Microsoft is testing the default function of the 30-year-old “Print Screen” keyto open the Snipping Tool instead.
One of the changes in the latest beta versions of Windows 11 Build 22621.1546 and 22624.1546 (KB5025310) released to testers by Microsoft is that pressing the print screen key will open the scrapbook by default. But users can turn it off through “Settings” > “Accessibility” and “Keyboard”. If the user has previously changed the default of the screen print key, the new functionality will also be preserved.
The screen print button has been around since the days of MS-DoS. The earliest screen printing was to send the text on the screen to a physical printer for printing. The modern screen printing function, which allows users to copy the entire computer screen for pasting into the scrapbook, dates back to Windows 3.0 in the 1990s.
This function is very useful in applications that do not provide “copy” and “paste”. On the other hand, there are other programs that integrate screen printing by default, such as Microsoft’s OneDrive, or third-party programs such as Dropbox, Open-source image capture and video app ShareX. However, in a multi-screen environment, pressing the print screen key will capture all screen images; the user must use Alt + “Print Screen” to specify to capture the active window.
The Clipping Tool is also a handy tool. It allows the user to capture a portion of the screen. This function also provides different modes such as rectangle, free shape or full screen cropping, allowing users to capture desired screen images. Microsoft added a new “Snipping and Drawing” and “Snipping Tool” side by side in Windows 10, and changed it back to only “Snipping Tool” in Windows 11. In Windows 11, use the Windows key + Shift hotkey to invoke this function.Reported by Ars Technicathis hotkey function still exists for users who are used to this method or whose computer does not have a screen print key.
However, the new screen printing key default function may not eventually be pushed to the official version. Features or changes that Microsoft tested in Windows Beta versions are also often canceled in the end and will not be included in new official updates.
