Share via


Windows 7 and/or 10 - Disable or repurpose Print Screen Key

Question

Monday, April 24, 2017 1:37 AM

I have located a few registry edits that are supposed to disable the print screen key.

What I really would like to do is to reverse the standard of where the print screen key copies everything, and you have to use Alt-Print Screen to get only the active window.  In my use, for providing feedback for program issues, the Alt-Print screen is desired.  I am suspecting that in most uses the active window would be desired, especially in multi-monitor setups, but that is speculation.

The risk is that if the Alt key does not register, you get an entire screen print of all monitors.   And when it pastes into Outlook, it pastes full size, and because my left monitor is the main one, it is easy to miss that multiple monitors have been copied.  This can lead to privacy issues, depending on the work you are doing.

However I believe all I can do is disable the print screen key from the keyboard map via the registry, which I believe will mean that Alt-Print screen will also not work as the print screen key will no longer register at all.  This is not a show stopper, because the snipping tool supplied standard with Windows can be used.  Takes a little more time, but that is ok.

If the behavior between Print Screen and Alt-Print Screen could be reversed that would be ideal for my environment, based on the frequency of the desired function.

Alternate solutions are welcome.

Thanks,

Ross

All replies (3)

Tuesday, April 25, 2017 10:16 AM

Hi,

As far as I know, the behavior of the “Print screen” is by design and I am afraid it is not available to custom its behavior with official method.

Based on your description, I think disabling the “Print screen” key and using Snipping tool would be the best way.

Here are the steps of disable Print Screen key:

1.Copy the following registry to notepad and saved as a .reg file.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]

"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,04,00,00,00,00,00,2a,e0,00,00,37,e0,\

00,00,54,00,00,00,00,00

2.Apply the registry through doble click it.

3.Sign out and sign in again.

Best regards,

Joy.

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help.
If you have feedback for TechNet Subscriber Support, contact [email protected].


Tuesday, April 25, 2017 10:50 AM

Hi Ross2009 and Joy-Qiao,

I'm interested in this thread (key remapping) and waiting for someone's answer, since I could not find answer: key remapping between one key and one key is easy to work out, but difficult or impossible between two keys combination (Alt + PrintScreen) and one key (PrintSceen).

I recommend Ross2009 to use a third party software. For over ten years, I've used "HyperSnap" (by Hyperionics) for screen capture.
___________
Ashidacchi


Thursday, May 10, 2018 11:08 AM

It worked for me.

Thank You