mode from **Sunset to Sunrise** (based on your location) or **Fixed hours** (set specific times). Note that you must have location services enabled and synced for automatic mode to work. You can also disable the schedule by using the **Off** mode while still having access to the shortcut to toggle your theme. |
+| Location | Enter your coordinates manually or use location services to automatically switch between light and dark mode based on local sunrise and sunset times. |
 | Offset in minutes | Adjust the time for switching themes by a specified number of minutes before or after sunrise and sunset. |
 | Turn on dark mode | Set the time to switch to dark mode when using manual mode. |
 | Turn on light mode | Set the time to switch to light mode when using manual mode. |

hub/powertoys/light-switch.md

@@ -14,23 +14,23 @@ Mouse utilities in PowerToys is a collection of features that enhance mouse and
 
 ## Find my mouse
 
-Activate a spotlight that focuses on the cursor's position by pressing the <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> key twice, using a custom shortcut, or by shaking the mouse. Click the mouse or press any keyboard key to dismiss it. If you move the mouse while the spotlight is active, the spotlight will dismiss on its own shortly after the mouse stops moving. It has an option to use a transparent spotlight with independent backdrop and spotlight opacities, boosting focus and accessibility.
+Activate a spotlight that focuses on the cursor's position by pressing the <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> key twice, using a custom shortcut, or by shaking the mouse. Click the mouse or press any keyboard key to dismiss it. If you move the mouse while the spotlight is active, the spotlight dismisses on its own shortly after the mouse stops moving. It has an option to use a transparent spotlight with independent backdrop and spotlight opacities, boosting focus and accessibility.
 
 :::image type="content" source="../images/pt-mouse-utilities-find-my-mouse.gif" alt-text="An animated gif of the PowerToys Find my mouse feature of its Mouse Utilities.":::
 
 ## Gliding cursor
 
-The gliding cursor is an accessibility feature that lets you control the mouse with a single button using guided horizontal and vertical lines. Use the <kbd>Win</kbd>+<kbd>Alt</kbd>+<kbd>.<kbd> keyboard key combination to activate the gliding cursor, then move the mouse to control its position. Cancel the gliding cursor with the <kbd>Esc</kbd> key or by clicking the mouse.
+The gliding cursor is an accessibility feature that lets you control the mouse with a single button by using guided horizontal and vertical lines. Use the <kbd>Win</kbd>+<kbd>Alt</kbd>+<kbd>.</kbd> keyboard key combination to activate the gliding cursor, then move the mouse to control its position. Cancel the gliding cursor with the <kbd>Esc</kbd> key or by clicking the mouse.
 
 :::image type="content" source="../images/pt-mouse-utilities-gliding-cursor.png" lightbox="../images/pt-mouse-utilities-gliding-cursor.gif" alt-text="An animated gif of the PowerToys gliding cursor feature of its Mouse Utilities.":::
 
 ### Settings
 
-From the settings page, the following options can be configured:
+From the settings page, you can configure the following options:
 
 | Setting | Description |
 | :--- | :--- |
-| Activation method | Choose between **Press Left Ctrl twice**, **Press Right Ctrl twice**, **Shake mouse** or **Custom shortcut**. |
+| Activation method | Choose between **Press Left Ctrl twice**, **Press Right Ctrl twice**, **Shake mouse**, or **Custom shortcut**. |
 | Minimum distance to shake | Adjust sensitivity. |
 | Activation shortcut | The custom shortcut used to activate the spotlight. |
 | Do not activate when Game Mode is on | Prevents the spotlight from being used when actively playing a game on the system. |
@@ -40,28 +40,28 @@ From the settings page, the following options can be configured:
 | Spotlight radius | The radius of the circle that centers on the cursor. (default: 100px) |
 | Spotlight initial zoom | The spotlight animation's zoom factor. Higher values result in more pronounced zoom animation as the spotlight closes in on the cursor position. |
 | Animation duration | Time for the spotlight animation. (default: 500ms) |
-| Excluded apps | Add an application's name, or part of the name, one per line (e.g. adding `Notepad` will match both `Notepad.exe` and `Notepad++.exe`; to match only `Notepad.exe` add the `.exe` extension). |
+| Excluded apps | Add an application's name, or part of the name, one per line (for example, adding `Notepad` matches both `Notepad.exe` and `Notepad++.exe`; to match only `Notepad.exe` add the `.exe` extension). |
 
 ## Mouse Highlighter
 
-Display visual indicators when the left or right mouse buttons are clicked. By default, mouse highlighting can be turned on and off with the <kbd>Win</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>H</kbd> shortcut.
+Display visual indicators when the left or right mouse buttons are clicked. By default, you can turn mouse highlighting on and off with the <kbd>Win</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>H</kbd> shortcut.
 
