Type to search

Print Screen Not Working? 4 Simple Solutions

The Print Screen button is a function key which is mainly used for capturing screenshots in a Windows OS based system. By tapping the Print screen button on the keyboard the user can capture the screenshot on the clipboard and you can paste it in any photo editing application. 

It is a useful key for many Window OS users, but in certain situations, it gives out workability issue like “Print Screen not working”. 

Usually, this issue is triggered due to simple software misconfigurations on the system. Hence, they are quite easy to resolve with proper solutions and guidance. 

Now, if you want to learn the effective solutions then follow this article to the end. But before you proceed to the solution section we suggest you have a look at the major causes behind this issue. 

Prominent Causes leading to Print Screen Not Working Issue

The Print Screen can stop functioning because of various system and keyboard related problematic factors. And those are explained in the section below, have a look:

  1. Background applications are restricting the workflow of the Print Screen button.
  2. Using incorrect key command in order to activate the function of the Print Screen button.
  3. The keyboard drivers are corrupted or outdated

Now, if you have analyzed all the possible causes of this issue, let’s have a look at its solutions. 

4 Solutions to Fix Print Screen Not Working Issue

To tackle this issue, you need to apply simple and straightforward solutions. And those solutions are provided in the section below. Have a look at them and try to execute as instructed.

Disable the Background Running Applications

In a system, there are various applications running in the background which can restrain the workflow of the Print Screen button and causes this issue.

Hence, if you have installed any applications on your system then try to close them one by one. Check the condition of the issue in order to find out the real problematic application. 

Once you find the problematic area, turn off the application whenever you try to take a screenshot with the help of the Print Screen button. 

Check the Proper Key Command for Print Screen Activation

Usually, systems like Laptops needed an additional button or key in order to active the Print Screen function. So, check whether the system you are using requires any additional help/ key. Thus, press that key and the Print Screen Button to capture a screenshot. 

Update the Keyboard Drivers

Now, if the keyboard drivers installed on the system are corrupted due to any major OS update or application installation process. Or if they are outdated then you may encounter this error. 

In order to fix this drivers related problem, you need to update the drivers and to do that follow the given steps. 

  1. Press the Windows key + X key to launch the WinX menu. Then, click on the Device Manager option to open up its window. 
  2. Now, if the WinX menu isn’t available on the system then launch the Run Dialog Box by pressing the Windows key + R key. 
  3. Now, type “devmgmt.msc” in it and then hit the Enter key or the OK button. 
  4. In the Device Manager window, you will get a list of all those device drivers which are installed on the system. 
  5. From that list, look for the Keyboard option and click on it. A new area will appear under that option.
  6. Inside that expanded section, you will find the Keyboard drivers. Click on the Update Driver option.

Note: If there are more than one drivers available on the system then right-click on them one by one. If required you can seek expert assistance to mitigate the problem.

  1. Now, the Update prompt will pop-up on the screen. There you need to click on the “Search automatically for updated drivers software” option.
  2. After that, the Update tool will begin an online search. 
  3. During this search, if the Update tool is able to locate any suitable drivers for the system then the tool will automatically download and install them.

Once the updated drives are installed, restart the system and check whether the Print screen not working Windows 10 is resolved or not.

How to update the Keyboard Driver manually?

If you want to update the Keyboard drivers manually then follow the given steps.

  1. First, visit the official website of the Keyboard manufacture and click on Update Drivers manually.
  2. Then, open up the Update prompt again and click on the “Browse my computer for driver software” option.
  3. Now, a new window will come up on the screen. In that window, you need to click on the Browse button.
  4. Then, select the location of that folder in which the driver files are downloaded.

After that, Windows will automatically launch the installation process. Once that process gets completed, reboot the system and look for the issue.

Use Alternative Applications

If all the above solutions don’t work for you, then there are numerous alternatives ways through which you can activate the screenshot function. 

In Windows OS, there is an inbuilt application known as the Snipping tool which can give out the same results as the Print screen button. To active that tool, follow the given steps. 

  1. Open the Windows Search Box by pressing the Windows key + S. 
  2. Then, type “snipping tool” in that box and click on the first result which appears in the result section. 
  3. This will open up the Snipping tool pop-up window on the screen.

Apart from the Snipping tool, there are various types of tool or application that you can look for in the online store which offers the same functionality. You can use those applications for the screenshot related tasks.  

We hope that our article is able to provide you enough information on the print screen button not working issue. However, if you have any questions regarding this issue then post about it in the comment section. 

WordPress › Error

There has been a critical error on this website.

Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.