Snipping Tool not Working in Windows 11? Here is the Fix

After Oct 2021 update a lot of users have been complaining that Snipping Tool is not working in Windows 11. The keyboard shortcut for launching the Snipping Tool i.e. “Windows + Shift + S” is also not working. However, you can launch the Snipping Tool manually by searching on Start. But when you click on the New button to take a snip, it gives you the “This app can’t open” error preventing the Snipping Tool from opening.

The error message further states, “A problem with Windows is preventing Screen Snipping from opening. Refreshing your PC might help fix it.” However, if you try to refresh or reset your PC using Recovery options, it still might not fix the issue. There is still no confirmation from Microsoft about any fix for this issue in Windows 11.

NOTE: Microsoft has addressed this issue and released the KB5008295 update to fix this issue. You can install this update from Windows Update.

Fix the Snipping Tool not Working or not Opening in Windows 11 after Oct 31, 2021 Update

While there is no official solution to this problem currently, we are sharing a few working fixes for this problem. We hope with the next update, Microsoft will fix this issue once and for all. But till then you can solve the “Snipping Tool not opening or not working in Windows 11” issue using these methods.

Method 1: Use Date-Time Hack to Fix Snipping Tool not Opening Issue

One of the best and easiest fixes for the Snipping Tool is related to the date-time hack (just like people use in the Candy Crush game to get extra lives). All you need to do is to set the date back to 29-Oct-2021 or earlier and it will solve Snipping Tool’s “This app can’t open” issue. After that, you can change the date back to normal again. Just follow these steps.

• Right-click on the date-time in the taskbar of Windows 11 and select Adjust date and time.

• After that disable the toggle for Set date automatically and click the Change button in Set the date and time manually to adjust the date and time manually in Windows 11.

• Now, set the date to 29-Oct-2021 or earlier. We have also tried setting it to 30-Oct-2021 but that didn’t work for us. So, to be on the safe side, we have set it to 25-Oct-2021. Finally, click Change to update the date and time.

• That’s it, the “This app can’t open” issue of the Snipping Tool has been fixed. So, launch the Snipping Tool again and click the New button to take a snip. This time it will work without any problems.

• After fixing the Snipping Tool not working issue, you can now set the date back to normal. To do so, enable the toggle to Set the time automatically again.

INFO: This is one-time process. After that Snipping Tool will work without any problems. Even the Windows + Shift + S shortcut will also start working again.

SEE ALSO: How to Change Date and Time Manually in Android Phone?

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Method 2: Restore the Old Snipping Tool

The second method to get the Snipping Tool working and fix the “This app can’t open” issue, is by restoring an older version of the Snipping Tool in Windows 11. So, if you have recently (within 10 days) upgraded your PC to Windows 11, you will still have Windows.old folder in the C drive. You can easily restore the old Snipping Tool from Windows.old folder in Windows 11.

Even if you don’t have Windows.old folder on your Windows 11 PC, you can still restore the old Snipping Tool from another Windows 10 PC. However, by this method, the keyboard shortcut to launch the Snipping Tool will not work.

A) Restore the Old Snipping Tool from Windows.old Folder

If you have Windows.old folder available, copy the following files from there.

• Copy SnippingTool.exe from C:\Windows.old\Windows\System32 to C:\Windows\System32 folder.
• Copy SnippingTool.exe.mui from C:\Windows.old\Windows\System32\en-US to C:\Windows\System32\en-US folder.

B) Restore the Old Snipping Tool from another Windows 10 PC

So, if you don’t have Windows.old folder, you can still get the old Snipping Tool working on your Windows 11 PC.

• Copy SnippingTool.exe from C:\Windows\System32 folder of Windows 10 to C:\Windows\System32 folder on Windows 11.
• Copy SnippingTool.exe.mui from C:\Windows\System32\en-US folder of Windows 10 PC to C:\Windows\System32\en-US folder on Windows 11.

After that launch SnippingTool.exe from System32 folder on your Windows 11 PC and it will work without any issues. You can also pin it to the taskbar for easy access or you can create its shortcut on Desktop. You can check the process of restoring the old Snipping Tool in detail here.

SEE ALSO: How to Fix the “Google Drive Backup not Working” Issue?

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Method 3: Use Xbox Game Bar to Take Screenshots in Windows 11

Another workaround that you can use while the Snipping Tool is not working in Windows 11 is the Xbox Game bar. You can use it to take screenshots on your Windows 11 PC.

• Press the Windows + G keyboard shortcut to launch the Xbox Game bar.

• After that, click the camera icon in the Capture window to take a screenshot. Alternatively, you can also press the “Windows + Alt + Prtscrn” keyboard shortcut for the same purpose.

• Screenshots will be saved in the Captures folder inside the Videos folder in your profile on Windows 11.

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SEE ALSO: Unable to Delete a Folder That’s in Use by Another Program? Here is the Fix.

Method 4: Join the Windows Insider Program

Another working fix for the Snipping Tool “This app can’t open” error is to join the Windows Insider Program on your Windows 11 PC. Installing the latest insider preview build will fix the Snipping Tool issue in Windows 11.

However, we do not recommend you join the Windows Insider program just for the sake of the Snipping Tool. But if you do a lot of snipping work and can’t work without the Snipping Tool, you can go ahead with this method.

NOTE: Please note that insider builds may not be as stable as general public releases. And there may be some bugs and rough edges in the insider preview builds. So, consider the risk and proceed only if you are ready.

• First of all, you need to turn on Optional Diagnostic Data to join the Windows Insider program. So, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Diagnostic & Feedback. Here turn on the toggle for “Send optional diagnostic data“

• After enabling optional diagnostic data, open Settings and go to Windows Update. Here, scroll down and select Windows Insider Program to fix the Snipping Tool not opening or working in Windows 11 issue.

• Now, click the Get Started button to join the Windows Insider Program in Windows 11 using your Microsoft account.

• Follow the on-screen instructions and select the Insider Channel of your choice (we recommend the Beta or Release Preview channel). Finally, you will be prompted to Restart your PC. So, save your work, close all programs, and restart your Windows 11 PC. It will install the latest Windows insider update on your PC and fix the Snipping Tool issue.

• Voila! After the restart, the Snipping Tool in Windows 11 will start working. Now, you can take snips using the new Snipping Tool in Windows 11. Even the keyboard shortcut Windows + Shift + S will start working.

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SEE ALSO: How to Take Screenshots on Chromebook?

Fix the “This App Can’t Open” issue of the Snipping Tool not Working in Windows 11

Currently, there are only above mentioned workarounds available to fix the Snipping Tool issue in Windows 11. This issue has already created chaos among users and many people are rushing to Reddit and Microsoft’s website for solutions. We hope these workarounds helped you solve the issue.

Well, that was all from us. Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions in the comment section below. You may also subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates via email.