Closing everything when you're done working feels productive. Then you spend twenty minutes reopening tabs, restoring folders, and reconstructing whatever workflow you had running. PowerToys Workspaces helps by restoring window positions. Rewind goes further by saving what you actually had open, including browser tabs. But each approach has blind spots worth understanding.
How PowerToys Workspaces Works
Workspaces saves which applications are open and where their windows sit on your screen. When you restore a workspace, the windows return to their saved positions. This is useful if you've built a specific layout—DAW on the left, browser on the right, terminal in the corner—and you want that arrangement back without manually repositioning everything.
The limitation is clear: Workspaces restores windows, not their contents. Your browser opens to a new tab. Your file explorer opens to your home directory. Whatever you were actually doing is lost.
How Rewind Works
Rewind captures your open applications, folders, and browser tabs. When you restore a saved state, your tabs come back. Your file explorer returns to the folder you were browsing. Sticky notes reappear with their content intact.
The catch is that Rewind relies on a browser extension for tab capture. The extension only works with Chromium-based browsers like Chrome, Brave, and Edge. Firefox users are out of luck. Installing the extension requires enabling developer mode and loading an unpacked extension, which adds a step compared to a standard browser add-on.
Rewind also doesn't save your window positions. After restoration, your apps open but may not land where they were before. You'll need to arrange them yourself.
Direct Comparison
| Feature | PowerToys Workspaces | Rewind |
|---|---|---|
| Window positions | ✓ Restores exact spots | ✗ Windows may scatter |
| Browser tabs | ✗ Opens to new tab | ✓ Restores tabs (Chromium only) |
| Folder locations | ✗ Opens to Home | ✓ Returns to saved folder |
| App contents | ✗ Lost | ✓ Most content preserved |
| Setup complexity | Simple install | Requires extension setup |
| Browser support | All browsers | Chrome, Brave, Edge only |
In direct comparison: PowerToys put windows back where they belong. Rewind put the actual work back into the windows. Neither tool is complete on its own.
Why It Matters
The tradeoff is significant. If your workflow depends on tab organization—sorting research across dozens of browser tabs—Rewind is the better choice despite its limitations. If you care more about window placement and don't mind rebuilding your tabs, Workspaces handles that more cleanly.
Neither tool creates a true session snapshot. They capture what they can and restore what they captured. Expecting them to behave like hibernation or sleep mode leads to disappointment.
Who Should Care
Choose Rewind if:** You research across many tabs, work in Chromium browsers, and need to preserve folder context between sessions.
Choose PowerToys if:** You maintain specific window layouts for different tasks and don't rely heavily on tab state.
Use both if:** You're willing to accept that Rewind won't restore your window positions and Workspaces won't restore your tabs. Run both and handle each limitation manually.
A practical example
Say you write articles that require multiple browser windows: one for research, one for the CMS, one for communication. You also keep specific folders open for reference materials. Closing PowerToys and hitting restore returns your window layout. Opening Rewind returns your tabs and folders. If both tools worked together smoothly, that would be ideal. Until then, pick the one that matches what you actually need to recover.
What to watch next
Both tools are actively developed. PowerToys adds features regularly, and Rewind is a younger project with more room for improvement. Firefox support for Rewind's extension would significantly broaden its appeal.
Key takeaways
- PowerToys Workspaces restores window positions only; Rewind restores actual work content
- Rewind requires a Chromium browser extension for tab capture; Firefox is not supported
- Neither tool preserves window positions on restore
- The tools complement each other and can be used together
- Firefox users should enable built-in session restore alongside Rewind
Frequently asked questions
Can I use both tools together?
Yes. They don't conflict. You could use Rewind for tabs and Workspaces for window positioning, accepting the limitations of each.
Does Rewind capture everything I have open?
It captures more than you might expect. In testing, a setup with four visible apps turned out to be 47 applications when you include background processes. You can untick items before restoring to exclude background apps.
Is Rewind actually free?
Yes. The developer offers it as a free download with no paywall or subscription.
Does PowerToys require installation?
Yes. PowerToys installs through the Microsoft Store or as a direct installer from GitHub.
What happens to my window positions after using Rewind?
Your windows will open but won't return to their previous spots. You'll need to arrange them yourself after restoration.