Print Screen Not Working on Windows 11/10/8/7? Quick Fixes for You

Posted by Paula Pailaga to Screenshot Apr 19, 2023

Have you encountered being unable to capture your screen with the Print Screen key? If so, the Print Screen key is probably not working. And it may be caused by physical damage to the button, or your Windows version needs to be updated. When this happens, you may be frustrated since the Print Screen key is a piece of cake to capture your screen immediately. So, how to deal with the ‘Print Screen Not Working’ issue? Keep reading to learn the default ways to fix this problem and a tool that can help you capture your screen fantastically.

Part 1: 5 Default Ways to Fix Print Screen Not Working on Windows

Fortunately, this post got your back! Even if the Print Screen key is not working, don’t panic since many hassle-free ways exist to fix it. In the following solutions, you can try each one to solve this problem on your Windows PC.

1. Ensure the Print Screen Key is Enabled

To fix ‘print screen not working’, you should first check if the Print Screen key is enabled. If not, capturing your screen using it will not work. You can quickly capture your screen activities only when the Print Screen is enabled on your Windows PC. To do this, see the steps below:

Step 1Press the Windows key + U to navigate to Ease of Access.

Step 2Scroll down on the left pane to see the Keyboard, and select it.

Step 3On the Keyboard section, scroll down until you see the Print Screen Shortcut. Toggle the switch button under the Use the PrtScn button to open screen snipping to turn it on.

2. Update the Keyboard Driver

If the problem won't be fixed by enabling the Print Screen on Windows, the ‘print screen not working’ problem on Windows may be caused by an old keyboard driver. Before updating the system itself, you should first update drivers, which can be done quickly. Refer to the guide below to do it:

Step 1Simply press the Windows key + X and select the Device Manager from the menu.

Step 2Click the arrow on the left side of the Keyboard to expand its menu, then right-click on the Standard PS/2 Keyboard. Select Update driver.

Step 3Select the Search automatically for updated driver software. And then the process of installing the latest driver will automatically begin. New driver may solve print screen not working issue.

3. Use Other Hotkeys

After you do the first two solutions and the ‘print screen not working’ problem remains, you could try other keyboard shortcut options. The good thing is that hotkey combinations are available to capture the screen. If pressing the single Print screen key doesn't work to capture your screen, try the following:

• Press Alt + PrtScn to capture the selected windows
• Press the Windows key + PrtScn to capture your screen, and then the screenshot will be saved in the Screenshots folder.
• Press the Windows key + Shift + S to enter the snipping tool.

4. Stop All Running Programs

Sometimes, running programs in the background may cause the ‘print screen not working’ issue on your Windows. Some programs are Snippet tool, Dropbox, OneDrive, and more. Programs like that can prevent you from capturing your screen. So, to stop this from happening and to solve your problem, do the following steps to close such programs.

Step 1Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager.

Step 2To close all programs, right-click on a one program, then click End task from the menu.

5. Update Operating System

If none of those solutions fix your ‘print screen not working’ problem on Windows, updating the operating system is necessary. Updating your operating system can fix other issues on your PC and provide you with many valuable features.

Step 1Go to the Start menu and select Settings. Or you can press Windows + I for quicker access.

Step 2Select the Update & Security and stay on the Windows Update tab. Then, click the Check for updates button. Click the Install button once an available update is found. Then, you check whether print screen not working problem is solved.

Part 2: The Best Way to Solve Print Screen Not Working on Windows 11/10

If you are searching for a program and the best alternative that can help you solve the ‘print screen not working’ problem, such as allowing you to select a part of your screen to capture, 4Easysoft Screen Recorder got your back! With this powerful program, you can record tutorials, lectures, and meetings, take screenshots, and more. Furthermore, it lets you capture your entire screen, a selected window, or a customized region. It provides a Snapshot Tool, allowing you to take screenshots quickly anytime you want. And after taking screenshots without print screen not working problem, you can crop and do further edits using the program's drawing tools.

Step 1When you have downloaded and installed the 4Easysoft Screen Recorder, then launch it. Go to the Snapshot tool on the right side of the main interface, which is the easiest way to fix print screen not working problem.

Step 2Your mouse pointer will become a cursor move, then left-click your mouse and drag it to your desired capture area. After pointing it to your preferred area, pull the borderlines to change the size.

Step 3Afterwards, edit your screenshot with the toolbox that will appear below, such as adding shapes, lines, texts, etc. If you want to capture the entire screen or a scrolling one, you can accomplish this with the tools on the right side of the toolbox.

Step 4Finally, if satisfied, you can click the Save button with a floppy disk icon to export the screenshot.

Part 3: FAQs about Print Screen Not Working

• How to take a screenshot if the Print Screen key is not working?

  Press the Windows key + Shift + S to open the screenshot tool. You can capture it quickly and make additional edits to your screenshot with the print screen key.

• Can I take a screenshot without using any key?

  Yes! You can take a screenshot in the Snipping tool, Snip & Sketch, or third-party programs you can download on your Windows PC.

• Why is the print screen not working on Windows 11?

  Reasons such as your keyboard settings have changed that cause the print screen to stop functioning. You might have been using an old keyboard driver. Or the button itself is not working well.

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