chore: import upstream snapshot with attribution
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# PowerToys Runner
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The PowerToys Runner is the main executable (`PowerToys.exe`) that loads and manages all PowerToys modules.
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## Runner Architecture
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The Runner is responsible for:
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- Managing the tray icon
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- Loading and managing module interfaces
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- Handling enabling/disabling modules
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- Processing global hotkeys
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- Managing updates and settings
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### Key Components
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- Main CPP file manages the tray icon and modules
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- Creates a list of modules with DLL paths
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- Special handling for WinUI 3 apps (separated in different folder)
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- DLLs flattening for consistent versions
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- Runs as part of the Windows message loop
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- Creates a window handle with a specific class name
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- Registers itself as the window handler for components requiring a window handler
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### Process Flow
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1. Initialize logger
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2. Create single instance application mutex
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3. Initialize common utility code
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4. Parse command line arguments
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5. Start the tray icon
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6. Initialize low-level keyboard hooks
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7. Load module interfaces from DLLs
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8. Start enabled modules
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9. Enter Windows message loop
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10. On exit, stop modules and clean up resources
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## System Tray Icon Implementation
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The system tray icon is one of the first components that starts when calling the `render_main` function:
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- Defined in `tray_icon.h` and `tray_icon.cpp`
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- Creates a popup window and registers as window handler via `start_tray_icon()`
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- Processes window messages through `tray_icon_window_proc()`
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- Uses `WM_COMMAND` and tray icon notifications for handling menu options
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- Handles left mouse clicks (distinguishes between single and double clicks)
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- Monitors taskbar creation to re-register the icon if needed
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- Uses `shell_notify_icon` to register with the system tray
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### Tray Icon Initialization and Message Processing
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- `start_tray_icon()` initializes the tray icon by:
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- Creating a window with the specified class name
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- Setting up the notification icon data structure (NOTIFYICONDATA)
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- Registering for taskbar recreate messages
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- Adding the icon to the system tray
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- `tray_icon_window_proc()` processes window messages, including:
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- Handling `wm_icon_notify` messages from tray icon interactions
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- Distinguishing between left-click, double-click, and right-click actions
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- Showing context menus or opening Settings windows based on interaction type
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### Communication with Settings UI
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When the tray icon is clicked or a menu option is selected, the Runner communicates with the Settings UI:
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- For quick access flyout (left-click):
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```cpp
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current_settings_ipc->send(L"{\"ShowYourself\":\"flyout\"}");
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```
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- For the main dashboard (menu option or double-click):
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```cpp
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current_settings_ipc->send(L"{\"ShowYourself\":\"Dashboard\"}");
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```
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### IPC Communication Mechanism
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- The Runner and Settings UI communicate through Windows Named Pipes
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- A two-way pipe (TwoWayPipeMessageIPC) is established between processes
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- JSON messages are sent through this pipe to control UI behavior
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- The Settings UI initializes the pipe connection on startup:
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```csharp
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ipcmanager = new TwoWayPipeMessageIPCManaged(cmdArgs[(int)Arguments.SettingsPipeName],
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cmdArgs[(int)Arguments.PTPipeName],
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(string message) => {
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if (IPCMessageReceivedCallback != null && message.Length > 0) {
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IPCMessageReceivedCallback(message);
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}
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});
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```
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### Settings UI Message Processing
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The Settings UI processes incoming IPC messages through a callback chain:
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1. Messages from the Runner are received through the IPC callback
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2. Messages are parsed as JSON objects
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3. Registered handlers in `ShellPage.ShellHandler.IPCResponseHandleList` process the messages
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4. The `ReceiveMessage` method in `ShellPage` interprets commands:
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- For flyout display: `"ShowYourself": "flyout"`
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- For main window: `"ShowYourself": "Dashboard"` or other page names
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When showing the flyout, the tray icon can also send position coordinates to place the flyout near the tray icon:
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```json
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{
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"ShowYourself": "flyout",
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"x_position": 1234,
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"y_position": 567
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}
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```
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The flyout window is then activated and brought to the foreground using native Windows APIs to ensure visibility.
