xbiz world
xbiz premiere

Microsoft PowerToys

Want a free set of tools from Microsoft that will enhance the fun and functionality of your Windows experience and ease some common chores faced by adult webmasters?

Then PowerToys are for you.

PowerToys are "pet projects" that Microsoft's developers worked on after their main products had been released. According to the company, while it "take[s] great care to ensure that PowerToys work as they should … they are not part of Windows and are not supported by Microsoft."

One example of a useful PowerToy is the Image Resizer, which allows users to resize individual or multiple photos and graphics by right-clicking on them and selecting "resize pictures." This launches a dialogue box offering the options of resizing to four different sizes: small (640 x 480), medium (800 x 600), large (1024 x 768) and handheld PC (240 x 320). Choose the setting you prefer and then click OK.

By default, Image Resizer produces a resized copy, rather than modifying the original image, but an "advanced" tab gives you the option of modifying the original rather than making a copy. You also can specify a custom size as well as limit the tool to making images smaller but not larger.

Other PowerToys include a Color Control Panel Applet that aids "professional- level photographers and designers [in] getting consistent, accurate color from file to screen to print and beyond," plus a SyncToy, a RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer, a handy ClearType Tuner, an HTML Slide Show Wizard, a CD Slide Show Generator that allows users to view images burned on a CD as a slide show, a Webcam Timershot and more.

According to Microsoft, PowerToys only work on Windows XP machines with U.S. English regional settings and will not work with Windows Vista.

Download the PowerToys collection here.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Why Retail Expertise Is Essential When AI Tools Analyze Store Data

Somewhere in one of our stores, someone scanned a barcode into a quantity field. The number entered was 8,388,607. At $19.99 per unit, that made a single line item worth roughly $167 million. The number was so large that the import failed immediately.

Zondre Watson ·
profile

Vendo CEO Mitch Platt Reflects on 20 Years of Lessons and Evolution

More than 20 years ago, three entrepreneurs in Barcelona began gathering over beers to pitch, dissect and routinely destroy one another's business ideas. The ritual was simple: One person arrived with a concept, while the other two tried to expose every weakness. Any proposal that survived earned another look. Most did not.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

How to Avoid the Hidden Risks of AI-Generated Legal Documents

Artificial intelligence can write a contract in seconds, but that does not mean it can write the contract your business actually needs. Across the adult industry, operators, creators and producers are increasingly using generative AI to prepare model releases, performer agreements, privacy policies, takedown notices, employment documents and responses to regulators. The appeal is obvious: Legal work is expensive, AI is fast and the resulting document often looks impressively professional. That polished appearance is exactly what makes the practice dangerous.

Corey Silverstein ·
opinion

How Rolling Reserves Affect Cash Flow and Merchant Stability

You log in to your payment processor’s dashboard, discover they are withholding 10% of your sales, and immediately assume something has gone wrong. In reality, everything is working exactly as intended.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

What Federal Age Verification Could Mean for Adult Websites

Our industry has grappled with a patchwork of confusing and burdensome state age verification laws for the past couple of years. But that landscape could change quickly after the House passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act (H.R. 7757) by a vote of 267-117, marking a significant federal step into this space.

Lawrence G. Walters ·
opinion

The Website Footer Requirements Every Adult Merchant Should Know

Since I started in this business 25 years ago, I've watched website footers evolve from a simple collection of links designed to help with SEO into important tools for meeting compliance and regulatory requirements, improving the customer experience and reducing chargebacks.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Why E-Payment Diversification Matters for Merchant Stability

Match payment methods to your customers. Look at where your customers are located, how they prefer to pay and which products they purchase. A business with significant European traffic may benefit from SEPA or Pay by Bank, while a subscription-based business may prioritize ACH or cryptocurrency. Add the payment methods your customers are most likely to use, as not every option is available.

Jonathan Corona ·
trends

AI at Work: The Tools and Practices Powering Creativity, Commerce and Compliance

For years, artificial intelligence felt like the plot of a science-fiction movie. Pop culture gave us Skynet from “The Terminator,” the replicants of “Blade Runner” and countless visions of machines replacing human creativity altogether. AI was cast as either humanity's next great breakthrough or the beginning of a dystopian future.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

Key Questions Online Merchants Should Know About PCI Compliance

Choosing a payment provider involves more than comparing features and pricing. It's also about trusting that your customers' payment information is being handled securely. Every August, Segpay is recertified as a Level 1 PCI-compliant service provider, a milestone the company has achieved for the past 20 years. Having helped write Segpay's original PCI policy documents more than two decades ago, I've seen firsthand how PCI compliance has evolved.

Cathy Beardsley ·
profile

New Moon Network's Savannah Sly on Turning Lived Experience Into Advocacy

Savannah Sly is the first to admit she didn't always understand sex work. At 18, she was an art student in Boston, working part-time at a box office and, as she puts it, "broke as a joke." While looking for ways to make ends meet, she often found herself browsing Craigslist's adult ads, intrigued by the women advertising their services.

Jackie Backman ·
Show More