{"id":3369,"date":"2016-06-28T17:43:57","date_gmt":"2016-06-28T17:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/198.58.113.91\/blog\/?p=3369"},"modified":"2020-12-08T05:51:27","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T05:51:27","slug":"start-snipping-tool-capture-mode-default","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/start-snipping-tool-capture-mode-default\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Snipping Tool Default to New Snip when Launched"},"content":{"rendered":"

Snipping Tool is a handy screenshot tool<\/a> included in Windows Vista and higher, with the annotation feature. Running Snipping Tool in Windows Vista and 7 would start the utility in capture mode (New rectangular snip) automatically, but this has changed<\/a> in Windows 8 and Windows 10.<\/p>\n

\"start<\/p>\n

In Windows 8 and 10, the user needs to click the arrow mark near the New<\/strong> button and then select one of the snip modes. Microsoft made this change<\/a> after considering users’ feedback.<\/p>\n

However, there are some neat workarounds to make Snipping Tool default to “New” rectangular snip or capture mode when started.<\/p>\n

Make Snipping Tool Default to New Snip when Launched<\/h2>\n

You can start Snipping Tool in the New rectangular snip capture mode by default, using one of the following tools or methods. The idea is to automate the keypress event in the Snipping Tool.<\/p>\n

Using NirCmd<\/h3>\n

NirCmd is a multipurpose command-line tool that can automate many complicated tasks in Windows. You can automate keystrokes in any program using NirCmd.<\/p>\n

Let’s use NirCmd to send keystrokes Alt<\/kbd> + M<\/kbd> and then R<\/kbd>, which would invoke the Mode<\/strong> \u2192 Rectangular Snip<\/strong> option automatically.<\/p>\n

For Windows 10 v1809 and higher<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Windows 10 v1809, Microsoft has moved the snip options to the Mode<\/strong> menu from the New button\/menu.<\/p>\n

