7 things you can do to try to get your Windows snipping tool shortcut working again

End Task

1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Click the Processes tab.
3. Find SnippingTool.exe under Processes.
4. Right Click SnippingTool.exe and then click End Task.

Restart your computer

If the above doesn’t work, you can always try to restart your computer. While this may seem a bit too easy, sometimes that is all it takes. Restarting your computer can help fix a number of issues, so it is always worthwhile to try before getting into more technical fixes to your issues.

Enable notifications

1. Open the Settings app and select System > Notifications.
2. Enable notifications by clicking the On switch if it isn’t already on.

Update keyboard drivers

1. Press the Windows Key + X and then select Device Manager.
2. Click the drop-down icon next to the Keyboards option in Device Manager.
3. Right-click on your keyboard and click Update Drivers.
4. Click Search Automatically for drivers and follow the instructions.

Update Windows

1. Open the Settings app and click Windows Update.
2. Click the Check for updates button, and follow steps to run the update if available.

Reinstall snipping tool

1. Open the Settings app, click Apps on the left side, and then click Installed Apps.
2. Find the Snipping Tool app, click the 3 dots, and then click Uninstall.
3. Once it is uninstalled, visit the Microsoft Store so you can download and freshly reinstall the Snipping Tool.

If all else fails, use an alternative tool

If all the above options fail to get the Snipping Tool working again, there is no harm in downloading an alternative. There are many alternatives to choose from, so just head on over to the Windows Store or your favorite search engine to find one that suits your needs. The Windows Snipping Tool is quite basic, so you will likely find one that has a few more options that may even work out better for you.

Alternatives like Lightshot are available for both Windows and Mac and come with some added features. Lightshot will allow you to make some small edits right on the capture before saving it. Also, if you don’t want to save the capture to your PC, you can upload it online and Lightshot will give you a short link directly to the file within seconds, something I have yet to see be available in the Windows Snipping Tool.

While the Windows Snipping Tool is convenient since it comes preinstalled on Windows devices, a third party app will, most of the time, offer more features which could save you even more time. For me, the whole point is being able to capture your screen (or just part of it) efficiently, so we might as well make it as efficient as possible.