PowerToys/DATA_AND_PRIVACY.md

PowerToys Data & Privacy

Overview

PowerToys diagnostic data is completely optional for users and is off by default in v0.86 and beyond. Our team believes in transparency and trust. As PowerToys is open source, all of our diagnostic data events are in the codebase.

Additionally, this document aims to list each diagnostic data event individually and describe their purpose clearly.

For more information, please read the Microsoft privacy statement.

What does PowerToys collect?

1. Usage: Understanding usage and frequency rates for utilities and settings helps us make decisions on where to focus our time and energy. This data also helps us better understand what and how to move well-loved features directly into Windows!
2. Stability: Monitoring bugs and system crashes, as well as analyzing GitHub issue reports, assists us in prioritizing the most urgent issues.
3. Performance: Assessing the performance of PowerToys features to load and execute gives us an understanding of what surfaces are causing slowdowns. This supports our commitment to providing you with tools that are both speedy and effective.

Success Story: Fixing FancyZones Bugs with Your Help

FancyZones had numerous bug reports related to virtual desktop interactions. Initially, these were considered lower priority, since the assumption was that virtual desktops were not widely used, so we chose to focus on more urgent issues. However, the volume of bug reports suggested otherwise, prompting us to add additional diagnostics to see virtual desktop usage with FancyZones. We discovered that virtual desktop usage was much higher among FancyZones users. This new understanding led us to prioritize this class of bugs and get them fixed.

Transparency and Public Sharing

As much as possible, we aim to share the results of diagnostic data publicly.

We hope this document provides clarity on why and how we collect diagnostic data to improve PowerToys for our users. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us.

Thank you for using PowerToys!

List of Diagnostic Data Events

Note: We're in the process of updating this section with more events and their descriptions. We aim to keep this list current by adding any new diagnostic data events as they become available.

If you want to find diagnostic data events in the source code, these two links will be good starting points based on the source code's langauge.

• C# events
• C++ events

General

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.DebugEvent	Logs debugging information for diagnostics and troubleshooting.
Microsoft.PowerToys.GeneralSettingsChanged	Logs changes made to general settings within PowerToys.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Runner_Launch	Indicates when the PowerToys Runner is launched.
Microsoft.PowerToys.SettingsBootEvent	Triggered when PowerToys settings are initialized at startup.
Microsoft.PowerToys.SettingsEnabledEvent	Indicates that the PowerToys settings have been enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.ScoobeStartedEvent	Triggered when SCOOBE (Secondary Out-of-box experience) starts.
Microsoft.PowerToys.TrayFlyoutActivatedEvent	Indicates when the tray flyout menu is activated.
Microsoft.PowerToys.TrayFlyoutModuleRunEvent	Logs when a utility from the tray flyout menu is run.

OOBE (Out-of-box experience)

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.OobeSectionEvent	Occurs when OOBE is shown to the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.OobeSettingsEvent	Triggers when a Settings page is opened from an OOBE page.
Microsoft.PowerToys.OobeStartedEvent	Indicates when the out-of-box experience has been initiated.

Advanced Paste

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPaste_EnableAdvancedPaste	Triggered when Advanced Paste is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPaste_Error	Occurs when an error is encountered during the Advanced Paste process.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPaste_InvokeAdvancedPaste	Activated when Advanced Paste is called by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPaste_Settings	Triggered when settings for Advanced Paste are accessed or modified.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteClipboardItemClicked	Occurs when a clipboard item is selected from the Advanced Paste menu.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteClipboardItemDeletedEvent	Triggered when an item is removed from the Advanced Paste clipboard history.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteCustomFormatOutputThumbUpDownEvent	Triggered when a user gives feedback on a custom format output (thumb up/down).
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteFormatClickedEvent	Occurs when a specific paste format is clicked in the Advanced Paste menu.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteGenerateCustomErrorEvent	Triggered when an error occurs while generating a custom paste format.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteGenerateCustomFormatEvent	Occurs when a custom paste format is successfully generated.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteInAppKeyboardShortcutEvent	Triggered when a keyboard shortcut is used within the Advanced Paste interface.

