Snipping Tool is a useful tool for taking and editing screenshots in Windows 11. Snipping Tool is a native Windows tool that works well for the most part, with a few minor glitches.
You’ve come to the correct spot if your Snipping Tool has stopped working or won’t open. We’ll walk you through some troubleshooting steps that should get the Snipping Tool back up and running. So, let’s get started.
1. RESTART THE APP
It’s possible that the launch of the Snipping Tool app was hampered by a mistake. As a result, you can restart the programme to see if it helps. To do so, start the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Select the Snipping Tool programme from the Process tab and click the End Task button at the bottom.
Now go ahead and launch Snipping Tool again to see if it works fine now.
2. USE KEYBOARD SHORTCUT
If restarting the app doesn’t help, you can try using the keyboard shortcut to see if it works. Press Windows Key + Shift + S on your keyboard to open the Snipping Tool on your PC.
3. ALLOW SNIPPING TOOL TO RUN IN BACKGROUND
If the Snipping Tool isn’t responding to its shortcut then it’s possible that the app doesn’t have the necessary permission required to run in the background. You can visit the Settings menu to change that. Here’s how.
Step 1: Open the Start Menu, click on the Settings icon to quickly launch the Settings app on your PC. Alternatively, you can also use the shortcut Windows Key + I to achieve the same.
Step 2: In the Settings app, switch to the Apps tab on your left, and go to App & features.
Step 3: Use the search box to locate the Snipping Tool app quickly. Now use the three-dot menu on its right to open Advanced options.
Step 4: Under Background apps permission, use the drop-down menu to choose Always from the list.
That’s it. Now close the Settings app and use the shortcut to open the Snipping Tool.
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4. REPAIR OR RESET THE APP
Apps on Windows 11 are bound to run into problems occassionally. Thankfully, your Windows PC is also capable of repairing these app problems on its own. Here’s how to repair the Snipping Tool app on Windows 11.
Step 1: Click on the Search icon at the bottom, type in snipping tool, right-click on the first result to choose App settings from the menu.
Step 2: Scroll down to the Reset section and click on the Repair button.
If repairing the app doesn’t help, then you can try resetting the app itself. Note that resetting the app will delete your entire app data.
5. RUN SFC SCAN USING THE COMMAND PROMPT
Among other reasons, Snipping Tool not working issue may also arise due to corrupted or damaged system files on your PC. In such cases, running an SFC (System File Checker) scan might help. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start menu icon to choose the Windows Terminal (admin) option from the resulting menu.
Step 2: Type the command mentioned below and press Enter.
SFC /scannow
Wait for the process to complete. Once done, restart your PC and launch the Snipping Tool app to see if it works fine.
6. DISABLE FOCUS ASSIST
Notifications Disable the Focus Assist from the Action Center after capturing a screenshot. If that resolves the problem, you may move the Snipping Tool programme to the top of your priority list and use it with Focus Assist activated. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Click on the search tool on the Taskbar, type in focus assist, and click on the first result that appears.
Step 2: Now click on the Customise your priority list option.
Step 3: Under Apps, click on the Add an app button to include Snipping Tool to your priority list.
7. WINDOWS APP TROUBLESHOOTER
Your Windows 11 PC also has a dedicated app troubleshooter to detect and fix minor app issues on Windows 11. Here’s how to run it.
Step 1: Click on the Search tool, type in troubleshoot settings, and click on the first result that appears.
Step 2: Now go to Other Troubleshooters.
Step 3: Scroll all the way down to the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter and click on the Run button.
Once the troubleshooting process finishes, check if the Snipping Tool is working fine.
GETTING BACK TO SNIPPING
For many of us, Snipping Tool is still a valuable tool. Any issues with the app might have a significant impact on productivity. However, if the problem persists, you might want to investigate using third-party screenshot tools like ShareX or Snagit.