Snap your windows

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The Windows 10 Snipping Tool is a utility for capturing screenshots. You can usually open it by entering ‘Snipping Tool‘ in the Cortana search box.

However, not all users can always find the Snipping Tool via the Windows 10 search box. This is how you can open the Snipping Tool if Window search tool doesn’t find it for you.

What can I do if my Snipping Tool is missing?

In this article

• What can I do if my Snipping Tool is missing?
• 1. Rebuild the Search Index
• 2. Open the Snipping Tool with Run
• 3. Add a Snipping Tool shortcut to the Windows 10 desktop
• 4. Open the Snipping Tool From its System32 Folder
• 5. Enable the Snipping Tool in the Group Policy Editor
• What are some Snipping Tool alternatives?

1. Rebuild the Search Index

1. Press the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut.
2. Then enter ‘Control Panel’ in Run’s Open text box, and press the OK button.
3. Click Indexing Options to open the window in the snapshot directly below.
4. Press the Advanced button to open the Index Settings tab below.
5. Then press the Rebuild button and click OK.

The Windows 10 search index is disabled on some laptops and notebooks with SSD storage. Does your laptop include SSD storage?

If so, that might be why the search tool doesn’t find the Snipping Tool. Rebuilding the search index will then be a probable resolution.

2. Open the Snipping Tool with Run

However, you don’t always have to search for the Snipping Tool to open it. There are various ways that you can open the Snipping Tool.

For example, you can open it with Run. Press the Windows key + R hotkey to open Run, enter snippingtool in the text box and then press the OK button.

3. Add a Snipping Tool shortcut to the Windows 10 desktop

1. First, right-click the desktop and select New >Shortcut.
2. Then enter in the text box shown directly below.
   • C:\\Windows\System32\SnippingTool.exe
3. Press the Next button.
4. Press the Finish button to add the shortcut to desktop.
5. Thereafter, you can add the Snipping Tool shortcut to the Start menu or taskbar. To add it to Start menu, right-click the shortcut and select Pin to Start.
6. To add the shortcut the taskbar, you can right-click it and select Pin to taskbar.

Alternatively, you can add a Snipping Tool shortcut to the Windows desktop. Then you can open the Snipping Tool with its desktop shortcut instead.

4. Open the Snipping Tool From its System32 Folder

1. Press the File Explorer button on the Windows 10 taskbar
2. Open this folder in File Explorer:
3. C:/Windows/System32
4. Click Snipping Tool in the System32 folder to open it from there.

5. Enable the Snipping Tool in the Group Policy Editor

1. Press the Windows key + X hotkey.
2. Then select to open the Run accessory from the Win + X menu.
3. Enter Gpedit.msc in Run’s Open text box, and press the OK button.
4. Then click User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Tablet PC > Accessories on the left of the Group Policy Editor window.
5. You’ll see a Do not allow Snipping Tool to run option on the right of the window. Select the Do not allow Snipping Tool to run option to open its window.
6. Then click Disabled if Enabled is currently selected.
7. Press the Apply and OK buttons to confirm the new setting.

Note that the Group Policy Editor in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise includes a Do not allow Snipping Tool to run option. As such, the Snipping Tool doesn’t run with that option selected. This is how you can check if that option is configured to enabled in Win 10 Pro and Enterprise.

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What are some Snipping Tool alternatives?

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Remember that there are plenty of third-party software alternatives to the Snipping Tool, such as Share X, Greenshot, Lightshot and Screenshot Captor.

Some of those third-party screen capture tools also include more options for capturing and annotating screenshots than the Snipping Tool. This software guide provides further details for some of the best Windows 10 screen capture utilities.

Snipaste is one alternative to the Snipping Tool that’s worth noting. That’s a freeware screen capture tool which automatically captures UI elements on software windows.

Snipaste users can select Line strip, Marker pen, Pencil, Arrow and Text annotation options on its toolbar.

Snipaste also includes plenty of customization options and hotkeys that you can utilize the software with. You can add that program to Windows 10/8/7 by pressing the 32-bit or 64-bit button on this webpage.

So you don’t really need the Snipping Tool even if you can’t find it in Win 10.

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By following this guide, you should be able to make use of the Snipping Tool in Windows 10 once more.

Know of another way to access the tool? Let us know by leaving some feedback in the section below, and we’ll be sure to update the article.

Snap your windows

The Snap feature is a great way to improve your productivity by sharing many app windows in a single screen. Different layouts are available with many sizes to choose from, so you can get the most from your favorite apps when you are working on specific tasks.

