Print Screen not working on Windows 11

By Neel Gajjar · Updated 15 October 2026

On Windows 11, Print Screen doesn't always do what people expect. Microsoft's keyboard shortcuts page says it lets you select a region of the screen, with a setting to turn that off, while its Snipping Tool page says it takes the whole screen. Both say the picture goes to the clipboard, so it can look as if nothing happened if you were expecting a file. Try these in order. The first three cost nothing and take a minute each.

Did it work, and you can't find the picture?

Press Print Screen, then open Paint or a chat window and press Ctrl + V. Microsoft's help for Windows says Print Screen copies the picture to the clipboard, so that's where it goes. If the picture pastes, the key works.

If you wanted a file, press Windows key + Print Screen instead. Microsoft's keyboard shortcuts page says it saves the whole screen in Pictures › Screenshots, and its page on the print screen shortcut adds that this depends on your hardware. Microsoft's page says OneDrive's "Save screenshots to OneDrive" feature is no longer available in its settings, so if a guide tells you to switch it off, you may not find it. Where are screenshots saved on Windows 11? and saving them automatically cover where a file goes.

Is Print Screen set to open screen snipping?

Open Start › Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard and look for Use the Print Screen button to open screen snipping. Microsoft says that on Windows 11 the key lets you select a region and copies it to the clipboard, and that you can turn that off here. Flip the switch, press Print Screen again and see which behaviour you want. Check it even if you haven't changed anything.

Does your laptop need the Fn key?

Dell's page on the Print Screen key says that on a laptop the key is commonly on the function-key row and often needs Fn with F10 or another function key. It says laptops with illuminated function rows may need the function layer switched on first, and that some laptops use Fn + Insert when they have no Print Screen key. Dell adds that if its instructions don't seem to apply to your keyboard, you should refer to your device's user guide for model-specific key layouts.

Microsoft's page on the print screen shortcut says that, depending on your hardware, if your device doesn't have a Print Screen button you may use Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar to take a screenshot.

Is another program using the key?

Other software can change what Print Screen does. Dropbox's help page says its screenshot saving works with Print Screen or Control-Print Screen on Windows, and tells you to turn off the Windows setting that opens the Snipping Tool when you press the key. Logitech's page on Print Screen in Logi Options+ says that from version 1.86 the app's Screen Capture action no longer works like the Print Screen key, and a separate Print Screen action does. To use it, open Logi Options+, click your device, click Keys or Buttons, select the key and choose the Print Screen action. If you run a screenshot app of your own, check which keys it has set.

Does Windows key + Shift + S do nothing?

Microsoft lists that shortcut under the Snipping Tool, so the app is the next suspect. Its page on repairing apps says to open Start › Settings › Apps › Installed apps, select the More icon (the three dots) next to the app, choose Advanced options, and select Repair if it's there, or Reset if it isn't or Repair doesn't help. If that fails, Microsoft's page on uninstalling and reinstalling the Snipping Tool has installers to download for 64-bit, 32-bit and ARM64 Windows. Snipping Tool not working goes through it in more detail.

Is it the keyboard?

Here's a test that needs no second PC. Press Windows key + Shift + S. If that works and Print Screen doesn't, look at the Print Screen switch and the other programs above before you blame the keyboard.

Microsoft's page on mouse and keyboard problems says to check the connection, try another USB port, check the batteries and make sure no dirt is blocking the keys. For a device that doesn't seem to work, it says to try it on another PC, and that if it doesn't work there you might need to replace it. It also says to check Windows Update for a driver, or to use Update Driver on the Driver tab in Device Manager.

Until it's fixed

Windows key + Shift + S doesn't use the Print Screen key, and neither does opening the Snipping Tool from the Start menu and choosing New. The full list is in Screenshot shortcuts for Windows.