How to Fix Snipping Tool and Screenshots Not Working on Windows 11

•
My Technician
Windows 11AppsTroubleshootingFix

The Problem

PrtScn, Win + Shift + S, or the Snipping Tool app does nothing—or captures fail to save, open blank, or crash. Windows 11 routes screenshots through Snipping Tool and the Screenshots folder; broken app packages or permissions block the whole workflow.

App crashes in general? Use fix apps that keep crashing if multiple Store apps fail, not only Snipping Tool.

Symptoms

  • Overlay appears but paste into Paint is empty.
  • Snipping Tool opens then closes instantly.
  • Print Screen saves no file to Pictures\Screenshots.

The Fix: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Use the Correct Shortcuts

  1. Win + Shift + S → select region → thumbnail appears—click it to annotate or save.
  2. PrtScn copies full screen to clipboard; Win + PrtScn saves to Pictures\Screenshots.
  3. Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard → ensure Use the Print screen key to open Snipping Tool matches how you want PrtScn to behave.

Step 2: Repair Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch Stack

  1. Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Snipping Tool → Advanced options → Repair, then Reset.
  2. Update Snipping Tool via Microsoft Store → Library.
  3. If Store is broken, fix Microsoft Store not working first.

Step 3: Check Screenshots Folder Permissions

  1. Open File Explorer → Pictures → Screenshots (create the folder if missing).
  2. Right-click Screenshots → Properties → Security → your user needs Modify and Write.
  3. Ensure C: is not full—free up disk space if saves fail silently.

Step 4: Reset Clipboard and Overlays

  1. Enable clipboard history if you rely on Win + V after capture.
  2. Disable conflicting tools (ShareX, Greenshot, corporate DLP screen capture) that hijack PrtScn.
  3. Settings → Gaming → Game Bar → turn off Record game clips shortcuts temporarily if keys conflict.

Step 5: Reinstall via PowerShell

  1. Terminal (Admin): 
    Get-AppxPackage *ScreenSketch* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage *SnippingTool* | Remove-AppxPackage
  2. Reinstall Snipping Tool from Microsoft Store.
  3. Reboot and test Win + Shift + S again.

Step 6: Display Driver and RDP Edge Cases

  1. Update graphics drivers—HDR or scaling bugs sometimes break capture overlays.
  2. Remote Desktop sessions may block local capture—test on the physical console.
  3. For gaming captures, use Xbox Game Bar once Snipping Tool works for desktop shots.