How to Enable or Disable Print Screen Key to Open Screen Snipping in Windows 11

Wondering how to enable or disable Print Screen key to open screen snipping in Windows 11?

As a guides writer, snapping screenshots is something I need to do multiple times a day. It’s mostly to attach them in guides like this one and sometimes just to prove a point (you know how it goes) but the one thing that has immensely helped me through the process is the Print Screen key.

Often abbreviated as Prscr, PrtScrn, Prt Scrn, or PrntScrn, the Print Screen key is a keyboard key found on most keyboards. When pressed, the key can launch screen snipping in Windows 11. It can be used to quickly take screenshots, photos, and other images. You can then annotate them with a touch/click, and save, paste, or share them with other apps.

The screen snipping feature is customizable, which means that you can enable and disable the functions of the Print Screen key according to your preferences. 

In this guide, we will walk you through several easy methods of doing so in detail. 

Let’s get started!

1. Modify Windows Settings.

If you want to enable or disable the Print Screen key in Windows 11, then one of the easiest ways of doing so is by modifying Windows settings. 

Windows allows users to personalize their user experience by providing a wide range of customizable features. You can easily access these features using Windows Settings, so even if this is your first time modifying the Settings app, you should do just fine.

The important thing to note is that this method can also be utilized by standard users, along with administrators. If you are looking to make changes at the administrative level for all users of Windows 11, jump to the next method.

Here is what you need to do:

  1. Press Windows + I keys simultaneously on your keyboard to open Windows Settings
  2. Select Accessibility from the left panel and click on Keyboard in the right pane.
enable or disable Print Screen key to open screen snipping in Windows 11
  1. Now switch the toggle on or off against Use the Print screen button to open screen snipping as shown below.
enable or disable Print Screen key to open screen snipping in Windows 11
  1. Finally, close the Settings window.

This should make the desired changes in no time.

2. Try Using CleanMyPC.

If you are unable to execute the methods in this guide, then there is a possibility that bugs or corrupt files in the operating system are preventing it from doing its job properly. Before you begin troubleshooting, it would be best if you removed all junk files. 

A professional PC cleaner can help you with deep cleaning your computer. If you want a recommendation, we like CleanMyPC.

Install CleanMyPC on your PC

CleanMyPC offers a variety of system-maintenance utilities to address PC problems that are beyond removing junk files. After installing the tool, it will scan your computer and automatically identify any problems and fix them without extensive user input.

It is also quite easy to use, so even if you have never used a PC cleaner before, you will have no problem using CleanMyPC!


 Try CleanMyPC Now!


3. Modify Registry Editor.

The Windows Registry is a database of low-level information about programs and processes on a computer. Information in the Registry Editor is stored in the form of Registry keys and by modifying the relevant keys, you can make desired changes in your operating system.

If you are an administrator who wants to enable/disable the Print Screen key for all standard users, this method is for you. However, note that the standard users will not be able to modify this setting on their own after this.

You can always revert the changes by following the steps mentioned here.

Here is how you can use Windows Registry to make the desired changes:

  1. Press Windows + R keys simultaneously on your keyboard to open a Run dialogue box.
  2. Inside the text field of the dialogue box, type ‘regedit‘ and hit Enter to open Registry Editor.
  1. Once you are inside the Registry Editor, navigate to the location mentioned below.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard
  1. Now right-click anywhere in the right pane and select the New > DWORD (32-bit) Value option.
  2. Rename this value as PrintScreenKeyForSnippingEnabled and double-click on it.
  3. If you want to enable the feature, type 1 under Value data and hit Enter. If you want to disable the feature, type 0 under Value data and hit Enter.
enable or disable Print Screen key to open screen snipping in Windows 11
  1. Finally, restart your PC to save the changes.

Hopefully, this will enable/disable Print Screen key to open screen snipping in Windows 11.

This brings us to the end of our guide on enabling/disabling Print Screen key to open screen snipping in Windows 11. We tried walking you through all the steps in detail and hope that one of the methods mentioned above did the trick for you. In case you still have any confusion about the methods, please let us know in the comment section below!

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • Zainab Falak

    Zainab Falak is a staff writer for Saint and an expert in Microsoft Windows, having authored more than 200 posts. She has a Bachelors in Actuarial Sciences and her passion for computers extends to exploring various aspects, from UI customization to the Windows registry and exploring error codes. Twitter LinkedIn

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