Always on Top

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.AlwaysOnTop_EnableAlwaysOnTop	Triggered when Always on Top is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AlwaysOnTop_PinWindow	Occurs when a window is pinned to stay on top of other windows.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AlwaysOnTop_UnpinWindow	Triggered when a pinned window is unpinned, allowing it to be behind other windows.

Awake

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.Awake_EnableAwake	Triggered when Awake is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AwakeExpirableKeepAwakeEvent	Occurs when the system is kept awake for a temporary, expirable duration.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AwakeIndefinitelyKeepAwakeEvent	Triggered when the system is set to stay awake indefinitely.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AwakeNoKeepAwakeEvent	Occurs when Awake is turned off, allowing the computer to enter sleep mode.
Microsoft.PowerToys.AwakeTimedKeepAwakeEvent	Triggered when the system is kept awake for a specified time duration.

Color Picker

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.ColorPicker_EnableColorPicker	Triggered when Color Picker is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.ColorPicker_Session	Occurs during a Color Picker usage session.
Microsoft.PowerToys.ColorPicker_Settings	Triggered when the settings for the Color Picker are accessed or modified.
Microsoft.PowerToys.ColorPickerCancelledEvent	Occurs when a color picking action is cancelled by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.ColorPickerShowEvent	Triggered when the Color Picker UI is displayed on the screen.

Command Not Found

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdNotFoundInstallEvent	Triggered when a Command Not Found is installed.
Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdNotFoundInstanceCreatedEvent	Occurs when an instance of a Command Not Found is created.
Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdNotFoundUninstallEvent	Triggered when Command Not Found is uninstalled after being previously installed.

Crop And Lock

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.CropAndLock_ActivateReparent	Triggered when the cropping interface is activated for reparenting the cropped content.
Microsoft.PowerToys.CropAndLock_ActivateThumbnail	Occurs when the thumbnail view for cropped content is activated.
Microsoft.PowerToys.CropAndLock_EnableCropAndLock	Triggered when Crop and Lock is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.CropAndLock_Settings	Occurs when settings related to Crop and Lock are modified.

Environment Variables

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.EnvironmentVariables_Activate	Triggered when Environment Variables is launched.
Microsoft.PowerToys.EnvironmentVariables_EnableEnvironmentVariables	Occurs when Environment Variables is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.EnvironmentVariablesOpenedEvent	Triggered when the Environment Variables interface is opened.
Microsoft.PowerToys.EnvironmentVariablesProfileEnabledEvent	Occurs when an environment variable profile is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.EnvironmentVariablesVariableChangedEvent	Triggered when an environment variable is added, modified, or deleted.

FancyZones

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_CycleActiveZoneSet	Triggered when the active zone set is cycled through.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_EditorLaunch	Occurs when the FancyZones editor is launched.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_EnableFancyZones	Occurs when FancyZones is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_KeyboardSnapWindowToZone	Triggered when a window is snapped to a zone using the keyboard.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_MoveOrResizeEnded	Occurs when a window move or resize action has completed.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_MoveOrResizeStarted	Triggered when a window move or resize action is initiated.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_MoveSizeEnd	Occurs when the moving or resizing of a window has ended.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_OnKeyDown	Triggered when a key is pressed down while interacting with zones.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_QuickLayoutSwitch	Occurs when a quick switch between zone layouts is performed.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_Settings	Triggered when FancyZones settings are accessed or modified.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_SettingsChanged	Occurs when there is a change in the FancyZones settings.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_SnapNewWindowIntoZone	Triggered when a new window is snapped into a zone.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_VirtualDesktopChanged	Occurs when the virtual desktop changes, affecting zone layout.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_ZoneSettingsChanged	Triggered when the settings for specific zones are altered.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_ZoneWindowKeyUp	Occurs when a key is released while interacting with zones.

