Shortcuts in windows are very important as it helps us execute our tasks easily and quickly. One such keyboard shortcut is Window+Shift+S which lets us capture a portion of the screen and copies it to the clipboard. This feature works well most of the time but sometimes it may fail to respond and you need to know hacks that can help you enable it again.
Reason Why The Shortcut Is Not Working
There are numerous reasons why this shortcut is not working on your computer and one such reason is that any third-party application is probably causing some problems on your computer. This can also happen due to some problems with apps like the Snipping tool, snip and sketch tool, and the One Note shortcuts on your laptop or computer.
How To Fix Window+Shift+S On Your Computer
Normally when you press Window+Shift+S, the color of your window may change a bit and you can see a plus icon on one end that lets you cut out a portion on the screen and save it in your clipboard. However, if you are not able to do this, there is certainly some issue that you need to fix to be able to snip pictures on your computer. You can fix this shortcut issue on your computer by following these tips –
Clean The Keys On The Keyboard
When facing a problem with the Win+Shift+S, you should first try to fix this issue starting from the basics, like properly cleaning the keys of your keyboard. Perfectly clean the Win, Shift, and S keys on your keyboard, so that the problem can get resolved immediately. Use a cloth so that you can reach deeper and get the dust-out. However, if the keys are working perfectly fine and you are still not able to execute the shortcut, there is definitely some issue with the software.
Activate The Clipboard History Switch
You might not be able to save the snip because the clipboard history is turned off on your device. You can turn it on your device using the following steps –
For Windows 11
- Visit the Settings app on your device.
- Look for the system page and open it.
- Select clipboard on this page
- Now turn on the clipboard history button on this page.
For Windows 10
- Click the start button and look for Settings.
- Click on the system and then choose Sound
- Scroll down and you will find the clipboard option there.
- On this page, you will find the Clipboard History switch and click on the toggle to shift it to the On position.
Check If The Snip & Sketch Switch Is On
The Snip & Sketch switch is very important to enable the snip feature of the shortcut. And to enable this feature, you need to follow these steps –
For Windows 11
- Click on the Settings button and find the System tab under it and open it.
- Click the Notification button on the right side of the page.
- Choose the Notifications from apps and other senders.
- Find the Snipping Tool in this menu and turn on its switch.
For Windows 10
- Open the Settings window and choose the System option.
- Under it click on the Notifications and Actions section.
- Tap on the Snip & Sketch and turn the switch to the On position.
Reset The Snip And Sketch Tool
If you could not activate the shortcut even after executing the above-listed steps, try resetting the Snip and Sketch tool on your computer. Here is how you can also do it on your computer.
In Windows 11
- Open the Settings app on your computer and click on the Apps in the list.
- After this choose the Apps and Features option and then you will find a list of apps that are installed on your computer.
- In this list, you will find the Snipping Tool.
- After clicking on the snipping tool, click on the three dots next to its name.
- In the next window click Advanced Options.
- Scroll down until you find the Reset button.
- Click on it to reset the Snip and Sketch Tool.
In Windows 10
- After opening the settings window click on Apps.
- Now select Apps and Features and click on Snip and Sketch in this list.
- Look for the Advanced Options button and click on it.
- Tap on the Reset Button and the app will get reset.
Reinstall The Snip And Sketch App
If the problem still persists in the app uninstall it and reinstall it again from the Microsoft store. In both the operating systems, you can do this by visiting Apps and Features under Apps in Settings.
Print Screen Button Is A Good Replacement
You can also use the PrntScrn key instead of the Win+Shift+S shortcut to take screenshots on your device. However, to enable the snipping feature you need to follow these steps –
- Open Settings by clicking on Windows + I or you can open it from the start menu.
- Now choose the Ease of Access option and under that open the Keyboard window.
- Look for the Use the PrtScrn button to open the screen snipping on the page and enable it.
These were some of the popular ways in which you can restore the functionality of the Win+Shift+S shortcut on your computer. And if you still could not find the right way to solve this issue, you should get in touch with the customer support center of Microsoft and explain the issue.
