How to Fix Snip & Sketch Not Working on Windows 11 & 10

When trying to use Snip and Sketch are you getting, “This app can’t open – A problem with Windows is preventing Screen Snipping from opening. Refreshing your PC might help fix it” error, you’re not alone.

Several Windows 11 users have reported facing this problem and fortunately, there are several solutions. In addition to them, there is an amazing tool called TweakShot that you can use as an alternative to Snip and Sketch.

What is TweakShot?

Designed and developed by Tweaking Technologies, TweakShot is an amazing screen capture and video recording tool. With the help of this tool, you can take screenshots of a single window, scrolling window, selected region, or full screen. Also, with its help, you can record a video and do a lot more.

The tool comes with a color picker and provides a built-in image editor to blur images, highlight parts of an image, annotate text, and perform other editing functions.

To avoid facing Snip and Sketch issues, get TweakShot today and enjoy interference-free screen capturing.

Reasons for Snip and Sketch Not Working Issue

• The enabled auto-update apps functionality
• Expired Microsoft digital certificates.
• Upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10.
• Corrupted system files.

How to fix Snip & Sketch Not Working on Windows 11 / 10

While the reason for this app can’t open for the Snipping tool (Snip and Sketch), errors can be multiple. There are various ways in which you can fix Snip and Sketch not copying to clipboard & other issues. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

1. Change the System date to fix the Snipping Tool crash issue

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.

2. Go to Time & Langauge.

3. If the ‘Set time automatically option is enabled, disable it.

4. Click  “Change” next to ‘Set date and time manually.

5. Change the Date to October 31 or before. Apply the changes.

Now again change it to the latest date.

The above solution in most cases will solve the Snip and Sketch not working problem.

However, if the problem persists or you are facing it after upgrading to Windows 11, move to the next step.

2. Use Classic Snipping Tool

1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.

2. Open the drive on which the OS is installed.

3. Go to Windows > System 32 and locate Windows.old folder >

4. In the System32 folder of Windows.old, you’ll find the link to SnippingTool.exe

5. Double click on .exe & use the classic snipping tool on Windows 11.

3. Restart the App

Sometimes, when the apps or processes stop working abruptly, restarting them can do the trick. Try restarting the app and see if it works.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and open Task Manager.

2. Under the Processes tab, look for Snip & Sketch > select it > click on the End task button.

3. Now try relaunching the app, you should not face any problem.

4. Reset the App

If restarting Snip & Sketch didn’t work, try resetting the app. Resetting an app will delete all settings and cached data.

1. Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings.

2. Go to Apps.

3. Under Apps & features, look for Snip & Sketch > Advanced options.

4. Next, scroll down > press the Reset button.

Restart the PC and then try to use the Snip & Sketch app, you should not face the problem.

5. Disable Focus Assist

If you use Focus Assist on Windows, then it could be the reason for Snip & Sketch not working. Therefore, to identify the reason and fix the issue, try temporarily disabling Focus Assist. Once done, see if the problem is fixed or not.

1. Right-click on the Action Center icon > under Focus assist > select Off.

Alternatively, you can add Snip & Sketch to the priority list of Focus Assist. Here’s how to do it.

2. Open Action Center > right-click on the Focus Assist icon > Go to Settings.

3. Under Focus assist, click Customize your priority list as shown in the screenshot below:

4. Next click on Add an app button > select Snip & Sketch from the list.

This will add Snip & Sketch to the priority list. Now when Focus Assist is enabled, Snip and Sketch should work.

6. Run SFC Scan

When certain system files on your PC get corrupted or go missing you can face problems while running certain apps. In such cases to fix the problem running an SFC (System File Checker) scan is recommended. Here’s how it works.

1. Open elevated Command Prompt. For that, type the command prompt in the search bar. Now click Command Prompt from the results-> Run as administrator.

