AeroZoom

The magnifying glass in Windows is a very handy instrument when you need to zoom in on a specific area of the screen for a better look; but there are alternatives that offer a much improved experience.

AeroZoom is a simple tool created with the help of AutoHotkey scripting language that can provide various methods to enlarge specific portions of the screen.

The application can be installed on the system but the developer also offers a portable version that runs without having to go through this procedure.

Simply extract the contents of the downloaded archive and run the AeroZoom executable; the application automatically takes its place in the system tray area and responds to the shortcuts imposed by the developer.

AeroZoom may seem like it does not feature an interface or a settings area, but there is a panel that allows using the mouse in order to work with the application.

The area offers not just zoom-in and out options but also shortcuts to some Windows programs, such as the calculator, the snipping tool, Notepad, the virtual keyboard, Paint, Sticky Notes, Task Manager or Word Pad.

The action keys have been assigned by the developer so that there should be no conflict with other applications available on the system. To pull up the list of hotkeys and the actions supported by the application you can press Win+Alt+Q.

However, there is the possibility to customize them so that the aforementioned Windows resources can also be called easier.

The set of actions is quite diverse and comprises the possibility to quickly zoom into the currently focused area, bring the zoom value to normal or bring up the magnifier.

AeroZoom does add more flexibility to Windows’ innate magnifying capabilities. On the other hand, some users may find it has a steeper learning curve as there is much more bundled in than just the zooming options.