Windows' Forgotten Utility Tools Still Hold Their Value

The Windows of the '90s was a time when Microsoft seemed to have a utility for everything. These little tools helped users troubleshoot problems, automate tasks, and make their lives easier. However, many of these utilities have disappeared over the years, leaving behind only a few remnants from that era.

One such relic is PowerToys, which originated during Windows 95 development as a collection of small programs built by Microsoft engineers to test ideas or make their jobs easier. The name 'PowerToys' was likely chosen because it sounded neat, according to Raymond Chen, who worked on Windows. Today's PowerToys is bigger and shinier, but that same spirit survives.

Another useful utility from this era is System Configuration (MSConfig), which helps users isolate configuration and startup problems by letting them selectively load services and startup components. This feature was designed to untangle the complexity of Windows 9x startup, where a mess of configuration files and background programs could be difficult to manage.

Other notable utilities from this era include Disk Cleanup, Task Scheduler, and System File Checker. These tools were designed to help users find wasted space on their hard drives, schedule tasks automatically, and troubleshoot system problems.