Tired of waiting for applications to load just to glance at a file in Windows? The Peek utility in Microsoft PowerToys for Windows 10 and 11 offers a game-changing solution for instant file previews, significantly speeding up your workflow.
What is PowerToys and its Peek Utility?
Microsoft PowerToys is a free, open-source collection of system utilities developed by Microsoft, aimed at power users seeking to enhance productivity and customize their Windows experience. (See PCWorld’s PowerToys primer to learn much, much more about this delightful collection of tools.) Among these tools is Peek, designed specifically to provide quick, lightweight previews of files directly within File Explorer, eliminating the need to open them in their default applications.
How to Effortlessly Preview Files Using Peek
Getting started with Peek for quick file previews is straightforward:
- First, ensure you have Microsoft PowerToys installed on your Windows 10 or 11 system. If not, download and install it.
- To preview a file, select it in File Explorer and press the default shortcut: Ctrl + Space. The Peek window will instantly appear, displaying the file’s content.
- You can easily navigate through other files in the current folder by using the up, down, left, and right arrow keys while the Peek window is active.
- If you wish to preview only a specific group of files, select these multiple files in File Explorer before pressing Ctrl + Space. Peek will then cycle only through your selection.
Using PowerToys Peek can significantly streamline your file management. If this tip helps, discover more with our 13 tips to master Windows 11, and get more insights by signing up for our Try This newsletter, delivering tips twice-weekly.
