Enable or Disable Use Print Screen Key to Open Screen Snipping in Windows 11 Tutorial

Staff

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off to use the Print Screen key to open screen snipping for your account in Windows 11.

The Snipping Tool app includes a built-in screen recorder and allows you to quickly take and annotate screenshots, photos and other images with your pen, touch, or mouse and save, paste or share with other apps.

If you like, you can use the Print Screen key to open screen snipping.

If you turn off Use the Print screen button to open screen snipping, a screenshot of your display(s) will be taken and saved to the Clipboard when you press the Print Screen key.

If you turn on Use the Print screen button to open screen snipping, screen snipping will open when you press the Print Screen key.

Starting with Windows 11 build 22621.1928, pressing the print screen key will now open Snipping Tool by default.

If you have a screenshot or imaging app installed, the app could override and use the Print Screen key instead.

Based on other app settings, you might need to restart your computer to apply turning this on or off.

Contents

Option One: Turn On or Off Use Print Screen Key to Open Screen Snipping in Settings
Option Two: Turn On or Off Use Print Screen Key to Open Screen Snipping using a REG file

Option One

Turn On or Off Use Print Screen Key to Open Screen Snipping in Settings

1 Open Settings (Win+I).

2 Click/tap on Accessibility on the left side, and click/tap on Keyboard on the right side. (see screenshot below)

Open Keyboard Settings

3 Turn On (default) or Off Use the Print screen button to open screen snipping for what you want on the right side under On-screen keyboard, access keys, and Print screen.

5 You can now close Settings if you like.

Option Two

Enable or Disable Snap Layouts for Maximize Button using a REG file

1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.

2 To Turn On Use Print Screen Key to Open Screen Snipping

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_ON_use_Print_Screen_button_to_open_screen_snipping.reg

Download

(Contents of REG file for reference)

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard]
"PrintScreenKeyForSnippingEnabled"=dword:00000001

3 To Turn Off Use Print Screen Key to Open Screen Snipping

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_OFF_use_Print_Screen_button_to_open_screen_snipping.reg

Download

(Contents of REG file for reference)

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard]
"PrintScreenKeyForSnippingEnabled"=dword:00000000

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn Brink

newguy

New member

Jun 5, 2023

#2

This no longer works in WIN11
there is no way to disable the built in OS native print screen key mapping, or to remove the snipping tool completely.
PrintScreen key is now owned by the OS

My Computer

System One

OS

Win11

Brink

Administrator

Staff member

MVP

Thread Starter

Jun 5, 2023

Staff
#3

newguy said:
This no longer works in WIN11
there is no way to disable the built in OS native print screen key mapping, or to remove the snipping tool completely.
PrintScreen key is now owned by the OS

Hello,

This will only turn on or off having the Print Screen key only used by Screen Snipping for the Snipping Tool app.

My Computers

System One System Two

OS

Windows 11 Pro for Workstations

Computer type

PC/Desktop

Manufacturer/Model

Custom self build

CPU

Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz

Motherboard

ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390

Memory

64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)

Graphics Card(s)

ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)

Sound Card

Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)

Monitor(s) Displays

2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"

Screen Resolution

2560x1440

Hard Drives

1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
1TB Samsung 980 PRO M.2,
6TB WD Black WD6001FZWX
8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS

PSU

Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W

Case

Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted

Cooling

Corsair Hydro H115i

Keyboard

Logitech wireless K800

Mouse

Logitech MX Master 3

Internet Speed

1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload

Browser

Google Chrome

Antivirus

Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium

Other Info

Logitech Z625 speaker system,
Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Operating System

Windows 11 Pro for Workstations

Computer type

Laptop

Manufacturer/Model

HP Spectre x360 2in1

CPU

i7-1065G7 3.9 GHz

Memory

16 GB LPDDR4-3200

Graphics card(s)

Intel Iris Plus

Sound Card

Intel SST

Monitor(s) Displays

13.3" 4K UWVA AMOLED multitouch

Screen Resolution

3840 x 2160

Hard Drives

512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD

Browser

Google Chrome

Antivirus

Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium

You must log in or register to reply here.

General Enable or Disable Use Print Screen Key to Open Screen Snipping in Windows 11