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### Tray Icon Menu
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- Menus are defined in `.RC` files (Resource files)
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- `base.h` defines IDs
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- `resources.resx` contains localized strings
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- The tray icon window proc handles showing the popup menu
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## Centralized Keyboard Hook
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- Located in "centralized_keyboard_hook.cpp"
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- Handles hotkeys for multiple modules to prevent performance issues
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- Contains optimizations to exit early when possible:
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- Ignores keystrokes generated by PowerToys itself
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- Ignores when no keys are actually pressed
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- Uses metadata to avoid re-processing modified inputs
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- Performance consideration: handler must run very fast as it's called on every keystroke
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## Module Loading Process
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1. Scan module directory for DLLs
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2. Create the module interface object for each module
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3. Load settings for each module
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4. Initialize each module
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5. Check GPO policies to determine which modules can start
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6. Start enabled modules that aren't disabled by policy
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## Finding and Messaging the Tray Icon
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The tray icon class is used when sending messages to the runner. For example, to close the runner:
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```cpp
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// Find the window with the PowerToys tray icon class and send it a close message
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WM_CLOSE
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```
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## Key Files and Their Purposes
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#### [`main.cpp`](/src/runner/main.cpp)
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Contains the executable starting point, initialization code and the list of known PowerToys. All singletons are also initialized here at the start. Loads all the powertoys by scanning the `./modules` folder and `enable()`s those marked as enabled in `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys\settings.json` config. Then it runs [a message loop](https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/win32/winmsg/using-messages-and-message-queues) for the tray UI. Note that this message loop also [handles lowlevel_keyboard_hook events](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/blob/1760af50c8803588cb575167baae0439af38a9c1/src/runner/lowlevel_keyboard_event.cpp#L24).
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#### [`powertoy_module.h`](/src/runner/powertoy_module.h) and [`powertoy_module.cpp`](/src/runner/powertoy_module.cpp)
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Contains code for initializing and managing the PowerToy modules. `PowertoyModule` is a RAII-style holder for the `PowertoyModuleIface` pointer, which we got by [invoking module DLL's `powertoy_create` function](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/blob/1760af50c8803588cb575167baae0439af38a9c1/src/runner/powertoy_module.cpp#L13-L24).
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#### [`tray_icon.cpp`](/src/runner/tray_icon.cpp)
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Contains code for managing the PowerToys tray icon and its menu commands. Note that `dispatch_run_on_main_ui_thread` is used to
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transfer received json message from the [Settings window](/doc/devdocs/settings.md) to the main thread, since we're communicating with it from [a dedicated thread](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/blob/7357e40d3f54de51176efe54fda6d57028837b8c/src/runner/settings_window.cpp#L267-L271).
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#### [`settings_window.cpp`](/src/runner/settings_window.cpp)
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Contains code for starting the PowerToys settings window and communicating with it. Settings window is a separate process, so we're using [Windows pipes](https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/win32/ipc/pipes) as a transport for json messages.
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#### [`general_settings.cpp`](/src/runner/general_settings.cpp)
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Contains code for loading, saving and applying the general settings.
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#### [`auto_start_helper.cpp`](/src/runner/auto_start_helper.cpp)
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Contains helper code for registering and unregistering PowerToys to run when the user logs in.
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#### [`unhandled_exception_handler.cpp`](/src/runner/unhandled_exception_handler.cpp)
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Contains helper code to get stack traces in builds. Can be used by adding a call to `init_global_error_handlers` in [`WinMain`](./main.cpp).
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#### [`trace.cpp`](/src/runner/trace.cpp)
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Contains code for telemetry.
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#### [`svgs`](/src/runner/svgs/)
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Contains the SVG assets used by the PowerToys modules.
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#### [`bug_report.cpp`](/src/runner/bug_report.cpp)
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Contains logic to start bug report tool.
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#### [`centralized_hotkeys.cpp`](/src/runner/centralized_hotkeys.cpp)
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Contains hot key logic registration and un-registration.
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#### [`centralized_kb_hook.cpp`](/src/runner/centralized_kb_hook.cpp)
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Contains logic to handle PowerToys' keyboard shortcut functionality.
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#### [`restart_elevated.cpp`](/src/runner/restart_elevated.cpp)
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Contains logic for restarting the current process with different elevation levels.
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#### [`RestartManagement.cpp`](/src/runner/RestartManagement.cpp)
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Contains code for restarting a process.
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#### [`settings_telemetry.cpp`](/src/runner/settings_telemetry.cpp)
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Contains logic that periodically triggers module-specific setting's telemetry delivery and manages timing and error handling for the process.
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#### [`UpdateUtils.cpp`](/src/runner/UpdateUtils.cpp)
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Contains code to handle the automatic update checking, notification, and installation process for PowerToys.
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