Why does Win+Shift+S fail but the Snipping Tool app still opens?

The shortcut and the app launch different parts of the tool. Win+Shift+S uses the Screen Snipping component, which depends on the clipboard service and notification toast. The app window relies on a separate UI host. If Win+Shift+S fails but the app opens, check clipboard history (Win+V), Focus Assist, and notification settings first.

Is there a default hotkey I can change?

Yes. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and toggle "Use the Print screen key to open screen snipping." That maps PrtScn to the snipping overlay. You can't rebind Win+Shift+S itself in Windows, but tools like PowerToys Keyboard Manager let you add custom shortcuts that launch Snipping Tool.

Does Snipping Tool need an internet connection?

No. It captures and saves locally. The app only touches the network if you use Share (to open email or Teams) or if cloud apps like OneDrive auto-upload your screenshots folder. If the tool hangs on launch, your network isn't the problem — check fix 1 and fix 9.

How do I fix the expired certificate bug?

If you see a certificate error, run Windows Update (fix 7). Microsoft pushed a fix in patch KB5008295. If your PC can't install updates, a temporary workaround is to set your system date back to before October 31, 2023, open the app once, then turn automatic date back on. Don't leave your clock wrong long term — it breaks HTTPS in browsers.

Is Snipping Tool the same as Snip & Sketch?

Not anymore. Microsoft merged the two in 2021. Modern Windows 11 ships a single app called Snipping Tool that combines both. If you still see Snip & Sketch listed in your Start menu, remove it with the PowerShell command in fix 9 and install the current Snipping Tool from the Microsoft Store.

What if my snipping tool expired certificate is still the problem?

This one hit millions of PCs in late 2023. The permanent fix is Windows Update (fix 7) plus a Microsoft Store update for the app itself. If those fail, use the PowerShell reinstall (fix 9) to pull a fresh certificate-signed copy from the Store.

Fix Snipping Tool Not Working Windows 11 (2026 Guide)

# Snipping Tool not working on Windows 11? Here's how to fix it

You hit Win+Shift+S, and nothing happens. Or the Snipping Tool opens, you drag a region, and the app crashes. Or Windows tells you "This app can't open." If any of that sounds familiar, you're in the right place.

This guide walks through 13 fixes for the snipping tool not working problem, ordered from fastest to most advanced. Most people are up and running after fix 1 or 2. If you've been at this for a while, skip to the PowerShell reinstall.

The 30-second fix (works for most people)

If you don't have time to read, try this first:

Open Settings (Win+I) > Apps > Installed apps.
Find Snipping Tool, click the three dots, then Advanced options.
Scroll down and click Repair.
Try Win+Shift+S again.

That fixes roughly 7 out of 10 cases. If it's still broken, keep reading.

Why Snipping Tool is not working on Windows 11

A few common culprits cause the snipping tool shortcut not working issue:

Clipboard history is off. Win+Shift+S copies to the clipboard first. If clipboard history is disabled and no notification pops up, the snip looks lost.
Focus Assist or Do Not Disturb is on. The tool fires, but the "click to annotate" toast never appears.
Expired certificate bug. Microsoft shipped a version with a certificate that expired on October 31, 2023. Older un-updated installs still hit this.
Corrupt app package. A failed Windows update can leave the Snipping Tool app package damaged.
Print Screen remap conflict. Third-party tools (ShareX, Greenshot, OneDrive) may steal the hotkey.
Wrong default app. After a Windows update, the screenshot default sometimes flips to something else.

One last tip before the fixes: if you've been trying random things for 20 minutes, reboot your PC first. A fresh start resolves a surprising number of stuck-service problems for free. Then work down this list in order.

Fix 1: Repair and reset the Snipping Tool app

This is the single highest-hit fix for a snipping tool app broken state.

Press Win+I to open Settings.
Go to Apps > Installed apps.
Search "Snipping Tool," click the three-dot menu, choose Advanced options.
Scroll to the Reset section.
Click Repair first. It keeps your settings.
If Repair doesn't help, click Reset. That wipes app data but keeps the install.