 ### Settings
 
 ![Screenshot of Mouse highlighter](../images/pt-mouse-highlighter.gif)
 
-From the settings page, the following options can be configured:
+From the settings page, you can configure the following options:
 
 | Setting | Description |
 | :--- | :--- |
 | Activation shortcut | The customizable keyboard command to turn mouse highlighting on or off. |
-| Primary button highlight color | The highlighter color for the user's primary mouse button. |
-| Secondary button highlight color | The highlighter color for the user's secondary mouse button. |
+| Primary button highlight color | The highlighter color for the primary mouse button. |
+| Secondary button highlight color | The highlighter color for the secondary mouse button. |
 | Always highlight color | The highlighter color for the mouse pointer. |
 | Highlight mode | Determines how the cursor is highlighted. **Spotlight** dims the screen to spotlight the cursor. **Circle highlight** highlights the cursor with a circle, while keeping the rest of the screen unaffected. |
-| Radius | The radius of the highlighter - Measured in pixels. |
-| Fade delay | How long it takes before a highlight starts to disappear - Measured in milliseconds. |
-| Fade duration | Duration of the disappear animation - Measured in milliseconds. |
+| Radius | The radius of the highlighter, measured in pixels. |
+| Fade delay | How long it takes before a highlight starts to disappear, measured in milliseconds. |
+| Fade duration | Duration of the disappear animation, measured in milliseconds. |
 
 ## Mouse jump
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ Mouse jump allows moving the mouse pointer long distances on a single screen or
 | Thumbnail Size | Constrains the thumbnail image to a maximum size. The default size is 1600x1200 pixels. |
 | Appearance | Expand this section to adjust the popup appearance by customizing the colors, borders, spacing, and more. |
 
-## Mouse pointer Crosshairs
+## Mouse pointer crosshairs
 
 ![Screenshot of Crosshairs](../images/pt-mouseutilities-crosshairs.png)
 

hub/powertoys/mouse-utilities.md

@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@ After deleting the file, Peek will automatically preview the next file. If there
 > [!TIP]
 > Only files may be deleted. Folders may not be deleted, even if they are empty.
 
+## Use Peek from the command line
+
+Peek can also be launched from the command line to preview a file. Run: `PowerToys.Peek.UI.exe <filepath>`.
+
+> [!TIP]
+> The per-user executable is located in `%LOCALAPPDATA%\PowerToys\WinUI3Apps` by default, while the machine-wide executable is located in `C:\Program Files\PowerToys\WinUI3Apps`.
+
 ## Settings
 
 From the settings page, the following options can be configured:

hub/powertoys/peek.md

@@ -172,6 +172,42 @@ The value of the renamed file would result in:
 - `Nov-02-20-powertoys.png`
 - `Nov-03-20-powertoys-menu.png`
 
+## Replace using photo metadata (EXIF or XMP)
+
+When renaming photos, EXIF or XMP metadata can be used in the *Replace with* field. After selecting the EXIF/MDF option in the combobox, the variable patterns shown in the table below become available. The tooltip provides access to all supported patterns for quick insertion.
+
+| Variable pattern       | Explanation                                   |
+| :---                   | :---                                          |
+| `$CAMERA_MAKE`         | Camera manufacturer name                      |
+| `$CAMERA_MODEL`        | Camera model name                             |
+| `$LENS`                | Lens model name                               |
+| `$ISO`                 | ISO sensitivity value                         |
+| `$APERTURE`            | F-number aperture value                       |
+| `$SHUTTER`             | Shutter speed value                           |
+| `$FOCAL`               | Focal length in millimeters                   |
+| `$FLASH`               | Flash status (On/Off)                         |
+| `$WIDTH`               | Image width in pixels                         |
+| `$HEIGHT`              | Image height in pixels                        |
+| `$AUTHOR`              | Image author/artist                           |
+| `$COPYRIGHT`           | Copyright information                         |
+| `$LATITUDE`            | GPS latitude coordinate                       |
+| `$LONGITUDE`           | GPS longitude coordinate                      |
+| `$ALTITUDE`            | GPS altitude in meters                        |
+| `$DATE_TAKEN_YYYY`     | Year photo was taken (4 digits)               |
+| `$DATE_TAKEN_YY`       | Year photo was taken (2 digits)               |
+| `$DATE_TAKEN_MM`       | Month photo was taken (01–12)                 |
+| `$DATE_TAKEN_DD`       | Day photo was taken (01–31)                   |
+| `$DATE_TAKEN_HH`       | Hour photo was taken (00–23)                  |
+| `$DATE_TAKEN_mm`       | Minute photo was taken (00–59)                |
+| `$DATE_TAKEN_SS`       | Second photo was taken (00–59)                |
+| `$EXPOSURE_BIAS`       | Exposure compensation value                   |
+| `$ORIENTATION`         | Image orientation                             |
+| `$COLOR_SPACE`         | Color space information                       |
+| `$ALTITUDE`            | GPS altitude in meters                        |
+
+
+
+
 ## Regular expressions
 
 For most use cases, a simple search and replace is sufficient. However, there may be occasions in which complicated renaming tasks require more control. [Regular Expressions](https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_expression) can help in this scenario.