Print Screen opens the Snipping Tool. Here’s how to change it.

Give Print Screen back to your screenshot app

1. Open Start › Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard.
2. Turn off the switch for the Print Screen key (“Use the Print screen key to open screen capture”).
3. Open your screenshot app’s settings and choose its PrtSc shortcut again, so it registers the key now that it’s free.
4. Press PrtSc. Your app opens instead of the Snipping Tool.

In Glintshot, step 3 is Settings › Shortcuts. On first run it notices the Snipping Tool has the key and offers an Open keyboard settings button that takes you straight to step 1.

Why it happens

Only one app can own a key. On many Windows 11 PCs this switch is on, so the Snipping Tool takes Print Screen before any other app hears it. Turning the switch off doesn’t remove the Snipping Tool; it stays on Win + Shift + S.

Or use a different key

If you like the Snipping Tool on PrtSc, leave it there and give your other app a different key. Glintshot’s first run has a Use Ctrl + PrtSc button for exactly this.

Questions

I can’t find the switch. What’s it called?

The wording changes between Windows builds. Recent Windows 11 calls it “Use the Print screen key to open screen capture”; Microsoft’s help pages also call it “Use the Print Screen button to open screen snipping”. It’s the only Print Screen switch on that page.

Can I keep the Snipping Tool on PrtSc?

Yes. Give Glintshot another key instead, such as Ctrl + PrtSc: its first run offers that with one click, and Settings › Shortcuts lets you pick any key.

Does the same thing happen on Linux?

GNOME and KDE also give PrtSc to their own screenshot tool. Clear it from the desktop’s keyboard shortcuts, or give Glintshot a different key. The Linux page explains it.