Is it the Win+Shift+S key or the mouse loading for a brief moment, and nothing happens afterward when you try to launch the Snip & Sketch tool?
Even if the app launches fine, you may not be able to copy a snip to the clipboard or save it on your machine. Whatever it is, it indicates that snip & sketch is not working as it should on Windows 10.
This write-up contains every possible solution to fix the snip and sketch app permanently. Without further ado, let’s jump in.
Why Is My Snip And Sketch Not Working?
Snip & Sketch is not working due to app data corruption, outdated app and graphics driver, disabled snip and sketch notification, incorrect date settings, or interfering programs and services. Each of the underlying problems requires a specific approach to get resolved.
See, the graphics driver acts as the communicator between the hardware and the operating system. It’s accountable for rendering images and videos. When the driver is full of bugs or broken, it can not process all these instructions; hence snip and sketch poses a lot of issues, from the app crashing to freezing the entire system.
On another note, other programs and services can interfere with snip and sketch, such as the Xbox game bar and One drive. Both can take screenshots. So it’s possible that these programs conflicting with the snip and sketch application.
Speaking of interference, when you use the Win+Shift+S shortcut to launch snip and sketch, it shows the currently captured image with a notification. So if the notification is disabled, you cannot access it at all.
How to Fix Snip and Sketch Not Working
Getting Snip & Sketch tool operational from a not working state requires a procedural approach. Not all methods will work for everyone.
That said, the fixes I’m about to share will definitely recover the snip and sketch app tool. You can also wipe out the snipping tool not working situation in a similar fashion.
So here goes the methods to resolve snip and sketch tool issues:
1. Reset Snip & Sketch App
The obvious and most handy fix for an unresponsive Snip & Sketch app is to reset it within Windows 10. But before that, start with the simplest procedure — restart your computer and check if the app is functional again.
Nothing changed?
Just follow the steps below to reset Snip & Sketch program:
- Access Windows Settings by typing settings in the search bar.
- Go to Apps > Apps & Features.
- Search for Snip & Sketch tool and click on it.
- Select Advanced options.
- Scroll through the window and click on Reset.
Upon completion, all your preferences and settings will be deleted. Try to open Snip & Sketch to check if it’s up and running again. Refer to the next method if resetting doesn’t help.
2. Enable Snip and Sketch Notifications
After taking a screenshot, you may not find the saved snip anywhere on your machine. That’s on account of the Snip & Sketch notification being disabled. So, you need to turn it back on to access the current snip right away, or even if you want to check it moments later, it’s visible in the notification history.
To enable snip and sketch notifications, do the following:
- Use Win + I shortcut to open Settings quickly.
- Move to System > Notifications & actions.
- Turn on Get notifications from apps and other senders toggle.
- Make sure Snip & Sketch notification is enabled under Get notifications from these senders.
Take a snip now, and you will see a notification pop up just in the bottom right corner of the screen. You can now copy or save the captured image to your preferred drive location.
Read our latest post for Snipping Tool shortcut.
3. Run System Maintenance Troubleshooter
In the event of random Snip & Sketch app crashing with error messages such as Snip & Sketch stopped unexpectedly, Snipping Tool is not working on your computer, or screen freezing, you need to look deep into any sort of performance issues on your machine.
System Maintenance Troubleshooter is a great way to locate and fix problems that lie within Windows OS.
Refer to the below procedure to run a system maintenance troubleshooter:
- Type system maintenance in the search bar.
- Click on Perform recommended maintenance tasks automatically from the bottom of the search results.
- Click on Next from the newly appeared floating window.
- Choose the Try troubleshooting as an administrator option.
- Give admin permission to start the operation.
It will automatically scan for issues and recommend if any action is necessary. Sometimes it may suggest no modification at all, but you may still experience issues with the sketch tool.
Therefore, if difficulties persist, move on to the next fix.
4. Run SFC and DISM Command
Issues in system integrity, such as damaged and corrupted files, which can force the apps and programs to behave unexpectedly. And Sketch and Snip is no exception. One viable solution is to repair the damaged files and restore them. And here, the System File Checker(SFC) and Deployment Image Service and Management (DISM) come to play.
Here’s how you can execute an SFC and DISM command on Windows 10:
- Write powershell in the Windows Search bar.
- Launch the Windows PowerShell terminal as an administrator.
- Type or copy and paste sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
- Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth once the SFC scan is complete.
Both of the commands can take several minutes to complete. Be patient until the execution is done. Then go back and try out the Snip & Sketch program one more time. It should work fine.
Follow our guide to know about 4 quickest ways to take screenshots on Windows 11.
5. Disable Focus Assist
The report of an active focus assist causing the Snip & Sketch app to crash is too many. It happened on my work computer as well. Simply disable this feature, and Snip & Sketch should be operational again.
Below is the process to disable focus assist:
- Press Win + A to access Action Center.
- Keep clicking on Focus Assist until it is set to Off.
Launch Snip & Sketch now, and it should perform as intended.
6. Set Correct Date & Time
Incorrect system date & time are often provocative to problematic app functionality. At worse, this can expand the effect by initiating app launch errors or no response after double-clicking on a program.
Follow is how you can set the correct date and time on your computer:
- Get to Settings by holding down Win + I on the keyboard.
- Head for Time & Language > Date & Time.
- Toggle on Set time automatically.
- Move on to the Time zone and choose the correct region as per your location.
- Click on Synchronize your clock.
With this, your computer will now have the correct time and date. Open snip and sketch to see if it works now.
7. Update Snip & Sketch
Every so often, the snip & sketch stops working if it is behind any scheduled update. So, update the app to rule out such a possibility. It can also fix bugs and performance issues.
To update Snip & Sketch:
- Type store in the Windows Search bar and Open Microsoft Store.
- Sign in to your Microsoft account by clicking on the avatar icon on the top. If you are already logged in, you can skip this step.
- Search for Snip & Sketch app. Unfortunately, it’s not available with the latest version of the store. As a replacement, update the Snipping Tool app.
Once the update is done, try to launch the app and check if it is in working order.
8. Re-Register Snip & Sketch Tool Via PowerShell
Registering Windows apps again helps to sort out issues when they are not working. This is effective for the Snip and Sketch app too.
To re-register Snip & Sketch app do the following:
- Type powershell in the search bar and open it with admin privileges.
- Write Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.ScreenSketch | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”} and press Enter on your keyboard.
The app registration process via this command takes a few minutes. Once it completes, inspect whether the snip and sketch tool is in order.
If the not working problem still holds true, check the next method.
Here is a complete guide about how to use Snipping Tool?
9. Update Display Driver
Graphics or display driver is the reason you can see images and videos on your computer. It helps the graphics hardware to communicate with the operating system.
When the GPU driver is due for an update, it may not function properly and cannot compile a screenshot as a result. Thus, you see a screen freeze or blank canvas after taking a screenshot with the Snip & Sketch tool.
So, here’s how you can update the display driver on windows 10:
- Search Device Manager by typing device in the Windows Search bar.
- Click on the first search result to open it.
- Extend Display adapters from the device list.
- Right-click on the primary graphics hardware you use and choose Update driver.
- Select Search automatically for drivers online from the next screen.
By doing this, you are allowing windows to find the best driver for your hardware. After a successful update, the Snip & Sketch tool should work flawlessly.
Ending Remarks
So, that marks the end of the snip and sketch app concerns, such as the yellow border or keyboard shortcut not working. I hope you’ve already found the perfect fixes for your machine. If you face any further difficulties, leave a comment down below.
Have a nice day!
