On Windows 10/11, you can press the Windows + Shift + S keys to open up Snip & Sketch, a built-in screenshot annotation tool that allows you to take screenshots, photos, and other images, then save, paste, or share them across other applications on Windows 10/11. However, many Windows users report that Windows + Shift + S is not working on their computers. We’ll look at the possible causes in this article and provide you with troubleshooting steps to fix this problem.
How is Snip & Sketch Supposed to Work?
When pressing Windows + Shift + S, the Snip and Sketch app is supposed to open, and from here, you can take either a full or partial screenshot image of your screen and save it to the Windows clipboard. After taking the screenshot with the Snip & Sketch app, you’ll be given a notification that the snipped image has been copied to the Windows clipboard, and you can now use the app to save the image, share it, or add comments to it. Unfortunately, many users have reported that the Windows + Shift + S keys have stopped working entirely on Windows 10/11, and the Snip & Sketch app no longer opens after running Windows updates. If you’re encountering Windows Shift + S not working, here are a few troubleshooting steps that can help you fix the issue.
9 troubleshooting methods for Windows + Shift + S not working
In the methods below, we will walk you through the exact steps you need to take to fix the Snip & Sketch shortcut. You will find steps for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 to make it easy for you to follow along.
1. Make sure Snip & Sketch / Snipping Tool works.
The first step is to make sure that the Snip & Sketch application works. To check it:
On Windows 10
- Search for “Snip & Sketch” in your computer’s search menu and open it up.
On Windows 11
- Search up the “Snipping Tool” and open it up.
If the app opens and you’re able to take a screenshot, then the Windows + Shift + S keyboard shortcut should also work. You can close the app.
Consider physically cleaning your keys to make sure that debris isn’t the cause of the failed shortcut.
2. Enable Snip & Sketch in your settings.
If you’re trying to use the Snip & Sketch tool for the first time, you may still need to enable it. To do so:
On Windows 10
- Start by opening your computer’s Settings, either through the Start Menu or by pressing the Windows key + I simultaneously.
- Locate and select Apps, then select Apps & Features from the menu on the left.
- Find Snip & Sketch in the list on the right, expand it, and select Advanced Options.
- Toggle both app permissions to the On position, if they are not already, in order to enable the app.
On Windows 11
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 from the Windows 10 steps above.
- In the App List, search for the Snipping Tool.
- To the right-hand side of the Snipping Tool, click the 3 dots.
- Choose Advanced Options from the menu.
- Under App Permissions, toggle on the Pictures to enable the Snipping Tool to take screenshots.
3. Enable clipboard history toggle.
Much like the Copy/Paste command, Snip & Sketch makes use of your computer’s clipboard, albeit in a different manner, and as such, will need to access its history. To enable this:
On Windows 10
- Open your computer’s Settings, either through the Start Menu or by pressing the Windows key + I simultaneously.
- Locate System in the grid and click it.
- Then select Clipboard from the menu on the left.
- Toggle the option under the Clipboard History heading to the On position.
On Windows 11
- Repeat step 1 from above.
- Locate and select System from the left-hand sidebar panel.
- Under the system, scroll until you see Clipboard in the right-hand list.
- Click into the clipboard option.
- Toggle on the clipboard history.
4. Make Snip & Sketch a priority by turning off Focus Assist.
If you have Focus Assist turned on, it could be muting the notifications from Snip & Sketch (Win 10) or the Snipping Tool (Win 11), which will result in Windows + Shift + S not working. Here is how to turn it off.
On Windows 10
- In your computer’s search (start) menu, type in “settings”.
- Under the settings window, click on System.
- In the left-hand sidebar panel, find Focus Assist.
- Click into Focus Assist and toggle it off.
- Then under the Priority Only option, click on customize your priority list.
- In the priority list window, scroll down to apps, and click add an app.
- Add the Snip & Sketch app to this list.
On Windows 11
- Repeat step 1 from above.
- Locate and select System from the left-hand sidebar panel.
- Under the system, scroll until you see Focus Assist in the right-hand list.
- Click into the Focus Assist option.
- Click into Focus Assist and toggle it off.
- Then under the Priority Only option, click on customize your priority list.
- In the priority list window, scroll down to apps, and click add an app.
- Add the Snipping Tool to this list.
