PowerDirector Launcher Overview
A quick tour of PowerDirector's Launcher, where every project starts.
Updated Aug. 15, 2026 · 3 min read
In a hurry? Follow the quick guide.
Every PowerDirector project starts in the same place: the Launcher. It's the first screen you see when you open the program, and it's where you start new projects, reopen recent ones, and jump straight into popular tools. Here's a quick tour of what you can do there.
A Tour of the Launcher
Prefer to watch? Here's the full tour in a few minutes, or read through the sections below.
Open PowerDirector
Launch PowerDirector from the Start menu, or double-click the CyberLink PowerDirector shortcut on your desktop. The startup screen you land on is the Launcher.
Start or Reopen a Project
Click New Project to start from scratch. Projects you've made before show up in the list below, so you can pick one up where you left off. To find a specific one fast, type a keyword into the search box.
Switch Views and Sort
Use the view icon to toggle between Thumbnail View and Details View. In Details View, click the arrow next to Modified Date to sort projects by date, ascending or descending. The order carries over when you switch back to thumbnails.
Tidy Up Your Project List
Want to hide a project from the Launcher? Hover over it, click the trash icon in the lower-right corner, then choose Remove. This only hides it from the Launcher. The file stays on your computer, so you can still open it from where it's saved.
Open a Project from Your Computer
If a project isn't showing in the Launcher, find the Open Project button at the top of the project list, right next to the Projects heading.
That opens File Explorer. Browse to your project file, a .pds file, and click Open to load it.
Jump Straight into Tools
The Launcher also has shortcuts to popular PowerDirector tools. Hover over one to see a short description and preview, and click it to go straight to that feature. Need more? Click More on the right, or head to the Toolbox.
Explore the Toolbox
The Toolbox gathers PowerDirector's extra tools in one place. Hover over any tool for a quick demo of what it does, and use the dropdown at the top to filter tools by type.
Haven't got PowerDirector yet? The Launcher is the screen PowerDirector opens on, and every control it holds is there before you start a single project.
Download PowerDirector Free →FAQ About the Launcher
No. Remove only hides the project from the Launcher. The file stays on your computer, and you can reopen it any time with Open Project or from its saved location.
Click Open Project to browse your computer, then select the project's .pds file. You can also open it straight from the folder where it's saved.
Click More at the end of the shortcut row, or open the Toolbox and filter by tool type to see everything available.