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.
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.
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.
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.
> 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 language:
| Microsoft.PowerToys.DebugEvent | Logs debugging information for diagnostics and troubleshooting. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.GeneralSettingsChanged | Logs changes made to general settings within PowerToys. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.Install_Fail | Triggered when the PowerToys installation process encounters an error and fails to complete. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerToys_ModuleLaunchedFromSettings | Logs when a module editor is launched from the Settings UI or Quick Access panel, including which module was launched. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.Repair_Cancel | Triggered when a PowerToys repair operation is cancelled by the user before completion. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.Repair_Fail | Triggered when the PowerToys repair operation fails to complete successfully due to an error. |
| 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.ShortcutConflictControlClickedEvent | Triggered when a user clicks on the Shortcut Conflict Control button in the PowerToys Settings UI Dashboard. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.ShortcutConflictDetectedEvent | Triggered when keyboard shortcut conflicts are detected in the PowerToys Settings UI Dashboard. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.ShortcutConflictResolvedEvent | Triggered when a keyboard shortcut conflict is resolved in the PowerToys Settings UI. |
| 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. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.UnInstall_Cancel | Triggered when the PowerToys uninstallation process is cancelled by the user before completion. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.UnInstall_Fail | Triggered when the PowerToys uninstallation process fails to complete successfully due to an error. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.Uninstall_Success | Logs when PowerToys is successfully uninstalled (who would do such a thing!). |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.UpdateCheck_Completed | Logs when an auto-update check completes, including success status, whether an update is available, and version information. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.UpdateDownload_Completed | Logs when an update download completes, including success status and version. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.OobeModuleRunEvent | Triggered when a user clicks to run or launch a PowerToys module directly from the OOBE (out-of-box experience) interface. |
| 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. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.OobeVariantAssignmentEvent | This event logs A/B testing assignments for experimental features, helping track which users are in control or alternate groups for feature experiments. |
| 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.AdvancedPasteCustomActionErrorEvent | Records provider, model, and status details when a custom action fails. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteCustomFormatOutputThumbUpDownEvent | Triggered when a user gives feedback on a custom format output (thumb up/down). |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteEndpointUsageEvent | Logs the AI provider, model, and processing duration for each endpoint call. |
| 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. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteSemanticKernelErrorEvent | Occurs when the Semantic Kernel workflow encounters an error. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.AdvancedPasteSemanticKernelFormatEvent | Triggered when Advanced Paste leverages the Semantic Kernel. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPal_BeginInvoke | Triggered when the Command Palette is launched by the user. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPal_ColdLaunch | Occurs when Command Palette starts for the first time (cold start). |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPal_DockConfiguration | Tracks dock configuration at startup including whether the dock is enabled, dock side (top, bottom, left, or right), and the list of extension commands pinned to the start, center, and end sections of the dock. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPal_ExtensionInvoked | Tracks extension usage including extension ID, command details, success status, and execution time. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPal_OpenPage | Triggered when a page is opened within the Command Palette, tracking navigation depth. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPal_OpenUri | Occurs when a URI is opened through the Command Palette, including whether it's a web URL. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPal_ReactivateInstance | Triggered when an existing Command Palette instance is reactivated. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPal_RunCommand | Logs when a command is executed through the Command Palette, including admin elevation status. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPal_RunQuery | Triggered when a search query is performed, including result count and duration. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPal_SessionDuration | Logs session metrics from launch to dismissal including duration, commands executed, pages visited, search queries, navigation depth, and errors. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPalDismissedOnEsc | Occurs when the Command Palette is dismissed by pressing the Escape key. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPalDismissedOnLostFocus | Triggered when the Command Palette is dismissed due to losing focus. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPalHotkeySummoned | Logs when the Command Palette is summoned via hotkey, distinguishing between global and context-specific hotkeys. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPalInvokeResult | Records the result type of a Command Palette invocation. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CmdPalProcessStarted | Triggered when the Command Palette process is started. |
### 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_ActivateScreenshot | Triggered when the screenshot mode is activated in Crop and Lock. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CropAndLock_ActivateThumbnail | Occurs when the thumbnail view for cropped content is activated. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CropAndLock_CreateReparentWindow | Triggered when a reparent window is created in Crop and Lock mode. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CropAndLock_CreateScreenshotWindow | Triggered when a screenshot window is created in Crop and Lock mode. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.CropAndLock_CreateThumbnailWindow | Triggered when a thumbnail window is created in Crop and Lock mode. |
| 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. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZones_CLICommand | Triggered when a FancyZones CLI command is executed, logging the command name and success status. |
| 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_Error | Triggered when an error occurs within the FancyZones module. This event logs critical errors to help diagnose and troubleshoot issues with FancyZones functionality, such as failures to set up Windows hooks or other system-level operations required for window management. |
| 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_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_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. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZonesEditorStartEvent | Triggered when the FancyZones Editor application starts. This logs the initialization of the editor UI, which is used to create and configure custom zone layouts. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.FancyZonesEditorStartFinishEvent | Triggered when the FancyZones Editor has completed loading and is ready for user interaction. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerPreview_TweakUISettings_InitSet__ErrorLoadingFile | Triggered when there is an error loading a file during Tweak UI settings initialization. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.PowerPreview_TweakUISettings_SetConfig__InvalidJSONGiven | Triggered when invalid JSON is provided to the Power Preview settings configuration. |
| 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.QoiFilePreviewError | Triggered when there is an error previewing a QOI (Quite OK Image) file 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. |
| 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, including the activation method (double-tap left/right Ctrl, shake mouse, or shortcut). |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.HostEditorStartEvent | Triggered when the Hosts File Editor application starts. This logs the initialization of the Hosts File Editor UI with a timestamp. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.HostEditorStartFinishEvent | Triggered when the Hosts File Editor has completed loading and is ready for user interaction. |
| 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. |
| 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_AppSpecificShortcutToKeyRemapInvoked | Logs each instance when an application-specific shortcut-to-key remap is used. |
| 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_Error | Triggered when an error occurs in Keyboard Manager. This logs the error code, error message, and the method name where the error occurred. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.KeyboardManager_ErrorSendingKeyAndShortcutRemapLoadedConfiguration | Triggered when there is an error sending remapping configuration telemetry. This occurs when Keyboard Manager fails to report the loaded key and shortcut remap configurations. |
| 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_LaunchEditor | Logs when the Keyboard Manager editor is launched, including whether it was opened via hotkey or through settings. |
| 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. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseHighlighter_EnableMouseHighlighter | Triggered when Mouse Highlighter is enabled. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseHighlighter_StartHighlightingSession | Occurs when a new highlighting session is started. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.MouseHighlighter_StartSpotlightSession | Triggered when a spotlight session is started in Mouse Highlighter. This occurs when the user activates the spotlight mode. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.RegistryPreview_Activate | Triggered when Registry Preview is activated. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.RegistryPreview_EnableRegistryPreview | Occurs when Registry Preview is enabled. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.RegistryPreviewEditorStartEvent | Triggered when the Registry Preview application starts. This logs the initialization of the Registry Preview UI with a timestamp. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.RegistryPreviewEditorStartFinishEvent | Triggered when the Registry Preview application has completed loading and is ready for user interaction. |
| 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.WorkspacesEditorStartEvent | Triggered when the Workspaces Editor application starts. This logs the initialization of the Workspaces Editor UI with a timestamp. |
| Microsoft.PowerToys.WorkspacesEditorStartFinishEvent | Triggered when the Workspaces Editor has completed loading and is ready for user interaction. |