5. Reset Snip & Sketch via Advanced Settings.
You can reset most apps to a default state in order to resolve issues that have appeared over time. To accomplish this:
On Windows 10
- Start by opening your computer’s Settings, either through the Start Menu or by pressing the Windows key + I simultaneously.
- Locate and select Apps, then select Apps & Features from the menu on the left.
- Find Snip & Sketch in the list on the right, expand it, and select Advanced Options.
- Find the Reset button and click it, then restart your computer.
On Windows 11
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 from the Windows 10 steps above.
- In the App List, search for the Snipping Tool.
- To the right-hand side of the Snipping Tool, click the 3 dots.
- Choose Advanced Options from the menu.
- Find the Reset button and click it, then restart your computer.
6. Reinstall Snip & Sketch via the Advanced Settings.
If an app’s files or settings become missing or damaged, it tends to malfunction, leaving you with almost no way of knowing if this is the case. In these situations, it may be best to simply remove and freshly reinstall the program.
On Windows 10
- Bring up your computer’s Settings by pressing the Windows key + I simultaneously.
- Locate and select Apps, then click Apps & Features from the corresponding menu.
- Find Snip & Sketch in the list on the right, expand it, and click the Uninstall button to remove it from the computer.
- From here, you’ll need to open the Microsoft Store. You can do this by searching for it in the Start Menu.
- Search the store for the “Snip & Sketch” app.
- Once you’ve found the correct app, download and install it, following the on-screen instructions
On Windows 11
- Follow steps 1 and 2 from above.
- Find the Snipping Tool app in the list on the right.
- To the right-hand side of the Snipping Tool, click the 3 dots.
- In the appearing menu, click on the Uninstall option to remove it from the computer.
- Finally, follow steps 4, 5, and 6 from above, searching instead for “Snipping Tool”, to reinstall the program.
7. Set Print Screen to open Snipping Tool.
On the off-chance that some combination of the Windows, Shift and S keys isn’t functioning properly, you can try changing the keyboard shortcut.
- Open your Settings window and click on Ease of Access/Accessibility. These are your computer’s accessibility features.
- Enter into the Keyboard option.
- Under the heading Print Screen Shortcut, toggle the option to use the PrtScn button to open screen snipping to the On position.
8. Repair component store and system files with the DISM and SFC tools.
If you’re still having issues, the next step is to repair your component store and system files with DISM. This will fix any corrupt or missing system files that could be causing the Windows + Shift + S keyboard shortcut not to work.
To run DISM on Windows 10 and 11:
- In your computer’s search (start) menu, type in “CMD” or “Command Prompt”.
- Right-click on the app and choose to run as administrator.
- In CMD window, type in the following command and hit Enter:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup - Wait until the process has finished successfully.
- Then run the command line:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth - Once this command has been completed successfully, run the System File Checker (SFC) by typing in “sfc /scannow” and pressing Enter.
- Wait until SFC has checked and repaired your Windows system files.
- Once the repairs are complete, reboot your computer, and see if Windows + Shift + S is working.
Note: If you run into an SFC /Scannow error when starting the scan, don’t worry. We have written dedicated articles on what to do if SFC scannow is not working, including:
- Windows Resource Protection Could Not Perform The Requested Operation
- Windows resource protection could not start the repair service
9. Troubleshoot with a Clean Boot.
If the Windows + Shift + S keyboard shortcut is still not working, try troubleshooting with a clean boot. This will disable all startup programs and windows services that can help identify if any of these programs are interfering with the Windows + Shift + S keyboard shortcut.
- In your computer’s search (start) menu, type in “System Configuration”.
- Under the General tab, choose the selective startup option.
- Then uncheck the load startup items option and hit okay.
- Reboot your computer in the clean boot mode and check to see if the Windows + Shift + S is working.
If the Windows + Shift + S is not working after a clean boot, you may need to use an alternative option to take screenshots for the time being. You can use your print screen option as outlined above, or you can use a third-party program to take snapshots.
Conclusion
If you’ve been having trouble with the Windows + Shift + S shortcut not working on Windows, try out these troubleshooting steps. With any luck, one of them will help you get the shortcut working again so you can take screenshots on Windows with ease. Did these troubleshooting steps help you fix the Windows + Shift + S shortcut not working on your computer? Let us know in the comments below.
