Want to take a screenshot but nothing happens after pressing the Windows logo key + Shift + S shortcut? This can be very annoying. But don’t worry. In this post, we’ll show you how to fix the Windows + Shift + S not working issue easily and quickly.
Quick fix to Windows + Shift + S not working
Before you begin, try to kill the Screen Snipping process in Task Manager. Here’s how:
- On your keyboard, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc at the same time to open Task Manager.
- Under Background processes, right-click Screen Snipping and select End task.
Check to see if your problem is resolved. If not, don’t worry, there are a few fixes you can try.
Try these fixes
You don’t have to try all of them, just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.
- Enable notifications for Snip & Sketch
- Turn on clipboard history
- Reset Snip & Sketch
- Reinstall Snip & Sketch
- Check for Windows updates
- Use an alternative to take screenshots
Fix 1: Enable notifications for Snip & Sketch
Normally, when you take a screenshot by hitting the Windows logo key + Shift + S, a notification that says Snip saved to clipboard appears in the lower right corner of your screen. However, if you’ve turned off notifications for Snip & Sketch, you’ll have to turn them on again. Here’s how to do it:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key + I simultaneously to open Windows Settings, then select System.
- In the left panel, select Notifications & actions. Under Get notifications from these senders, locate Snip & Sketch and make sure it is set to On.
If you’ve enabled notifications for Snip & Sketch but the keyboard shortcut still doesn’t work properly, check out the next fix.
Fix 2: Turn on clipboard history
The screenshot you captured will be automatically copied to your clipboard. To view the screenshot, you can turn on clipboard history. Here’s how:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key + I simultaneously to open Windows Settings, then select System.
- In the left panel, select Clipboard, then turn on Clipboard history.
Now press the Windows logo key + Shift + S to take a screenshot and check if the screenshot appears on the clipboard by hitting the Windows logo key + V.
Fix 3: Reset Snip & Sketch
The Windows logo key + Shift + S allows you to take a screenshot without starting Snip & Sketch. But if this keyboard shortcut isn’t working right, you can try resetting Snip & Sketch. Here’s how:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key + I simultaneously to open Windows Settings, then select Apps.
- Under Apps & features, scroll down the page and click Snip & Sketch. Then select Advanced options.
- Click Reset.
- When prompted to confirm your action, click Reset again.
Once the process is finished, restart your computer and check if the Windows logo key + Shift + S hotkey works properly. If not, take a look at the next fix.
Fix 4: Reinstall Snip & Sketch
If resetting Snip & Sketch doesn’t help, try reinstalling this app. To do so:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key to open the Start menu. Then right-click Snip & Sketch and select Uninstall.
- In the pop-up window, click Uninstall again.
- After uninstalling Snip & Sketch, go to Microsoft Store to download and reinstall the app again on your system.
Once you’ve reinstalled Snip & Sketch, press the Window logo key + Shift + S to see if it works properly. If not, check out the next fix.
Fix 5: Check for Windows updates
Windows updates often contain bug fixes and security improvements. To ensure the snipping tool works properly, you should install the latest updates on your system. Here’s how to do it:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key + I at the same time to open Windows Settings. Then select Update & Security.
- Under Windows Update, click Check for updates. Windows will automatically scan for, download and install the available updates.
After installing all available updates, restart your computer and check if the Windows logo key + Shift + S shortcut works fine.
If this keyboard shortcut is still not working, consider using an alternative to take screenshots.
Fix 6: Use an alternative to take screenshots
If all the above methods fail to solve your problem, you can try either of the following ways to take screenshots.
Option 1 – Print Screen shortcut
The Print Screen or PrtScn key on your keyboard allows you to capture an image of your entire screen. To use this button, you need to enable it in settings. Here’s how:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key + I at the same time to open Windows Settings. Then select Ease of Access.
- In the left panel, select Keyboard. Under Print Screen shortcut, toggle the switch to On.
Now you can use the PrtScn key to open screen snipping.
Option 2 – Snagit
Snagit is a simple and powerful screen capture and recording software. With Snagit, you can quickly take screenshots, add additional context, and share images, GIFs, or videos across your preferred platforms.
To take a screenshot with Snagit:
- Download and install Snagit.
- Open Snagit. Then select Image, click the Shortcut field and press the desired key combination on your keyboard. The new keyboard shortcut will appear in the field.
- Press the new shortcut you set in Step 2. The screen will be grayed out allowing you to select the screen area for capture by dragging the orange crosshairs.
- Once taken, the screenshot will open up in the Snagit Editor. From there, you can edit the image, such as cropping the image, blurring particular areas, and adding arrows, shapes, icons or text. Once done, you can choose to save it on your desktop, copy it to your clipboard, email it to someone or share it online.
That’s all for now. Hopefully, this post helped you solve the snipping tool shortcut (Windows + Shift + S) not working issue. If you have further questions or suggestions, feel free to drop us a line.
