Print Screen not working in Windows 10? Here’s the fix

by Ivan Jenic

Troubleshooting Expert

Last update:September 22, 2018

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Many of us are creating screenshots on our computers, but users report that pictures aren’t saved when users snap a screenshot. This is a minor problem for some, while others are having a hard time with the print screen not working on Windows 10.

Before Windows 7 you had to rely on third-party software to capture screenshots, and with Windows 8 and Windows 10, Microsoft decided to change a few things.

Now you can capture screenshots by pressing Windows Key + PrintScreen. This should save your screenshot to the Screenshots folder located in the Pictures library, but for some reason, this might not always work.

Of course, if the pictures aren’t saved you can always run Paint or some other image editor and press Ctrl + V to paste your screenshot in it and save the image that way, but in most cases, that’s just a tedious workaround. So what can you do if pictures aren’t saved when you snap a screenshot?

Table of contents:

1. Edit Registry
2. Check if you’re using the correct key combination
3. Update keyboard drivers
4. Run the hardware troubleshooter
5. Use third-party alternatives

Quickest solution: Use a dedicated tool for screenshots

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You can save your screenshots straight to your hard drive to the destination of your choosing. And, you will be able to store the screenshots in various file formats.

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Fix – Print screen not working in Windows 10

 Solution 1 – Edit Registry

1. Run Registry Editor. You can run it by pressing Windows Key + R and typing regedit and pressing Enter to run it.
2. When Registry Editor opens navigate to the following key:
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
3. Now in the right pane, you need to find ScreenshotIndex. Since screenshots aren’t being saved you probably don’t have this DWORD. To create it right-click on an empty space, and choose New  > DWORD and enter ScreenshotIndex as its name. Double click the newly created ScreenshotIndex DWORD to see its properties.
4. When the Properties window opens under the Base section select Decimal, then change the Value data to 695. Now click OK to save changes.
5. Now on the left pane navigate to:
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
6. On the right pane find  {B7BEDE81-DF94-4682-A7D8-57A52620B86F} entry and double-click it to see its properties.
7. Make sure that Value data is set to %USERPROFILE%\Pictures\Screenshots.
8. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. Screenshots should be now saved in your PicturesScreenshots folder.

Solution 2 – Check if you’re using the correct key combination

If you’re using a Windows 10 laptop’s keyboard, the key combination for taking a screenshot is different. Usually, besides the regular ctrl + Print sc, you’ll also have to press the Fn key. So, keep that in mind.

Solution 3 – Update keyboard drivers

If there’s something wrong with your keyboard, we point to outdated drivers most of the time. Nevertheless, keeping all your drivers up to date is always a good idea. So, if the Print Screen feature is still not working on Windows 10 after tweaking the registry, go and update your keyboard drivers. If you’re not sure how just follow these instructions:

1. Go to Search, type devicemngr, and open Device Manager.
2. Expand the Keyboards section, and find your keyboard.
3. Right-click the keyboard, and go to Update driver.
4. Follow further on-screen instructions to finish installing driver updates.
5. Restart your computer.

Update drivers automatically

If you don’t want the hassle of searching for drivers on your own, you can use a tool that will do this for you automatically. Of course, as you’re not able to connect to the internet at the moment, this tool won’t be useful.

However, once you get online, it will help you to keep all your drivers up to date, so you won’t be in this situation anymore.

Most of the time, the generic drivers for your PC’s hardware and peripherals are not properly updated by the system. There are key differences between a generic driver and a manufacturer’s driver. Searching for the right driver version for each of your hardware components can become tedious. That’s why an automated assistant can help you find and update your system with the correct drivers every time, and we strongly recommend DriverFix. Follow these easy steps to safely update your drivers:

1. Download and install DriverFix.
2. Launch the software.
3. Wait for the detection of all your faulty drivers.
4. DriverFix will now show you all the drivers that have issues, and you just need to select the ones you’d liked fixed.
5. Wait for the app to download and install the newest drivers.
6. Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

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Disclaimer: this program needs to be upgraded from the free version in order to perform some specific actions.

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Solution 4 – Run the Hardware troubleshooter

If none of the previous solutions resolved the issue, we’re going to use Windows 10’s built-in troubleshooting tool. This tool can be used to address various kinds of issues, including hardware problems.

Here’s how to run Window 10’s hardware troubleshooter:

1. Open the Settings app and go to the Update & Security section.
2. Select Troubleshoot from the menu on the left.
3. Select Hardware & devices from the right pane and click Run the troubleshooter.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the troubleshooter.

Solution 5 – Use third-party alternatives

If you still can’t take a screenshot regularly, turn to a third-party tool. At least until you find a valid solution to this problem. There are dozens of free screen-capture tools you can use to take screenshots in Windows 10. We compiled a list of the best ones, so you can refer to it for recommendations.

That’s about it. If Print Screen is still not working on Windows 10, or you have any comments or questions, just write them down below.

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