FileExplorerAddOns

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.GcodeFileHandlerLoaded	Triggered when a G-code file handler is loaded.
Microsoft.PowerToys.GcodeFilePreviewed	Occurs when a G-code file is previewed in File Explorer.
Microsoft.PowerToys.GcodeFilePreviewError	Triggered when there is an error previewing a G-code file.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MarkdownFileHandlerLoaded	Occurs when a Markdown file handler is loaded.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MarkdownFilePreviewed	Triggered when a Markdown file is previewed in File Explorer.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PdfFileHandlerLoaded	Occurs when a PDF file handler is loaded.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PdfFilePreviewed	Triggered when a PDF file is previewed in File Explorer.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerPreview_Enabled	Occurs when preview is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerPreview_TweakUISettings_Destroyed	Triggered when the Tweak UI settings for Power Preview are destroyed.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerPreview_TweakUISettings_FailedUpdatingSettings	Occurs when updating Tweak UI settings fails.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerPreview_TweakUISettings_InitSet__ErrorLoadingFile	Triggered when there is an error loading a file during Tweak UI settings initialization.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerPreview_TweakUISettings_SuccessfullyUpdatedSettings	Occurs when the Tweak UI settings for Power Preview are successfully updated.
Microsoft.PowerToys.QoiFilePreviewed	Triggered when a QOI file is previewed in File Explorer.
Microsoft.PowerToys.SvgFileHandlerLoaded	Occurs when an SVG file handler is loaded.
Microsoft.PowerToys.SvgFilePreviewed	Triggered when an SVG file is previewed in File Explorer.
Microsoft.PowerToys.SvgFilePreviewError	Occurs when there is an error previewing an SVG file.

File Locksmith

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.FileLocksmith_EnableFileLocksmith	Triggered when File Locksmith is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FileLocksmith_Invoked	Occurs when File Locksmith is invoked.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FileLocksmith_InvokedRet	Triggered when File Locksmith invocation returns a result.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FileLocksmith_QueryContextMenuError	Occurs when there is an error querying the context menu for File Locksmith.

Find My Mouse

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.FindMyMouse_EnableFindMyMouse	Triggered when Find My Mouse is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.FindMyMouse_MousePointerFocused	Occurs when the mouse pointer is focused using Find My Mouse.

Hosts File Editor

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.HostsFileEditor_Activate	Triggered when Hosts File Editor is activated.
Microsoft.PowerToys.HostsFileEditor_EnableHostsFileEditor	Occurs when Hosts File Editor is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.HostsFileEditorOpenedEvent	Fires when Hosts File Editor is opened.

Image Resizer

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.ImageResizer_EnableImageResizer	Triggered when Image Resizer is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.ImageResizer_Invoked	Occurs when Image Resizer is invoked by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.ImageResizer_InvokedRet	Fires when the Image Resizer operation is completed and returns a result.

