Stuck with a malfunctioned Prtscn key on your keyboard? You are not alone!
The PrtScn button on your keyboard is a special key that is usually mapped to taking screenshots. Users worldwide use it to instantly jump to their screenshot utility, which is much more convenient than opening an application and capturing the screen.
While the key plays a crucial role in our daily lives, many users have recently shared that the PrtScn button is not working. If you are also among them and want a permanent fix to this issue, you have reached the perfect place.
In this blog, we will discuss 5 things that might be wrong and causing your PrtScn button to malfunction. So without delay, let’s jump straight to it!
5 Issues that Might Be Causing PrtScn to Stop Working [With Solutions]
The PrtScn button on your keyboard refers to Print Screen, which is, as mentioned, mapped to capture the screen or print screen. Since there are multiple manufacturers of a Windows PC, all of them have a different way of marking this key.
Some of the most common terms you may find on this key are – “Print Screen,” “PrtSc,” “PrtScn,” “PrtScrn,” and “Prt Scr,” so do not get confused, they all work the same way, and hence their fixes are similar too.
But the core question here is, why does it happen? Why is the PrtScn button not working on your keyboard? Well, as the title says, there can be 5 things that might be wrong with your PC –
Issue #1 – You are not using the key as required
The first and most common issue users encounter is the intended way of using the PrtScn key. Most users believe pressing the key once should give them feedback about taking a screenshot, which it never does. Also, many laptops and keyboards require a hotkey combination for the print screen keys to work properly.
Solution – The ultimate solution to this problem can be found in the manual of your keyboard or laptop. You need to understand how exactly your PrtScn key works, whether you need to use hotkey combinations like Alt+PrtScn, Win+PrtScn, or Ctrl+PrtScn.
The usage can get tricky as many keyboard layouts, especially the smaller form factor ones, have the PrtScn key combined with the shift key, making it complicated. Hence using your manual and knowing how to use your PrtScn key is the best thing you can do.
Issue #2 – The F lock on your keyboard is ON
Another problem that might be causing the Print screen key not responding error is the function key (F key) lock on your keyboard.
Solution – If there is an indicator on the F key, you can check it to analyze if the use of PrtScn is ON or Off.
The F keys are your F1 to F12 keys. These keys also serve as media controls on laptops, so there is a function lock key to convert these keys as required. If you continuously use the PrtScn key but still there’s no luck, chances are your F key lock was enabled. Turn it off, and you should be good.
Issue #3 – The required PrtScn shortcut is not enabled
If both issues above are not the case, the ability to capture a screen using this key is not a default feature. In several devices, you need to enable it manually. You should do it now!
Solution – Here are the steps that can help you enable the PrtScn key-
Step 1 – Press Windows + U to open the Accessibility Settings.
Step 2 – In the Accessibility options, spot keyboard options and open them. 
Step 3 – After opening the keyboard options, look for the Print Screen shortcut and toggle it ON.
Once you finish these 3 steps, your PrtScn key should start working as usual.
Issue #4 – A third-party screenshot application is causing the button to stop working
If you are using a third-party application for screenshots, chances are that it has remapped your screen-capturing shortcut to some other key combination.
Solution – If this is the case with your PrtScn key, there’s no need to worry about it. You can disable or uninstall the third-party applications and try using the PrtScn key. If it works fine, you can enable or re-install the screenshot application if you want to use it. Else, you can also rely on the inbuilt print screen functionality.
Issue #5 – You are using outdated keyboard drivers on your PC
Last but not least, if your keyboard is working fine, but only a few keys are not performing properly, there is a high possibility that the drivers are outdated. When drivers go outdated, they start affecting the device’s functionality. Hence the PrtScn button not working can result from an outdated driver.
Solution – Updating your keyboard driver is the only way to resolve this issue. Now you can manually update these if you know the steps to update drivers on Windows PC.
If you are not well-versed in it, we recommend you use a simpler method, i.e., Advanced Driver Updater. It is a dedicated tool that allows you to fetch the latest updates in a matter of minutes.
Here’s how the tool works –
Step 1 – Download Advanced Driver Updater on your PC using the button below
Step 2 – Install the tool on your PC and run it.
Step 3 – On the home screen, you will find the Start Scan Now button. Click on it to initiate the scanning process.
Step 4 – Let the scan go through all the installed drivers on your PC and compare it to the latest on the tool’s server.
Step 5 – After the scan, you will have a list of outdated drivers.
Step 6 – Click on Update All to update these drivers.
That’s it! Your keyboard drivers will be installed in a matter of minutes. The best part is that if any other drivers were causing issues, those would be updated, too, leaving no loose end.
PrtScn Not Working? NO WORRIES!
Thanks to these 5 solutions, there is no need to worry if the PrtScn key is not working on your keyboard. Simply match the best situation that suits your PC, use the solution, and you will be good to go.
Using native keys to do your basic tasks is what most users prefer. These fixes should be enough if you are struggling with your PrtScn key.
And with that, we have reached the end of this post. Feel free to drop any of your queries in the comments section below.
Good luck!
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