FIX: Snip and Sketch not working or Win SHIFT S does not work on Windows 10 (Solved)

The Snip & Sketch is a screenshot utility that comes with Windows 10 and allows you to take a snapshot of your screen and copy/save or share it on other apps. Because some users report that the hotkey "Windows + SHIFT + S"  to open the 'Snip & Sketch' tool is not working, I decided to write all the available methods to solve the problem.

To take a snapshot using Snip & Sketch, press the Windows + SHIFT + S key, and then select the area of your screen that you want to capture in an image from the snipping bar on the top. After taking the screenshot, you'll be informed (with a notification), that the snipped image is copied to the clipboard so you can paste it into any other application or add comments, save it or share it using the Snip & Sketch application.

If after pressing  the "Windows + SHIFT + S" keys the Snip & Sketch application doesn't open, follow the methods below to fix the problem.

How to fix: Windows + SHIFT + S key combination does not work (SNIP & SKETCH no working) on Windows 10.

Method 1. Modify Snip & Sketch Notifications & Settings.

Step 1. Enable Notifications from Apps.

1. Press Windows  + I keys to open Settings and then System.

2. Select Notifications & actions on the left and then enable Notifications on the right.

Step 2. Modify Snip & Sketch App Permissions.

1. Open the Start menu , right-click on Snip & Sketch app and select More > App Settings.

2. In App Permissions section set Pictures to On.

3. Close Snip & Sketch settings and try to take a screenshot by pressing the Windows + SHIFT + S shortcut key.

Method 2. Reset Snip & Sketch app.

Another method to fix the "Win SHIFT S does not work" issue is to reset Snip & Sketch app:

1. Press Windows  + I keys to open Settings and open Apps.

2. At the right pane, select the Snip & Sketch app and click on Advanced options.

3. Click the Reset button and then click Reset again on the warning message.to delete app's data.

4. Restart the PC and check if the issue persists. If the Win SHIFT S still does not work, proceed to the next method.

Method 3. Uninstall and re-Install Snip & Sketch.

1. Follow the steps 1 & 2 above to open Snip & Sketch Advanced Options.
2. Click the Uninstall button to remove Snip & Sketch app and restart your PC

3. After restart, download and install Snip & Sketch on your PC.

4. Finally, try to take a screenshot by using the "Win + SHIFT + S" key combination and if it does not work, proceed reading below.

Method 4. FIX Snip & Sketch not Working using Registry.

* Note: If you're using Windows 10 PRO skip to next method.

1. Press Windows + R keys to open the run command box.
2. Type regedit  and press Enter.

3. In Registry Editor navigate to the following key:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\App Management

4. At the right pane, open the COMClassStore REG_DWORD value.

5. Type 1 in value data and click OK.

6. Restart your PC and try to open Snip & Sketch tool.

Method 5. FIX: "Win SHIFT S does not work" issue using Group Policy.

* Note: This method works in Windows 10, 8 or 7 Professional versions and in Windows Server versions.

1. Press simultaneously the Windows + R keys to open the run command box.
2. Type gpedit.msc & press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.

3. At the left pane navigate to:

• Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System.

4. At the right-pane double-click to open the Download missing COM components policy.

5. Select Not Configured and hit OK.

6. Close the Group Policy Editor and restart your computer.

Method 6. Repair Windows Component Store & System Files.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. In command prompt give the following command and press Enter:

• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

3. When the process is completed, give the following command:

• DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

4. When the DISM operation is completed, type the following command and hit Enter:

• sfc /scannow

5. Now wait until the System File Checker repairs the Windows System Files.
6. When the repair is completed, restart your PC and check if the problem has resolved.

Method 7. Use an Alternative Way to Take Screenshots.

If after following the above methods the Snip & Sketch app or the "Windows + SHIFT + S" shortcut key doesn't work, you can use one of the following ways to take screenshots in Windows 10:

Way 1: Open Snip & Sketch by pressing the PrtScn (Print screen) key: To enable that feature, go Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard and set the Use the PrtScn button to open snipping to On.

Way 2: Press the Print screen key (PrtScn) to copy a full screen shot on the clipboard.

Way 3: Press the Windows + Print screen key to take a screenshot of your screen and then navigate to Pictures\Screenshots folder to find it.

Way 4: Use another a Free third-party screenshot application to take and annotate snapshots like ShareX or PicPick

That’s all folks! Did it work for you? Please leave a comment in the comment section below or even better: like and share this blog post in the social networks to help spread the word about this solution.

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Konstantinos Tsoukalas

Konstantinos is the founder and administrator of Repairwin.com. Since 1995 he works and provides IT support as a computer and network expert to individuals and large companies. He is specialized in solving problems related to Windows or other Microsoft products (Windows Server, Office, Microsoft 365, etc.).

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