My Windows Productivity Toolkit
9 Essential Tools I Use Every Day

Why a Dedicated Productivity Tools Series?

Let's be honest—the default Windows experience leaves many basic operations feeling slow:

• Navigating folders layer by layer to find files;
• Opening Paint to edit after taking a screenshot;
• Launching a hundreds-of-MB editor just to open a Markdown file;
• Command prompt with no autocomplete and unsearchable history.

These problems can all be solved by switching to more specialized tools. The 9 tools below are the combination I've settled on after years of trial—ones I genuinely use every day. They cover file management, screenshots, text editing, search, command line, terminal, Markdown reading, knowledge management, and video editing.

The 9 Tools at a Glance

① Total Commander — The Evergreen File Manager

Total Commander is one of the first programs I install on a new machine. Dual-pane interface, incredibly rich keyboard shortcuts—copy, move, compare folders, and batch rename all done efficiently.

It may look a bit "old-school," but once you're used to F5 copy, F6 move, F7 new folder, it's hard to go back to File Explorer.

Detailed guide: Total Commander Getting Started Guide.

② PixPin — Screenshots Finally Done Right

I've tried many screenshot tools, and PixPin is my current favorite. Not only are its screenshot shortcuts convenient, but it also supports pinning, OCR recognition, long screenshots, and GIF recording, covering virtually all my screenshot-related needs.

The most-used feature is "pin": after capturing, one click pins it on top—super handy for writing docs, comparing data, or referencing code.

Detailed guide: PixPin Usage Guide.

③ Sublime Text — The Fastest Text File Editor

I mainly use Sublime Text for two things:

• Quickly opening a text file—instant;
• Fast editing of code snippets, config files, and logs.

Its startup speed and Multiple Selections are the core competitive advantages. While VS Code is more powerful, Sublime has virtually no rival when it comes to "fast."

Detailed guide: 10 Sublime Text Productivity Tips.

④ Everything — File Search by Name, Instantly

Windows' built-in search is slow—everyone knows this. Everything indexes filenames for millisecond-level search, making it one of my most-used tools daily.

Press Win + Space (or a custom shortcut), type a keyword, and instantly locate files. It only searches filenames, which is why it's so fast.

Detailed guide: Everything Advanced Search & Taskbar Integration.

⑤ Clink — Making CMD Actually Usable

Windows' native CMD is frustrating: no autocomplete, hard-to-navigate history, no line editing. Clink adds a Bash-like experience to CMD, including:

• Command and path autocomplete;
• History search (Ctrl + R);
• Syntax highlighting and enhanced line editing.

If you still use CMD occasionally instead of PowerShell, Clink is practically a must-install.

Detailed guide: Making CMD Work Better with Clink.

⑥ Windows Terminal — A Terminal That Looks Good

Windows now ships with Windows Terminal, supporting PowerShell, CMD, and WSL in multi-tab switching, with customizable color schemes and backgrounds.

It consolidates previously scattered command-line windows into one app, and with keyboard shortcuts for tab switching, the efficiency boost is noticeable.

Detailed guide: Windows Terminal Configuration Guide.

⑦ mdview — The Lightweight Choice for Reading Markdown

As someone who frequently reads READMEs, notes, and documentation, I don't want to launch a heavy editor every time I open a .md file. mdview solves exactly this: after installation, double-click .md to render and read, press Esc to exit.

• Installer only ~1.6 MB, startup is virtually imperceptible;
• Auto table of contents, light/dark themes, PDF export;
• Fully local, no file uploads.

It's not a competitor to Obsidian or Typora, but a complement: write and manage in Obsidian, quickly view with mdview.

Detailed guide: Getting Started with mdview.

⑧ Obsidian — My Second Brain

Obsidian is my primary tool for knowledge management and journaling. It stores everything as local Markdown files, supports backlinks, tags, and graph view, gradually organizing scattered notes into a network.

Compared to cloud-based notes, I prefer Obsidian's local-first approach: data stays on my computer, with Git or cloud sync for multi-device use.

Detailed guide: Obsidian Knowledge Management Getting Started.

⑨ CapCut — The Lazy Person's Video Editing Tool

I'm not a professional video creator, but occasionally need to edit a tutorial, screen recording, or short video. CapCut's auto-subtitles, massive templates, and simple timeline make this very low-barrier.

For regular users, it's far lighter than Premiere or DaVinci Resolve, with fast exports—completely sufficient.

Detailed guide: CapCut Quick Start Guide.

How They Work Together

These 9 tools aren't isolated—they form the basic workflow for my daily Windows usage:

• Finding files: Search by name with Everything → batch operations in Total Commander;
• Processing text: Quick editing in Sublime Text → viewing Markdown in mdview;
• Command line: Unified in Windows Terminal, CMD enhanced by Clink;
• Recording & creating: Knowledge managed in Obsidian → screenshots with PixPin → video output with CapCut.

Each one does only what it does best, but together they elevate the Windows experience significantly.

Series Articles (9 Published)

Here are the 9 detailed guides in this series, arranged in recommended reading order:

1. Total Commander Getting Started: Dual-Pane File Management 10x Faster
2. PixPin Usage Guide: Screenshots, Pinning, OCR, Long Screenshots All in One
3. 10 Sublime Text Productivity Tips: Make Your Editor Fly
4. Everything Advanced Search & Taskbar Integration: How Windows File Search Should Be
5. Making CMD Work Better with Clink: Autocomplete, History Search, and More
6. Windows Terminal Configuration: Multi-Shell Tabs, Themes, and Efficient Usage
7. Getting Started with mdview: Making Markdown Reading as Simple as Opening an Image
8. Obsidian Knowledge Management: Backlinks, Daily Notes, and Graph View
9. CapCut Quick Start: Auto-Subtitles, Templates, and Producing a Subtitled Short Video

If you're using any of these tools, feel free to share your tips on social media.