Snipping Tool not working

The symptom tells you the cause. A tool that never opens is a different problem from one that dims the screen and then does nothing.

Updated 14 September 2026

Identify which failure you have#

• The app doesn't open at all, or opens and closes instantly → go to Repair and reset.
• The screen dims but no toolbar appears → the capture process is starting and failing. Same fixes, but try the certificate cause below first.
• It opens but captures are blank or black → not a Snipping Tool problem. Black screenshots
• The shortcut does nothing but the app works when clicked → a hotkey conflict; check apps that claim Win combinations.

1. Repair, then reset#

Repair keeps your settings; reset returns the app to a clean state.

1. Settings › Apps › Installed apps.
2. Find Snipping Tool, click the three dots, choose Advanced options.
3. Click Repair. Test.
4. If it still fails, click Reset. Test again.

This fixes the majority of cases and takes under a minute.

2. Reset the Store cache#

Snipping Tool is a Store app, and Store problems break it even though it came preinstalled.

Press Win+R, type wsreset.exe, press Enter. A blank window appears for a minute or two, then the Store opens. Test the Snipping Tool afterwards.

3. The expired certificate problem#

There's a known failure where Snipping Tool refuses to start because the app's signing certificate has expired. It affected Windows 11 machines whose updates were paused, and the symptom is a tool that used to work and abruptly stopped on a specific date.

The fix is a Windows update, which includes a renewed certificate:

Settings › Windows Update › Check for updates, install everything offered, restart.

If your updates are paused or managed by an employer, this is the cause worth checking first.

4. Reinstall it#

1. Settings › Apps › Installed apps, find Snipping Tool, uninstall.
2. Open Microsoft Store, search Snipping Tool, install.
3. Restart.

Reinstalling loses your settings, so re-enable auto-save afterwards.

5. Reinstall via PowerShell#

If the Store won't cooperate, register the app manually. Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin), and run:

Get-AppxPackage ScreenSketch | Reset-AppxPackage

If that reports nothing found, the package is genuinely missing and needs the Store route.

6. Check the shortcut isn't being stolen#

If the app works when you click it but Win+Shift+S does nothing, something else has that combination. Screen recorders, remote desktop clients and macro utilities are the usual suspects. Close them one at a time and retest.

While you wait: alternatives#

You aren't stuck. Win+PrtSc saves a full screen to Pictures › Screenshots without involving the Snipping Tool at all, and Alt+PrtSc copies the active window. Both are handled by Windows itself and can't be broken by an app problem. Every method