Disable Snipping Tool & Screen Capture Features in Windows (Technical Guide)

This Knowledge Base article provides a technical, administrator-focused guide for disabling the Snipping Tool and Windows screen capture mechanisms across Windows environments.

It covers:

• Group Policy (GPO)

• Registry-based enforcement

• Executable-level blocking

• AppLocker / SRP controls

• Win + Shift + S behavior

• Security implications & limitations

Applicable to:

• Windows 10 / Windows 11

• Domain & standalone systems

• Enterprise / managed environments

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Product / Feature Overview

Windows provides multiple screenshot mechanisms:

Component	Purpose
SnippingTool.exe	Legacy screenshot utility
ScreenClippingHost.exe	Win + Shift + S handler
Snip & Sketch / Snipping Tool (modern)	UWP-based capture UI
Print Screen Key (PrtScn)	Full screen capture
Game Bar Capture	Screenshot/video capture

Disabling only SnippingTool.exe is insufficient in modern Windows versions.

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Technical Explanation

Screenshot Architecture (Modern Windows)

Windows screen capture involves:

1. User Input

   • Win + Shift + S

   • Print Screen

   • Third-party APIs

2. Capture Handler

   • ScreenClippingHost.exe

   • UWP capture services

3. Clipboard Integration

   • Captured image → Clipboard / temp storage

4. Rendering & UI

   • Modern Snipping Tool interface

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Critical Limitation

✔ Disabling Snipping Tool alone does NOT prevent screenshots.

✔ Users may still capture screens via:

• Win + Shift + S

• Print Screen

• Game Bar

• Third-party utilities

• Remote session tools

Full prevention requires multi-layered controls.

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Use Cases & Environments

Common scenarios:

• Secure workstation environments

• Exam / testing systems

• Financial / compliance systems

• Kiosk / public systems

• Insider threat mitigation

• Data leakage prevention (DLP)

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Method 1 – Group Policy (Recommended)

Disable Legacy Snipping Tool

Path:

User Configuration
→ Administrative Templates
→ Windows Components
→ Tablet PC
→ Accessories

Policy:

Turn off Snipping Tool

Setting:

Enabled

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Disable Screen Snip (Win + Shift + S)

Path (Windows 10/11):

User Configuration
→ Administrative Templates
→ Windows Components
→ File Explorer

Policy:

Disable or enable screen capture

(Availability depends on Windows build)

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Disable Print Screen Key Mapping

Path:

User Configuration
→ Administrative Templates
→ Windows Components
→ File Explorer

Policy:

Turn off Windows Key hotkeys

⚠ Broad impact — disables ALL Windows hotkeys.

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Method 2 – Registry Enforcement

Disable Snipping Tool

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\TabletPC]
"DisableSnippingTool"=dword:00000001

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Disable Screen Clipping Host

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"DisabledHotkeys"="S"

⚠ Only partial mitigation.

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Method 3 – Executable Blocking (Direct Control)

Critical executables:

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Rename / Deny Execution

takeown /f C:\Windows\System32\SnippingTool.exe
icacls C:\Windows\System32\SnippingTool.exe /deny Everyone:(X)

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takeown /f C:\Windows\System32\ScreenClippingHost.exe
icacls C:\Windows\System32\ScreenClippingHost.exe /deny Everyone:(X)

⚠ Windows updates may revert permissions.

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Method 4 – AppLocker (Enterprise Best Practice)

Block Screenshot Executables

Create Rule → Executable Rules → Deny

Targets:

SnippingTool.exe
ScreenClippingHost.exe
GameBar.exe

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Example AppLocker Rule Logic

Action: Deny
User/Group: Everyone
Condition: Path
Path: C:\Windows\System32\SnippingTool.exe

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Method 5 – Software Restriction Policies (SRP)

Block via hash/path:

C:\Windows\System32\SnippingTool.exe
C:\Windows\System32\ScreenClippingHost.exe

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Common Errors & Fixes

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Security Considerations & Risks

Critical Reality Check

✔ Windows cannot guarantee screenshot prevention.

Users may capture screens via:

• External devices (phone camera)

• Virtual machines

• Remote tools

• Accessibility APIs

• GPU capture hooks

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High-Security Environments Require:

✔ DLP solutions
✔ VDI restrictions
✔ Endpoint lockdown
✔ Watermarking
✔ Session monitoring

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Best Practices & Recommendations

Recommended Strategy (Layered Control)

✔ Use AppLocker / WDAC (most reliable)
✔ Block executables + UWP capture
✔ Disable Game Bar
✔ Enforce least privilege
✔ Monitor clipboard & file activity
✔ Combine with DLP

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Avoid:

❌ Only disabling Snipping Tool
❌ Registry-only enforcement
❌ Permission tweaks without policy control

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Conclusion

Disabling screenshots in Windows is not a single-setting operation.

Effective mitigation requires:

• Group Policy controls

• Executable blocking

• Application whitelisting (AppLocker / WDAC)

• Security monitoring

Absolute prevention is not technically guaranteed on general-purpose Windows systems.

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