Keyboard Manager

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_AppSpecificShortcutRemapConfigurationLoaded	Indicates that the application-specific shortcut remap configuration has been successfully loaded.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_AppSpecificShortcutRemapCount	Logs the number of application-specific shortcut remaps configured by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_AppSpecificShortcutToShortcutRemapInvoked	Logs each instance when an application-specific shortcut-to-shortcut remap is used.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_DailyAppSpecificShortcutToKeyRemapInvoked	Logs the daily count of application-specific shortcut-to-key remaps executed by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_DailyAppSpecificShortcutToShortcutRemapInvoked	Logs the daily count of application-specific shortcut-to-shortcut remaps executed by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_DailyKeyToKeyRemapInvoked	Logs the daily count of key-to-key remaps used by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_DailyKeyToShortcutRemapInvoked	Logs the daily count of key-to-shortcut remaps used by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_DailyShortcutToKeyRemapInvoked	Logs the daily count of shortcut-to-key remaps used by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_DailyShortcutToShortcutRemapInvoked	Logs the daily count of shortcut-to-shortcut remaps used by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_EnableKeyboardManager	Indicates that the Keyboard Manager has been enabled in PowerToys settings.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_KeyRemapConfigurationLoaded	Indicates that the key remap configuration has been successfully loaded.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_KeyRemapCount	Logs the number of individual key remaps configured by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_KeyToKeyRemapInvoked	Logs each instance of a key-to-key remap being used.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_KeyToShortcutRemapInvoked	Logs each instance of a key-to-shortcut remap being used.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_OSLevelShortcutRemapCount	Logs the total number of OS-level shortcut remaps configured by the user.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_OSLevelShortcutToKeyRemapInvoked	Logs each instance of an OS-level shortcut-to-key remap being used.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_OSLevelShortcutToShortcutRemapInvoked	Logs each instance of an OS-level shortcut-to-shortcut remap being used.
Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_ShortcutRemapConfigurationLoaded	Indicates that the shortcut remap configuration has been successfully loaded.

Mouse Highlighter

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseHighlighter_EnableMouseHighlighter	Triggered when Mouse Highlighter is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseHighlighter_StartHighlightingSession	Occurs when a new highlighting session is started.

Mouse Jump

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseJump_EnableJumpTool	Triggered when Mouse Jump is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseJump_InvokeJumpTool	Occurs when Mouse Jump is invoked.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseJumpShowEvent	Triggered when the Mouse Jump display is shown.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseJumpTeleportCursorEvent	Occurs when the cursor is teleported to a new location.

Mouse Pointer Crosshairs

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.MousePointerCrosshairs_EnableMousePointerCrosshairs	Triggered when Mouse Pointer Crosshairs is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MousePointerCrosshairs_StartDrawingCrosshairs	Occurs when the crosshairs are drawn around the mouse pointer.

Mouse Without Borders

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBorders_Activate	Triggered when Mouse Without Borders is activated.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBorders_AddFirewallRule	Occurs when a firewall rule is added for Mouse Without Borders.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBorders_EnableMouseWithoutBorders	Triggered when Mouse Without Borders is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBorders_ToggleServiceRegistration	Occurs when the service registration for Mouse Without Borders is toggled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBordersClipboardFileTransferEvent	Triggered during a clipboard file transfer between computers.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBordersDragAndDropEvent	Occurs during a drag-and-drop operation between computers.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBordersMultipleModeEvent	Triggered when multiple modes are enabled in Mouse Without Borders.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBordersOldUIOpenedEvent	Occurs when the old user interface for Mouse Without Borders is opened.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBordersOldUIQuitEvent	Triggered when the old user interface for Mouse Without Borders is closed.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBordersOldUIReconfigureEvent	Occurs when the old user interface for Mouse Without Borders is reconfigured.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseWithoutBordersStartedEvent	Triggered when Mouse Without Borders is started.

New+

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.NewPlus_EventCopyTemplate	Triggered when an item from New+ is created (copied to the current directory).
Microsoft.PowerToys.NewPlus_EventCopyTemplateResult	Logs the success of item creation (copying).
Microsoft.PowerToys.NewPlus_EventShowTemplateItems	Triggered when the New+ context menu flyout is displayed.
Microsoft.PowerToys.NewPlus_EventToggleOnOff	Triggered when New+ is enabled or disabled.

Peek

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.Peek_Closed	Triggered when Peek is closed.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Peek_EnablePeek	Occurs when Peek is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Peek_Error	Triggered when an error occurs for Peek.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Peek_InvokePeek	Occurs when Peek is invoked.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Peek_Opened	Triggered when a Peek window is opened.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Peek_OpenWith	Occurs when an item is opened with Peek.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Peek_Settings	Triggered when the settings for Peek are modified.

