Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7
+ 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 

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7
+ I keys to open Settings and then System.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

Step 2. Modify Snip & Sketch App Permissions.

1. Open the Start menu

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7
, right-click on Snip & Sketch app and select More > App Settings.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

2. In App Permissions section set Pictures to On.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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 

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7
+ I keys to open Settings and open Apps.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7
+ R keys to open the run command box.
2. Type regedit  and press Enter.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

5. Type 1 in value data and click OK.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7
+ R keys to open the run command box.
2. Type gpedit.msc & press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

5. Select Not Configured and hit OK.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

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

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

  • sfc /scannow

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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.

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

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

Way 3: Press the Windows

Windows Shift S not working Windows 7
+ 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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Windows Shift S not working Windows 7

How do I enable shift S in Windows 7?

Inside the main screen of the Settings window, click on Ease of Access..
Click on the Keyboard option from the left sidebar..
On the right page, scroll down the keyboard settings and find the option to Use the PrtScn button to open screen snipping..
Turn the feature on by toggling the box underneath..

Why window shift S is not working?

If you've turned off notifications for the Snip & Sketch tool, the shortcut might be working, but you're just not seeing the result. You can quickly fix this issue by turning the notifications back on. This way, once you press the Windows + Shift + S shortcut, a message will appear in the bottom-right corner.

How do I enable Ctrl Shift S?

Method 2: By Enabling Clipboard History Step 3: Next, on the left side of the pane, select Clipboard. Step 4: Now, go to the right side of the pane and under Clipboard history section, slide the toggle to the right to turn it on. You should now be able to use the Windows + Shift + S hotkey to capture screenshots.

How do you take a screenshot on Windows 7 without Snipping Tool?

Depending on your hardware, you may use the Windows Logo Key + PrtScn button as a shortcut for print screen. If your device does not have the PrtScn button, you may use Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar to take a screenshot, which can then be printed.