On-demand desktop open-item highlighter

Description of the new feature / enhancement

I’d like to propose a PowerToys utility that temporarily highlights desktop icons whose corresponding folders, and later possibly certain files, are currently open.

The key idea is that this should be on-demand only. The user would trigger it with a hotkey, tray toggle, or PowerToys command, briefly see which desktop items are active, and then dismiss the mode so the desktop returns to normal.

Scenario when this would be used?

This would be useful for people who treat the Windows desktop as a live workspace rather than a minimal drop zone.

On crowded desktops, it can be hard to tell which project folders are already open in File Explorer or which important items are already in use. That leads to repeated visual scanning, extra cognitive load, and sometimes accidentally opening duplicates.

It’s also helpful when users want to reorganize their desktop by moving files and folders around. Being able to see which desktop items are already open makes it easier to decide what to keep, what to close, and where to move things without losing track.

This seems especially useful for:

crowded desktops,
multi-project workflows,
large or high-resolution displays with many small icons,
and users who want a quick visual audit rather than a permanent state indicator.

Supporting information

Suggested V1 scope:

Windows 11 desktop support on x64 and ARM64 systems.
On-demand toggle only, not always-on.
Folder-first detection in File Explorer.
Temporary visual markers drawn independently of shell overlays.
Automatic cleanup when the mode is turned off.
I think a temporary rendering layer is a better fit than shell icon overlays. Shell overlays are constrained, only one overlay can appear per icon, and common tools such as OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, and Tortoise clients already rely on them. An on-demand rendering layer seems more compatible with real-world setups and better aligned with the intended “inspect, then dismiss” workflow.

A possible visual treatment would be a partial corner frame rather than a full rectangle, so the marker is clear without making the desktop feel overly boxed in. Attached are two mockups of a desktop illustrating this. The first is of Desktop Open Folder Highlighter which a depiction of V1. The second is for the ultimate objective Desktop Open Item Highlighter in V2 in which PDFs and Microsoft 365 files that are open are also highlighted, which is considerably more difficult than just open folders. However, this would be of great utility and worth pursuing after V1 is completed and stable.

Supporting docs repository:
https://github.com/madhav-kavuru/powertoys-desktop-open-item-highlighter-proposal

Desktop Open Folder Highlighter V1

Desktop Open Item Highlighter V2

No implementation files, entry points, or tests are identified in the issue. Start by reviewing the linked supporting proposal and the existing PowerToys utility architecture, then clarify the V1 detection and rendering design; done would mean an approved, working on-demand folder-highlighting utility with cleanup on dismissal.