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Productivity

Use PowerToys Text Extractor and Always on Top

Two small PowerToys features remove daily friction: copying text straight out of a screenshot, and pinning one window above all the others.

by@guidox updated:10/31/26 time:10 min level:Beginner tested on:Windows 11 24H2 works on:Windows 10, Windows 11 tools:PowerToys
TL;DR

**Text Extractor** copies text from any region of the screen, **Always on Top** pins the active window. Both are keyboard shortcuts, both are off until you enable them.

Before you start

Requirements

  • PowerToys installed
  • Windows 10 or 11
  • Two minutes
Step by step

Instructions

01

Enable both modules

Text Extractor and Always on Top are separate entries in the PowerToys settings. Enabling them adds the shortcuts to the global hook, which is why an old install may not have them at all.

PowerToys > Text Extractor > Enable
PowerToys > Always on Top > Enable
02

Copy text out of anything on screen

Press the shortcut, drag a rectangle around the text and paste. It works on images, PDFs, videos and error dialogs that cannot be selected with the mouse.

Win + Shift + T
03

Add the OCR language you need

The recogniser uses the Windows language packs. Without the pack, non-Latin text turns into noise rather than characters, and the result looks like a broken feature.

Settings > Time & language > Language & region
⚠ warningInstall the language pack for recognition, not just the display language. They are separate downloads.
04

Pin a window above everything

Select the window and press the chord. A coloured border marks the pinned window; press again to release it. Handy for a reference document next to an editor.

Win + Ctrl + T
05

Change the shortcuts if they clash

Game overlays and screen recorders grab the same combinations. Rebind them in the module settings instead of disabling the feature you installed.

PowerToys > Text Extractor > Shortcut
tipThree-key chords with Win are the least likely to collide with a game's own bindings.
06

Know where they stop

Exclusive fullscreen games hide from both features, and DRM-protected video gives a black rectangle to the extractor. Everything drawn by the desktop compositor works.

Troubleshooting

Common issues

Text Extractor copies nothing

The module is off or the language pack is missing. Check both before assuming the shortcut is broken.

Garbage characters instead of text

Low resolution or the wrong recognition language. Zoom in, or install the matching pack.

The pin disappears after a restart

Expected. Always on Top is a session state, not a saved setting.

Another tool reacts to the shortcut

Two global hooks on one chord. Rebind one of them in its own settings.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Does Text Extractor need internet?

No. Recognition runs locally with the installed language pack.

Can I extract text from a video call?

Yes, as long as it is drawn by the desktop and not protected content.

How to undo this

Switch both modules off in PowerToys. The shortcuts stop responding immediately and nothing else on the system changes.

Changelog · 1 entry
  1. 2026-10-31
    First version
Interactive version: checklist, feedback, related guides →

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