Disable Print Screen Snipping Tool via Regedit

In modern versions of Windows, pressing the Print Screen key opens the screen snipping overlay by default rather than instantly capturing the full screen to the clipboard. This guide walks you through using the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit) to disable the Snipping Tool shortcut tied to the Print Screen key and restore the classic screenshot behavior.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter.
  3. Click Yes when prompted by User Account Control (UAC).

Step 2: Navigate to the Keyboard Key

In the Registry Editor address bar at the top, paste the following path and press Enter:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard

Step 3: Modify the Snipping Tool Value

  1. Look for the DWORD (32-bit) value named PrintScreenKeyForSnippingEnabled in the right-hand pane.
  2. If the value does not exist:
    • Right-click an empty space in the right pane.
    • Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
    • Name it PrintScreenKeyForSnippingEnabled.
  3. Double-click PrintScreenKeyForSnippingEnabled.
  4. Set the Value data to 0.
  5. Ensure the Base is set to Hexadecimal, then click OK.

Step 4: Apply the Changes

Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer, or sign out and sign back in to your Windows user account. Pressing the Print Screen key will no longer launch the screen snipping tool. If you ever want to re-enable the feature, return to the same registry entry and change its value to 1.