Snipping Tool is an extremely handy feature in the Windows operating system, as it gives the user the opportunity to capture certain regions of the display to share them with others. For instance, if you only want to show your friend a specific comment on a forum, the Snipping Tool software allows you to highlight the part that interests you instead of the entire screen.
Instead of launching the Snipping Tool from your Start Menu or from a desktop icon, there are a few keyboard shortcuts that can open the app easier. For instance, you can try out the Fn + PrtSc combination, or you can also use the Windows+Shift+S shortcut. But what can you do if the former one doesn’t work anymore? Surely, you still have the first shortcut, but wouldn’t it always be better to have two shortcuts than just one? Let’s find out the easy ways you can get the Windows+Shift+S shortcut working:
Check if your keys are okay
This one is pretty deductible: if there is any problem with your keyboard, such as your keys not working as they should because of dust or debris accumulated beneath them, it’s obvious that your magical shortcut won’t work anymore. Therefore, feel free to check out your keys to see if they’re okay and free from debris. Go ahead and clean them a bit using a dry cloth if it’s necessary, then try the Windows+Shift+S method again.
Repair and reset the app
Repairing and resetting your Snipping Tool right from the Windows operating system can solve the problem as well. Repairing should potentially fix any issues the app may have. After this step, you must reset the app to see if the problem has gone away.
However, you need to keep in mind that once you reset the app, the app data will go away completely. This means that any screenshot you’ve taken will disappear.
Therefore, here are the necessary steps:
- Press Windows + I to launch the Windows Settings menu.
- Head over to Apps, then choose Installed Apps.
- Look for the Snipping Tool app and select the three horizontal dots that appear on its side.
- Choose the Advanced Options option.
- Select the Repair button. This option will potentially fix the app.
That’s all. Your Snipping Tool should now be functional, so go ahead and put it to the test!
Enable the app
You might have also disabled the Snipping Tool by mistake, or maybe your cat stumbled upon your keyboard when you weren’t watching, causing the app to deactivate itself. In this case, you need to go ahead and enable the Snipping Tool once again, and the process is pretty simple:
- Select Windows + R and type gpedit.msc
- Select Enter
- Head over to User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Tablet PC, and finally select Accessories
- Double-click the Do not Allow Snipping Tool to Run option.
- Make sure there is a mark alongside the Disabled option.
- Select OK and restart your system.
That’s all. Check to see if the Snipping Tool can be accessed using the Windows+Shift+S shortcut.
Uninstall the last Windows update
If you’ve also been having problems with certain apps after installing the latest Windows update, well, first of all, welcome to the club! Probably all Windows users have been there because why would it be all sugar, spice, and everything nice?
Here’s what you need to do to uninstall one of the latest Windows updates:
- Press Windows+I to open the settings menu.
- Head over to Windows Update, Update History, and Uninstall Updates.
- Check the recently installed updates and hit the Uninstall option to get rid of the update that might have caused the problem.
- Restart your computer and check to see if the issue with the Snipping Tool is still there.
These were our tips to try to fix the Windows+Shift+S shortcut to open the Snipping Tool. Feel free to try them out, each at a time, and see if the issue will go away or not!
Tim M. Hill helped bring Digital-Overload from a weekly newsletter to a full-fledged news site by creating a new website and branding. He continues to assist in keeping the site responsive and well organized for the readers. As a writer to Digital-Overload, Tim mainly covers mobile news and gadgets.