2. Enter the following command and press Enter

sfc /scannow

Once the scan is complete, go ahead and run Snip & Sketch. The app should now be working fine.

7. Re-register Apps using PowerShell

When apps like Snip & Sketch stop working, re-registering the app with Microsoft Store. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows + X > Windows Powershell (Admin).

2. Copy paste the following command and press Enter key.

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

3. Restart PC to apply changes and try using the Snip & Sketch app.

8. Reset Microsoft Store Process

If Snip & Sketch including other apps are constantly crashing or freezing, try resetting the Microsoft Store process. Doing so should help solve the problem.

1. Open elevated Command Prompt.

2.Type in WSReset.exe > Enter.

3. Wait for the process to finish.

4. Restart the PC and then try running the Snip & Sketch app.

9. Run Windows Apps Troubleshooter

To detect common Windows problems, Windows offer a built-in troubleshooter that can detect and fix common problems. To use it, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows + I > Update & Security

2. Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.

3. Scroll down and look for Windows Store Apps troubleshooter.

4. Double click > Run the troubleshooter.

5. Restart PC and then try running Snip & Sketch tool.

10. Run System Maintenance Troubleshooter

If the Windows app troubleshooter doesn’t fix Snip & Sketch, consider running System Maintenance Troubleshooter.

1. In the Start menu, type security and maintenance > Enter.

2. Under Maintenance, click the Start maintenance option and follow the on-screen instructions to run the troubleshooter.

3. Restart the PC and then try to run the Snip & Sketch app, this should fix the problem.

In case none of the above fixes work, then as a last resort, we suggest reinstalling the app. To do so, press Windows Key + X > Apps and features > look for Snip & Sketch app > hit the Uninstall button.

Restart PC and then download and install Snip & Sketch app from the Microsoft Store now try running the app. This should help.

Wrap Up: Fix Snip & Sketch Not Working

Above we explained all the possible and working fixes to get Snip & Sketch working without any problem. We hope the problem was fixed. In addition to this, if you are looking for a screen capture tool with basic editing and video recording options, we suggest using TweakShot, the ultimate tool that helps perform both functions. Using it, you can record live streaming, capture screenshots of almost everything you see on the PC and do a lot more.

We hope you will give the tool a try. Do share your feedback in the comments section below.

Faq –

Why does snip and sketch freeze in Windows 10?

There is no clear-cut reason for the problem. However, the common cause for Snip and Sketch not working are:

1. Corrupt system files
2. Focus Assist running
3. The enabled auto-update apps functionality
4. Expired Microsoft digital certificates.

What to do if snip and sketch do not open?

If Snip and Sketch fail to open, you can try any of the above troubleshooting steps.

How do I fix the Snipping Tool not working?

To fix Snipping Tool not working, perform the following steps:

1. Restart the App
2. Reset the App
3. Disable Focus Assist
4. Run SFC Scan
5. Re-register the app using PowerShell
6. Reset Microsoft Store Processes
7. Run Windows App Troubleshooter
8. Reinstall the App

Use an alternate app TweakShot, the best screen capture, and video recording app.

How do I enable snip and sketch?

1. In the Windows search box, type “Snip & Sketch.”
2. Select the “Screen snip” option from the Action center.
3. Turn on toggle through settings; this will open Snip & Sketch in a single keypress.

How do I restore snip and sketch?

1. Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings.
2. Go to Apps.
3. Under Apps & features, look for Snip & Sketch > Advanced options.
4. Next, scroll down > press the Reset button.

Restart the PC and then try to use the Snip & Sketch app, you should not face the problem.

How do I add snip and sketch to my priority list?

1. Open Action Center > right-click on the Focus Assist icon > Go to Settings.

2. Under Focus assist click Customize your priority list as shown in the screenshot below:
3. Next click on Add an app button > select Snip & Sketch from the list.

This will add Snip & Sketch to the priority list. Now when Focus Assist is enabled, Snip and Sketch should work.