{"id":15784,"date":"2026-06-10T06:46:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T05:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovatenews.site\/index.php\/2026\/06\/10\/i-replaced-copilot-with-powertoys-as-my-windows-11-command-center-and-the\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T06:46:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T05:46:37","slug":"i-replaced-copilot-with-powertoys-as-my-windows-11-command-center-and-the","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/innovatenews.site\/index.php\/2026\/06\/10\/i-replaced-copilot-with-powertoys-as-my-windows-11-command-center-and-the\/","title":{"rendered":"I replaced Copilot with PowerToys as my Windows 11 command center, and the\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The topic I replaced Copilot with PowerToys as my Windows 11 command center, and the\u2026<\/strong> is currently the subject of lively discussion \u2014 readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.<\/p>\n

This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies\u2019 decisions and competitors\u2019 reactions can quickly change the picture.<\/p>\n

When Microsoft introduced Copilot in 2023, around the same time OpenAI’s ChatGPT was exploding in popularity, I genuinely wanted to give it a chance, even though I wasn’t fully on board with the idea. If AI was supposed to be the future, having it built directly into Windows 11 seemed like the right move at first. In fact, in its early implementations, I could use Copilot to change some basic settings, open apps, and organize Edge tabs. Fast-forward to today, and it feels less like a Windows feature and more like a standalone chatbot app.<\/p>\n

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To be fair, rolling back Copilot integration was probably the right call. I was already starting to feel like AI was being plastered across Windows 11, and I’m sure many of you felt the same way. But my time experimenting with Copilot made me realize that I wasn’t looking to chat with an AI assistant while I’m on my PC. I want to get things done, and I want to do them quicker. Copilot, if anything, was only slowing me down. That’s why I started experimenting with PowerToys, and it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.<\/p>\n

The biggest difference between Copilot and PowerToys is that one feels like asking for help, while the other feels like taking control. As someone who’s been using PCs since the days of Windows 98, I want the latter. Still, I wanted to see what the AI hype was all about, which is why I gave Copilot a fair chance instead of dismissing it outright. The problem with using Copilot is that I always felt like I was wasting more time instead of saving it. If I want to open an app, search for a file, or even do basic math, I can just do it much faster with a keyboard shortcut.<\/p>\n

With PowerToys, I’m getting exactly that experience. Sure, you could argue that I don’t need PowerToys when Windows Search exists, but Command Palette doesn’t try to distract me with web results or recommendations. I press a keyboard shortcut, type a couple of letters, and I’m getting exactly what I was looking for. And the moment I click on a result, it gets out of the way. Copilot wants me to describe what I want, but PowerToys assumes I already know, and that’s exactly why it feels more like a command center than an assistant.<\/p>\n

Even when Copilot was deeply integrated into Windows over a year ago, I never really felt like it was making my PC better in any way. Sure, it’s nice to have a chatbot readily available whenever you need help with something, but beyond that, I didn’t find much use for it. PowerToys, on the other hand, actually adds features that Windows 11 should’ve had in the first place. And I’m not even talking about niche features. The tools it offers address many of the quirks that Windows 11 users deal with almost every day.<\/p>\n

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For starters, Windows 11 has Snap Layouts, but it feels very basic in comparison to FancyZones, which is far more customizable. I can also use Always on Top to keep a window pinned above everything else with a simple keyboard shortcut. There’s also Workspaces, which lets me save and restore an entire desktop setup without having to manually open and arrange everything again. All these additions make me more productive on my multi-monitor setup. With PowerToys, I’m getting a more capable PC, while Copilot mostly feels like an assistant living alongside Windows.<\/p>\n

You might be thinking why even compare the two when they both do different things, and you’d be absolutely right. PowerToys can’t answer questions and feed me with information, so they aren’t really competing with each other. However, Microsoft tried to push Copilot as a central part of Windows 11, and that’s why we’re even having this discussion in the first place. While Copilot is helpful for someone who’s completely new to Windows, I don’t really need an AI assistant telling me how to get around my PC.<\/p>\n

That said, I wouldn’t mind using Copilot if it offered something I couldn’t already get elsewhere. I already pay for ChatGPT and Claude, so there’s no reason for me to rely on another AI assistant that doesn’t really do anything out of the ordinary. Whenever I need to research something or find information, I open Edge and head straight to ChatGPT anyway. So what I needed was Windows 11 to be better, and PowerToys felt like the missing piece.<\/p>\n

When you already have better options like ChatGPT and Claude, Copilot doesn’t really feel like a feature everyone needs. PowerToys, though, brings many of the features that long-time Windows users have wanted for years. Command Palette alone has become more of a command center for my PC than Copilot ever was, and considering everything else that PowerToys brings to the table, the comparison isn’t even close. I get Microsoft’s vision with Copilot here, but I’d rather have solutions to the problems I already face day-to-day than another AI assistant competing for my attention.<\/p>\n