microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys
PTB Export/Import from CLI
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- Dominant language
- C
- Stars
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Description
Description of the new feature / enhancement
Command line options to import and export .ptb setting backups.
Scenario when this would be used?
Backing up and restoring PowerToys settings currently requires either using the buttons in the GUI or messing with the WinGet DSC yaml thing. The former, naturally, is not accessible from the CLI, and the latter can be overkill if PowerToys is the only thing being set up this way. While the .ptb backup is technically just a zip file and could be manually extracted into the settings folder, this is undocumented and overall just not ideal. Much better than Expand-Archive -Path "PowerToysBackup.ptb" -DestinationPath "$env:LocalAppData\Microsoft\PowerToys" -Force would be some variation of powertoys.exe --import PowerToysBackup.ptb.
Supporting information
Related issue: #4649
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by reviewing the existing PowerToys GUI backup and restore flow, then locate the command-line entry point for powertoys.exe. Read related issue #4649 for context. Done means supported CLI options can export and import .ptb backups without requiring the GUI or manual archive extraction.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Domain
- cli, desktop
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100