Here are some ways to take advantage of Snap. Select any of the headers, and it will open to display more content:

Snap layouts

The Snap feature in Windows has some predetermined layouts that you can choose from to snap all your open windows.

To open Snap layouts:

• With your keyboard: In the window you would like to snap, press Windows Logo Key + Z to launch the layout box.
• With your mouse: In the window you would like to snap, hover over the Minimize or Maximize button to launch the layout box.

Note: Depending on the size of your display, you might see different predetermined layouts for your display size.

Snap Assist

The Snap Assist tool will automatically appear once you have snapped your first window. Snap Assist will display all other open windows as thumbnails so you can choose which windows you would like to add to the selected layout.

Snap Assist allows you to resize the layout boxes size by selecting and dragging the dividing lines. Resize a window on one side, and the adjoining window will resize itself to fit alongside so you don’t have any wasted screen space.

Note: Snap Assist is only available for two app windows at a time on Windows 11 SE. Learn more

Snap groups

Once you select a layout and Snap every space with selected windows, this automatically becomes a Snap group. This feature can be useful when you are working on a specific task using many apps. If you are interrupted and open a new app, you can easily come back to the Snap group by hovering over one of the group’s open apps to find the Snap group again.

Snap with a mouse

There are several ways to use your mouse to Snap in Windows:

Hover over an app’s Minimize or Maximize button

1. Hover over the Minimize or Maximize button in the app you’d like to Snap. The Snap layout box will display automatically.
2. Select the Snap layout you’d like to use from the layout box.

Drag and drop an app to either side of your screen

1. Select and drag the window or app you’d like to Snap to the side or edge of your screen. The Snap layout box will display automatically.
2. Drop the app into the layout you want to use.
3. Use Snap Assist to fill the layout with other windows or apps you’d like to Snap together.

You can also drag an app to the middle right or middle left side of your screen to immediately create a side-by-side Snap.

Drag and drop an app to the upper middle of your screen

1. Select and drag the window or app you would like to Snap to the upper middle of your screen. The Snap layout box will display automatically.
2. Drop the app into the layout you want to use.

Snap with a keyboard

There are two ways to use your keyboard to Snap in Windows:

Use your keyboard to open the Snap layout box

1. Press the Windows Logo Key + Z to display the layout box.
2. Enter the number of the layout you want to use, then enter the number where you want your window positioned in that layout.
   You can also use your mouse to select the preferred layout.

Use your keyboard arrows to open the Snap layout

1. Press and hold the Windows Logo Key + Arrow to Snap the app you are on. You can keep changing positions of the snap using your keyboard arrows.
   • Use the Left Arrow to position the app on the left side of your screen
   • Use the Right Arrow to position the app on the right side of your screen
   • Use the Up Arrow to position the app on the upper side of your screen.
2. When you’ve found the Snap location you want, release the Windows Logo Key to position the Snap.
3. Use Snap Assist to fill the layout with other windows or apps you’d like to Snap together on the same screen.

Related topics

Snap makes it easier to neatly organize your open windows on your desktop so you can quickly access the things that are important to you, when you need them. You can use Snap to arrange all your open windows using the mouse, keyboard, or the Snap Assist feature.

Here are some ways to take advantage of Snap. Select any of the headers, and it will open to display more content:

Snap with a mouse

Use your mouse to Snap in Windows:

1. Select and drag the window or app you’d like to Snap to the side or edge of your screen. The Snap layout box will display automatically.
2. Drop the app into the layout you want to use.
3. Use Snap Assist to fill the layout with other windows or apps you’d like to Snap together.

You can also drag an app to the middle right or middle left side of your screen to immediately create a side-by-side Snap.

Snap with a keyboard

Use your keyboard to Snap in Windows:

1. Press and hold the Windows Logo Key + Arrow to Snap the app you are on. You can change positions of the snap using your keyboard arrows.
   • Use the Left Arrow to position the app on the left side of your screen
   • Use the Right Arrow to position the app on the right side of your screen
   • Use the Up Arrow to position the app on the upper part of your screen.
2. When you’ve found the Snap location you want, release the Windows Logo Key to position the Snap.
3. Use Snap Assist to fill the layout with other windows or apps you’d like to Snap together on the same screen.

Snap with Snap Assist

The Snap Assist tool will automatically appear once you have snapped your first window. Snap Assist will display all other open windows as thumbnails so you can choose which windows you would like to add to the selected layout.

Snap Assist allows you to resize the layout boxes size by selecting and dragging the dividing lines. Resize a window on one side, and the adjoining window will resize itself to fit alongside so you don’t have any wasted screen space.

Tip: If you’re a small business owner looking for more information on how to get Microsoft 365 set up, visit Small business help & learning.