Windows 11 Settings showing the Snipping Tool Advanced options with Repair and Reset buttons

Try Win+Shift+S again. If the tool now opens but your screenshots vanish, that points to a clipboard issue. On to fix 2.

Fix 2: Turn on Clipboard History

Snipping Tool copies each snip to the clipboard. If clipboard history is off and no toast notification fires, you may think the app is broken when it's actually working fine.

Press Win+V.
If clipboard history is off, click Turn on.
Take a snip. You should see it listed.

If the snip shows up in Win+V but no notification appears, the tool is fine. You just need to enable notifications. Move to fix 3.

Fix 3: Enable Snipping Tool notifications

Open Settings > System > Notifications.
Make sure the master toggle at the top is On.
Scroll down to the app list and find Snipping Tool.
Toggle it On, and open the row to confirm "Show notification banners" is enabled.

No banner means no "click to annotate" prompt. The snip is saved, but you can't edit it. This is one of the most common reasons people think snipping tool won't open when it's actually working silently.

Fix 4: Turn off Focus Assist and Do Not Disturb

Focus Assist (renamed "Do Not Disturb" in recent Windows 11 builds) blocks the Snipping Tool toast.

Open Settings > System > Notifications.
Turn Do not disturb Off.
Expand Turn on do not disturb automatically and disable any rules that might trigger during your work hours.

Try a capture again. If the toast shows up this time, you've found the problem.

Fix 5: Check the Print Screen key setting

Windows 11 can route the PrtScn key to launch Snipping Tool. If that setting is off, the key does nothing, which feels like the tool is broken.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
Find Use the Print screen key to open screen snipping.
Toggle it On.

Press PrtScn. The snipping overlay should appear. Win+Shift+S also still works as a separate shortcut.

Fix 6: Restart Windows Explorer

Sometimes the shell gets stuck and overlays (including Snipping Tool's dim layer) stop rendering.

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
On the Processes tab, find Windows Explorer.
Right-click it and choose Restart.

Your taskbar will flicker for a second. Try Win+Shift+S. A surprising number of win shift s not working reports clear up with this single step.

Fix 7: Update Windows and the Snipping Tool

An old build can carry the expired certificate bug or other patched issues.

Update Windows: Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates > install everything.
Update the app: open the Microsoft Store > Library (bottom left) > Get updates.

Restart your PC after both finish. For historical context on why Microsoft ships these patches, the Microsoft release health dashboard tracks known issues by build.

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Fix 8: Run SFC and DISM scans

When the problem isn't in the Snipping Tool package itself but in Windows system files, these two built-in scans clean things up.

Click Start, type "cmd," right-click Command Prompt, choose Run as administrator.
Run this first:

sfc /scannow

Wait for it to finish. If it reports repaired files, reboot and test.

Still broken? Run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This pulls clean component files from Windows Update. It can take 10-20 minutes. Reboot when it's done.

Windows 11 PowerShell terminal showing SFC and DISM repair commands running

Fix 9: Reinstall Snipping Tool via PowerShell

If reset didn't help and the app shows "this app can't open," a clean reinstall usually does the trick.

Click Start, type "powershell," right-click Windows PowerShell, choose Run as administrator.
Remove the app:

Get-AppxPackage *ScreenSketch* | Remove-AppxPackage

Reboot your PC.
Open the Microsoft Store, search "Snipping Tool," and click Install.

This wipes every trace of the broken install. It's the most reliable fix for a reset snipping tool that still won't cooperate.

Fix 10: Check third-party hotkey hijackers

Apps that capture PrtScn or Win+Shift+S will block Snipping Tool silently. The usual suspects:

OneDrive (Settings > Backup > "Automatically save screenshots I capture to OneDrive")
Dropbox (Preferences > Backups > "Share screenshots using Dropbox")
ShareX, Greenshot, Lightshot, Flameshot
PowerToys Keyboard Manager custom remaps

Open each one, disable its screenshot hotkey, and test. If you only use one of these, it may be more reliable than Snipping Tool anyway. See our best snipping tool alternatives for Windows for the current lineup.

