Screenshots on Windows 10 not working? 8 Fixes (2023)

The screenshot or print-screen key comes in quite handy in everyday use for gamers, technophiles, and anyone wanting to capture the contents of their screen. It is one of those functions which, over the years, we have come to take for granted, and whose true worth is only understood when it stops working.

There could be a variety of reasons why you are not able to capture screenshots on your system. From missing registry keys to outdated keyboard drivers to extraneous software taking over the print screen function – there’s a lot that could go wrong. But before you relegate the task to a third-party application, try out these simple fixes for all your screenshots-not-working woes.

Related: How to Reset Taskbar in Windows 10

Contents show

How to fix the ‘Screenshots not working Windows 10’ issue

On most laptops and desktop computers, you are bound to have a “Prt scr” key that captures the contents of your screen. On Windows 10, when this key is pressed, the image of the screen is copied to the clipboard. It is important to note that Windows 10 doesn’t give you any confirmation that your screen has been captured which does confuse many as to whether their Prt Scr key is even working. You have to open a program like Paint, Photoshop, Word, etc. (those that support images) and paste it there to see the screenshot.

But if you don’t anything, you can be sure that you’re either not using the right hotkeys, or there’s something wrong with the screenshot function. Here are a few ways that you can fix this problem for good.

1. Make sure you’re using the right key(s)

Other than simply pressing the Prt Scr button, there are a few hotkey combinations that you can use to capture screenshots. Here they are:

Prt Scr – captures the entire screen.

Ctrl + Prt Scr– also captures the entire screen

Alt + Prt Scr – captures a section of the screen.

For the above three hotkey combinations, the screenshot will be captured but it will only be copied to the clipboard. You will be still be required to paste it into a program that supports images. If you want to bypass this, use the following hotkey combination.

Winkey + Prt Scr– captures and saves the screenshot to the default Screenshot folder (C:\Users\(username)\Pictures\Screenshots).

At the same time, do check if there is a Fn lock key on your keyboard. If there is, make sure that the Print Screen key is enabled by pressing this Fn lock key.

Related: How To Play a Sound Every Few Minutes on Windows 10

2. Check ‘write’ permissions of the Screenshot folder

If you’re using theWinkey + Prt Scrhotkey and still don’t find your screenshot saved in the default screenshot folder, it is possible that you may not have the permission to write to that folder. Here’s how you can check if that is the problem:

PressWin+Eto open file explorer, then double-click on the Pictures folder.

Right-click the Screenshotsfolder and selectProperties.

3. Registry Fix

Another problem could be that your system is missing an important Registry file. But fret not, it is easy to fix this. Here’s how you can do so:

Press Win+Rto open the RUN box, type “regedit”, then hit Enter.

Once the Registry Edior opens, navigate to the following location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Alternatively, you can copy the above and paste it in the Registry address bar, and hit Enter.

With theExplorerfolder selected in the left pane, see if there is aScreenshotIndexDWORD file in the right pane.

If there isn’t, then you can create one yourself. To do this, right-click in the empty space in the right pane, selectNew, then click onDWORD (32-bit) Value.

Name this “ScreenshotIndex” and double-click it modify it. Then, for “Value data”, enter 1. ClickOK.

Now, check to see if your screenshots are being saved to the Pictures>Screenshots folder.

Related: How to Change Mouse Polling Rate on Windows 10

4. Use the Snipping tool

If the aforementioned methods don’t work, you can use the built-in Windows 10 screenshot tool – Snipping Tool. Here’s how you can open and use it.

Press Start, type “snipping tool”, and click on it.

This will open Snipping Tool. Click onMode.

Here, you will see four different screenshot modes to choose from. Click on one to select it.

You’ll be in the screenshot mode now. Drag your mouse to select the area of the screen that you wish to capture. If you click onNew, you will automatically be in the screenshot mode that you selected in the “Mode” section.

You can also pressWin + Shift + Sto quickly take a screenshot via Snipping Tool.

5. Close background programs

Sometimes, a few background programs can interfere with the screenshot functions and keep you from capturing your screen’s content. Some of these programs include the likes of OneDrive, Dropbox, and Snipper tool, etc. Here’s how you can close them and wrest back control of your “Prt Scr” key.

Right-click on the taskbar and selectTask Manager.

Now, under the “Processes” tab, right-click on the program and select End Task to close it.

Do this for all such programs and check if the screenshot function is working.

6. Update keyboard drivers

An outdated or incorrect keyboard driver can also be the culprit preventing your Print Screen key from doing its job. So, updating your keyboard drivers might just fix the problem for you. Here’s how to do so:

PressWin+Xand click onDevice Manager.

Click onKeyboardsto expand it.

Then right-click onStandard PS/2 Keyboardand selectUpdate driver.

Now, you will get two options – to search for drivers automatically or to browse the computer for drivers. If you don’t have the keyboard drivers on your computer, select Search automatically for drivers.

Wait for the latest drivers to be installed automatically, then reboot your PC.

Or, you can go to your keyboard (or laptop) manufacturer’s website and download the drivers. Once you have the drivers, go back to the same “Update driver” option, and this time click onBrowse my computer for driver software.

Then click onLet me pick from a list of available drivers…

Now, select from the available drivers and click Next.

Once the keyboard drivers are updated, reboot your PC and check if the problem is fixed.

7. Run Troubleshooter

If the solutions mentioned thus far have not borne any fruit, then your list of available fixes is running thin. However, sometimes the Windows 10 built-in troubleshooter can address the problem to good effect. Here’s how you can run the hardware troubleshooter:

PressWin+Ito open Settings, then click onUpdate & Security.

In the left pane, click onTroubleshoot. On the right, click onAdditional troubleshooter.

Scroll down toKeyboardand click on it.

Then, click onRun the troubleshooter.

Windows will now check if there are any problems with the selected component (keyboard, in our case) and fix them for you (if possible).

8. Use third-party applications

When all in-built screenshot capturing functions fail, you’re only left with the option of using third-party applications. But that is not just a consolation; third-party applications far exceed Window’s bare-bones screenshot function. In fact, folk who have to regularly take screenshots know that these applications provide useful additional options that streamline the screen capturing process and makes it much more convenient on the whole. Here are a few that you may want to check out.

We at NerdsChalk are a big of the ShareX software, so we totally recommend you to check it out for all your screenshot needs.

So these were all the fixes that you could get your screenshot function to start working again on Windows 10. If you’re still experiencing trouble with taking screenshots, we highly recommend you get a third-party application for the same.

RELATED

How to Remove Microsoft Account From Windows 10
How To Select Multiple Files on Windows 10 in 2021 [7 ways]
How to Stop Discord From Opening on Startup on Windows 10
4 ways to uninstall Windows 10 update and 3 tips to prepare for it