The Print Screen key used to dim the display and let me select an area for a screenshot, but it suddenly stopped doing anything. I left my PC unused for about two weeks, and when I turned it back on, Windows had installed a recent update. The setting to use Print Screen for screen capture appears to be enabled. Windows+Print Screen still captures the entire screen, but Windows+Shift+S does nothing. Could the update have affected the snipping shortcut, and how can I restore the old behavior?
3 Answers
First, restart the computer and try the shortcut again. It’s also worth testing with another keyboard in case the key itself is failing. Windows+Shift+S should normally open the area-selection snipping overlay, so if that shortcut also does nothing, the issue may be with the capture tool rather than just the Print Screen key.
Check the Windows setting under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard. The option is called “Use the Print Screen key to open screen capture.” Turn it off, restart, and turn it back on if necessary. An update may have changed or reset how the shortcut behaves.
I checked that setting, and it’s already enabled.
Windows+Print Screen only saves a full-screen image, so it won’t open the selection tool. Since the Print Screen capture setting is enabled but neither it nor Windows+Shift+S opens the overlay, try repairing or resetting the Snipping Tool app in Windows’ installed-app settings, then restart the PC. A recent update may have left the capture app or its shortcut in a broken state.
Windows+Shift+S doesn’t work either—it does nothing.