PowerRename

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerRename_EnablePowerRename	Triggered when PowerRename is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerRename_Invoked	Occurs when PowerRename is invoked.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerRename_InvokedRet	Triggered when the invocation of PowerRename returns a result.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerRename_RenameOperation	Triggered during the rename operation within PowerRename.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerRename_SettingsChanged	Occurs when the settings for PowerRename are changed.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerRename_UIShownRet	Triggered when the PowerRename user interface is shown.

PowerToys Run

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.LauncherBootEvent	Triggered when PowerToys Run is initialized on boot.
Microsoft.PowerToys.LauncherColdStateHotkeyEvent	Occurs when the hotkey is pressed in the cold state (not yet initialized).
Microsoft.PowerToys.LauncherFirstDeleteEvent	Triggered when the first deletion action is performed in PowerToys Run.
Microsoft.PowerToys.LauncherHideEvent	Occurs when PowerToys Run is hidden.
Microsoft.PowerToys.LauncherQueryEvent	Triggered when a query is made in PowerToys Run.
Microsoft.PowerToys.LauncherResultActionEvent	Occurs when an action is taken on a result in PowerToys Run.
Microsoft.PowerToys.LauncherShowEvent	Triggered when PowerToys Run is shown.
Microsoft.PowerToys.LauncherWarmStateHotkeyEvent	Occurs when the hotkey is pressed in the warm state (initialized).
Microsoft.PowerToys.RunPluginsSettingsEvent	Triggered when the settings for PowerToys Run plugins are accessed or modified.
Microsoft.PowerToys.WindowWalker_EnableWindowWalker	Triggered when the Window Walker plugin is enabled.

Quick Accent

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerAccent_EnablePowerAccent	Triggered when Quick Accent is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerAccentShowAccentMenuEvent	Occurs when the accent menu is displayed.

Registry Preview

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.RegistryPreview_Activate	Triggered when Registry Preview is activated.
Microsoft.PowerToys.RegistryPreview_EnableRegistryPreview	Occurs when Registry Preview is enabled.

Screen Ruler

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.MeasureTool_BoundsToolActivated	Triggered when Screen Ruler's Bounds tool is activated.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MeasureTool_EnableMeasureTool	Occurs when Screen Ruler is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.MeasureTool_MeasureToolActivated	Triggered when Screen Ruler's Measure tool is activated.

Shortcut Guide

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.ShortcutGuide_EnableGuide	Triggered when Shortcut Guide is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.ShortcutGuide_HideGuide	Occurs when Shortcut Guide is hidden from view.
Microsoft.PowerToys.ShortcutGuide_Settings	Indicates a change in the settings related to the Shortcut Guide.

Text Extractor

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerOCR_EnablePowerOCR	Triggered when the Text Extractor (OCR) feature is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerOCRCancelledEvent	Occurs when the text extraction process is cancelled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerOCRCaptureEvent	Occurs when the user has created a capture for text extraction.
Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerOCRInvokedEvent	Triggered when Text Extractor is invoked.

Video Conference Mute

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.VideoConference_CameraMuted	Triggered when the camera is turned off by Video Conference Mute.
Microsoft.PowerToys.VideoConference_EnableVideoConference	Occurs when Video Conference Mute is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.VideoConference_MicrophoneMuted	Occurs when the microphone is muted by Video Conference Mute.

Workspaces

Event Name	Description
Microsoft.PowerToys.Projects_CLIUsage	Logs usage of command-line arguments for launching apps.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Workspaces_CreateEvent	Triggered when a new workspace is created.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Workspaces_DeleteEvent	Triggered when a workspace is deleted.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Workspaces_EditEvent	Triggered when a workspace is edited or modified.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Workspaces_Enable	Indicates that Workspaces is enabled.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Workspaces_LaunchEvent	Triggered when a workspace is launched.
Microsoft.PowerToys.Workspaces_Settings	Logs changes to workspaces settings.