\"Make<\/p>\n

This means that you’ll need to send the keystroke Alt<\/kbd> + M<\/kbd> instead of Alt<\/kbd> + N<\/kbd>.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Download NirCmd<\/a> from Nirsoft<\/li>\n
  2. Copy NirCmd.exe to your Windows directory.<\/li>\n
  3. Copy the following code and paste it into Notepad.<\/li>\n
  4. Save the file with a .vbs<\/em> extension, let’s say C:\\Windows\\sniptool.vbs<\/i>\n
    'Starts Snipping Tool in screen capture mode automatically.\r\nSet WshShell = CreateObject(\"Wscript.Shell\")\r\nWshShell.Run \"SnippingTool.exe\"\r\n'Wait for 500 milliseconds\r\nWscript.Sleep 500\r\nWshShell.Run \"nircmd win activate class Microsoft-Windows-Tablet-SnipperToolbar\"\r\nWshShell.Run \"nircmd sendkeypress alt+M r\"\r\nSet WshShell = Nothing<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    For Windows 10 versions earlier than v1809<\/strong><\/p>\n
    In Windows 10 versions earlier<\/strong> than v1809, and Windows 8, use NirCmd to send keystrokes Alt<\/kbd> + N<\/kbd> and then R<\/kbd>, which would automatically invoke the New<\/strong> \u2192 Rectangular Snip<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
      \n
    1. Use this script in Windows 10 v1803 and earlier, and Windows 8:\n
      'Starts Snipping Tool in screen capture mode automatically.\r\nSet WshShell = CreateObject(\"Wscript.Shell\")\r\nWshShell.Run \"SnippingTool.exe\"\r\nWscript.Sleep 500\r\nWshShell.Run \"nircmd win activate class Microsoft-Windows-Tablet-SnipperToolbar\"\r\nWshShell.Run \"nircmd sendkeypress alt+N r\"\r\nSet WshShell = Nothing<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
    2. You may create a desktop shortcut to the script as below, and Pin the shortcut to your taskbar or Start screen.\n
      wscript.exe c:\\windows\\sniptool.vbs<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
    3. Name the shortcut as Snipping Tool, and change the shortcut icon via Properties. Select Windows\\System32\\SnippingTool.exe<\/code> and choose the Snipping Tool icon from there.\"start<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      Clicking this shortcut would now start Snipping Tool in New rectangular snip mode automatically.<\/p>\n
      Using an AutoHotKey Script<\/h3>\n
      If you’re fond of AutoHotKey<\/a> scripting and automation tool, you may use the following script to accomplish the same thing. Thanks to mrautomation.com for the script at GitHub<\/a>.<\/p>\n
      For Windows 10 v1809 and higher<\/strong><\/p>\n
      \r\nIf WinExist(\"Snipping Tool\")\r\n{\r\n\tWinActivate\r\n\tWinWaitActive\r\n\tSend !m\r\n\tSend r\r\n}\r\n\r\nelse\r\n\r\n{\r\n\tRun, %windir%\\System32\\SnippingTool.exe\r\n\tWinWait, ahk_class Microsoft-Windows-Tablet-SnipperToolbar\r\n\tWinActivate, ahk_class Microsoft-Windows-Tablet-SnipperToolbar\r\n\tWinWaitActive, ahk_class Microsoft-Windows-Tablet-SnipperToolbar\r\n\tSend !m\r\n\tSend r\r\n}\r\nreturn\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n
      For Windows 10 v1803 & earlier, and Windows 8<\/strong><\/p>\n
      \r\nIf WinExist(\"Snipping Tool\")\r\n{\r\n\tWinActivate\r\n\tWinWaitActive\r\n\tSend !n\r\n\tSend r\r\n}\r\n\r\nelse\r\n\r\n{\r\n\tRun, %windir%\\System32\\SnippingTool.exe\r\n\tWinWait, ahk_class Microsoft-Windows-Tablet-SnipperToolbar\r\n\tWinActivate, ahk_class Microsoft-Windows-Tablet-SnipperToolbar\r\n\tWinWaitActive, ahk_class Microsoft-Windows-Tablet-SnipperToolbar\r\n\tSend !n\r\n\tSend r\r\n}\r\nreturn\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n
      Using Win + Shift + S keyboard shortcut<\/h4>\n
      Using the Winkey<\/kbd> + Shift<\/kbd> + S<\/kbd> shortcut (available only in Windows 10) lets you start the Snipping tool in new rectangular snip mode and capture an area of the screen. However<\/strong>, the Snipping Tool interface doesn’t show up on the screen, and the image is only copied to the Windows clipboard.<\/p>\n
      \"screenshot<\/p>\n
      Use this shortcut key combination if you don’t plan to annotate the captured image using Snipping Tool. For more information on this keyboard shortcut, check out the article Screenshot a Portion of the Screen in Windows 10 [Winkey+Shift+S]<\/a>.<\/p>\n
      To take screenshots<\/a> like a pro or want tons of additional screenshot features, take a look at GreenShot or ShareX utilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
      Snipping Tool is a handy screenshot tool included in Windows Vista and higher, with the annotation feature. Running Snipping Tool in Windows Vista and 7 would start the utility in capture mode (New rectangular snip) automatically, but this has changed in Windows 8 and Windows 10. In Windows 8 and 10, the user needs to … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8,10],"tags":[762,480,530],"class_list":["post-3369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-windows-10","category-windows-8","tag-autohotkey","tag-scripts","tag-snipping-tool"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26786,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/snip-failed-to-open-the-file-error-in-snipping-tool-sketch-app\/","url_meta":{"origin":3369,"position":0},"title":"“Failed to open the file” Error in Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch App","author":"Ramesh","date":"June 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When you use the Snipping Tool to screenshot the screen or a window, the snip may be copied to the clipboard but the Snipping Tool can't open the image. 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On Windows 10, the Snip &\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snip & Sketch failed to open the file","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/snip-failed-open-file-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5112,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/capture-screen-region-snippingtool-clip-shortcut-windows-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":3369,"position":1},"title":"Snipping Tool Command-line to Capture Screen Region","author":"Ramesh","date":"January 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Windows 10 (Creators Update and higher) and Windows 11 includes the capability to capture a screen region using Win + Shift + S shortcut key, as mentioned in the article Screenshot a Portion of the Screen [Winkey+Shift+S]. 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