PowerDesk
Application · Shell & file manager / Windows · 2026
Desktop, taskbar, Start menu and file manager for Windows 10 and 11 in one native program.
A Windows Explorer replacement written in Rust and Slint: a file manager with tabs and dual panes, its own desktop with widgets, a taskbar, a Start menu and an FPS overlay – no browser inside and no administrator rights needed.
The file manager has tabs and dual panes, list, grid and gallery views, and previews for photos, video, PDFs, documents, code, SVG, fonts, 3D models and Markdown. Copying and moving run in the background with undo, plus archives, folder comparison, sync, disk usage analysis and a built-in terminal.
The desktop supports icons, Windows wallpapers, slideshows and a picture of the day, widgets, and window snap zones when dragging with Shift. The taskbar shows windows with previews, pinned programs, a tray with network, volume and battery, a notification centre and a calendar. The Start menu searches apps, files and settings, calculates with units and arranges tiles into groups and folders.
The Alt+R overlay shows the FPS and frame time of any program using Windows system events, without injecting code, alongside CPU, GPU and memory load.
PowerDesk can replace Explorer as the shell after sign-in. A watchdog restores the Windows desktop and taskbar after a crash, and holding Shift at sign-in opens a regular Explorer session. It installs for the current user and updates itself.
Features
- file manager with tabs, dual panes and previews
- desktop with widgets, taskbar and Start menu
- FPS and load overlay on Alt+R
- can replace Explorer as the system shell
- Windows 10 or 11, installs without administrator rights
Technology
- Rust
- Slint
- Win32
My role
Projekt, architektura, implementacja i wydania