Fix 11: Test a new Windows user profile

If nothing above works, the issue may be tied to your user profile, not the OS.

Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users.
Click Add account > I don't have this person's sign-in information > Add a user without a Microsoft account.
Sign into the new account and try Win+Shift+S.

If it works in the new profile, your main profile has a broken Snipping Tool setting or a corrupt AppData folder. Copying settings over from the new profile is faster than a full OS reinstall.

Fix 12: Clean boot to rule out background apps

A clean boot starts Windows with only Microsoft services. It's a fast way to prove whether a background app is the real villain.

Press Win+R, type msconfig, press Enter.
On the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
Click Startup > Open Task Manager. Disable every startup item.
Reboot.

Test Snipping Tool. If it works now, re-enable services one group at a time until the tool breaks again. The last group you turned on is your problem. When you're done, reverse all the changes in msconfig and Task Manager so your PC boots normally.

Fix 13: Use a reliable alternative

If you've tried all 12 fixes and Snipping Tool still crashes, it's time to accept that the free built-in tool isn't serving you. You have three good options:

Win+PrtScn — saves a full-screen PNG to Pictures > Screenshots. No app needed.
Xbox Game Bar (Win+G) — built into Windows 11, handles region and window capture.
A dedicated screenshot app — see our best screenshot tools for Windows or windows screenshot shortcuts guide.

For people who need a tool that just works every time, ScreenSnap Pro is worth a look. It's $29 one-time (no subscription), runs on Windows and Mac, and covers screenshots, GIFs, screen recording, and 15 annotation tools in a single app. If Snipping Tool keeps breaking after Windows updates, a $29 one-time purchase beats troubleshooting every quarter.

Split view comparing a broken Snipping Tool error with a clean ScreenSnap Pro capture workflow

Quick troubleshooting table

Symptom	Try this first
Win+Shift+S does nothing	Fix 1 (Repair), Fix 10 (hotkey conflict)
Snipping Tool won't open	Fix 1 (Repair), Fix 9 (PowerShell reinstall)
App opens, crashes on capture	Fix 1 (Reset), Fix 8 (SFC/DISM)
No notification after snip	Fix 2 (Clipboard), Fix 3 (Notifications), Fix 4 (Focus Assist)
"This app can't open" error	Fix 9 (PowerShell reinstall)
Certificate error	Fix 7 (Update Windows)
PrtScn does nothing	Fix 5 (Accessibility > Keyboard)

When Snipping Tool is working again

Once you're back up, it's worth learning a few keyboard shortcuts so you don't waste time on menus next time:

Win+Shift+S — region snip
PrtScn — opens Snipping Tool (if enabled in Accessibility)
Win+PrtScn — full screen saved to Pictures > Screenshots
Alt+PrtScn — active window to clipboard

For the full list, see our screenshot on Windows 11 guide. If you're also on a Mac, the Mac screenshot shortcuts post has the macOS equivalents.

Need to mark up a capture after you take it? A free image annotation tool like our image annotation tool works right in the browser, no install needed.

A small habit that saves pain later

Once a month, check for Windows updates and Microsoft Store app updates together. Most Snipping Tool failures we see in the wild trace back to a skipped patch. Ten minutes every four weeks is the cheapest insurance policy in Windows.

And if you use Snipping Tool daily for work, pin it to your taskbar. The app launches faster from the taskbar than from the Start search box, and you can right-click the icon to access recent snips without opening the main window. Small detail, but it pays off over hundreds of captures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrapping up

Nine times out of ten, a broken Snipping Tool comes back to life after Repair or Reset in Advanced options. If that fails, the PowerShell reinstall clears almost every remaining case. When even that doesn't stick, it's usually a third-party hotkey conflict or a corrupt user profile.

If Snipping Tool breaks again after the next Windows update — and it will for some people — remember that a paid tool like ScreenSnap Pro costs less than an hour of troubleshooting and doesn't depend on Microsoft shipping a clean build. $29 one-time, works on Windows and Mac, no subscription. Your time is worth more than free.