'The Snipping Tool is not working on your computer right now' Error

The Snipping Tool is a convenient tool that comes built-in with the Windows OS. It allows users to capture the content of their screen or focus on just a specific area quickly. The tool also comes with features, such as drawing over the captured image and sharing it with the intended recipient. To access the Snipping Tool, you can use the combination of Windows key+Shift+S on your keyboard. In the future, Microsoft might add the functionality of the tool to a new application named Snip & Sketch.

However, sometimes the Snipping tool may malfunction, and users could encounter an error stating that 'The Snipping Tool is not working on your computer right now. Restart your computer, and then try again. If the problem persists, contact your system administrator.' If a simple restart of the system doesn't resolve the problem, try the following solutions. 

Exit and Relaunch the Snipping Tool

If you wish to avoid having to pause the entirety of your current activities on the system while it restarts, you may try to close and relaunch the Snipping tool only.

1. Open Task Manager.
2. If you have to, expand the window by clicking on the 'More details' arrow.
3. Find the Snipping Tool entry under the 'Processes' tab.
4. Select it and then click on 'End task.'
5. Try to relaunch the tool.

Do an SFC Scan

SFC stands for System File Checker, and this service is tasked with detecting and then fixing various system issues such as missing or corrupted files. 

1. Type cmd in the search field on the taskbar and then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter on your keyboard to open an elevated Command Prompt.
2. Type the sfc /scannow command and press Enter to execute it.
3. Wait for the SFC process to conclude.
4. Restart your computer and check if the Snipping Tool is now working as expected.

Remove Conflicting Software

Another reason that could cause the 'The Snipping Tool is not working on your computer right now' error is potential software conflicts between the tool and other products on the system, especially ones that you have installed recently. To check if this is the case, follow the steps:

1. Type msconfig in the search field on the taskbar and press Enter.
2. In the System Configuration window, select the 'Services' tab.
3. Locate the 'Hide all Microsoft services' options and check the corresponding checkbox.
4. Now, locate the services most likely to interfere with the Snipping Tool. Make sure to include any recently installed programs.
5. Click on 'Disable all.'
6. Click 'Apply' and then 'OK' to save the changes.
7. Restart the computer system and see if the error has been resolved.
8. If Snipping Tool is now working as intended, you may need to repeat the process to identify the exact culprit causing the error manually.