Bug: PowerToys Peek integration doesn’t work if not installed in default location

[sao-coding]

Description

When using PowerToys Peek in the Files app, pressing the space key to trigger the preview does nothing. PowerToys Peek works as expected in Windows File Explorer, but it does not launch when invoked from within Files.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Install PowerToys with Peek enabled.
2. Enable Peek and confirm the activation shortcut (default: Space) in PowerToys settings. 
3. Open the Files app and select a file.
4. Press the space key.

Files Version

4.0.34.0

Windows Version

10.0.26200.7840

User ID

6c3adc14-69ad-4b95-b196-ebedb73c7bc3

Log File

debug.log

[Josh65-2201]

Thanks for the report, please update to 4.0.38 https://files.community/docs/getting-started/install , restart your computer and try again

[sao-coding]

I’ve tried updating to 4.0.38 and restarted my PC, but it still doesn’t work.

2026-04-08.13-18-27.-.Trim.mp4

[Josh65-2201]

Files can not use the settings shown in Power Toys, they are only for Windows File Explorer.

• Can you make sure that the preview action has a key assigned in Files settings > Actions > Launch preview in popup window
• Does typing C:\Program Files\PowerToys\WinUI3Apps or %localappdata%\PowerToys\WinUI3Apps in Windows File Explorer open to a folder?
• What version of Power Toys are you on?

[sao-coding]

1. I think he made a mistake. because I can't use Ctrl + Space. Using Space directly works, but not in the Files app.

3. 0.98.1

[Josh65-2201]

Files can't use the settings from Power Toys they are for Windows File Explorer only, you have to follow the instruction I gave in my last message for the Files one.

It also seems your Power Toys install is not in the two normal locations, you may have to reinstall Power Toys https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases

[yair100]

@sao-coding can you clarify how you installed PowerToys? On our end PowerToys is always installed to the same location and we use those paths to locate the Peek launcher.

[sao-coding]

I think I’ve identified the issue.
When I installed PowerToys, I used a custom installation path instead of the default one. It’s located at:
D:\Programs\PowerToys
So the Peek executable should be under:
D:\Programs\PowerToys\WinUI3Apps
I usually install apps that allow custom paths into D:\Programs, which is why it’s different from the standard locations on your end.

[yair100]

How did you change the installation path? The installer doesn't seem to have an option for this.

[sao-coding]

[sao-coding]

Thanks for the clarification — that helps explain why it’s not working.

That said, relying only on fixed install paths feels quite limiting. While it works for default setups, it breaks as soon as PowerToys is installed in a custom location (which is a fairly common use case for some users).

From a design perspective, this makes the integration a bit fragile.

Would it be possible to make this more robust in the future? For example:

• detecting the installation dynamically (e.g. registry or system lookup), or
• allowing users to configure the Peek executable path manually

I think this would make the feature more reliable across different setups.

[Josh65-2201]

It will be looked at find the peek install location