Security

How to Completely Block Screenshots and Screen Captures in Windows 10 and 11

Super Administrator · Oct 20, 2026 · 3 min read

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Whether you are locking down testing workstations, managing enterprise endpoints, or securing sensitive internal data, preventing unauthorized screen captures is a crucial administrative requirement.

In modern Windows environments (Windows 10 & 11), users capture screens through two primary vectors: the physical Print Screen (PrtScn) key and integrated software utilities like Snipping Tool / Screen Sketch (Win + Shift + S). Below is a complete guide to completely neutralizing both methods via low-level registry mappings and system policies.

1. Block the Physical Print Screen Key (Driver-Level Scancode Map)

The most reliable way to disable the physical keyboard button across all user profiles is by writing a Scancode Map directly to the keyboard driver layout in the Windows Registry.

Manual Registry Configuration:

  1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
  2. Navigate to the following key: 
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout
    Note: Ensure you select Keyboard Layout (singular), not Keyboard Layouts.
  3. Right-click in the right pane, select New > Binary Value, and set the name to: Scancode Map
  4. Double-click Scancode Map and enter the following hex values carefully: 
    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
  5. Click OK and restart the PC for the driver to load the remapping.

Understanding the Binary Structure

  • 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00: Header version and flags.
  • 04 00 00 00: Total entry count (3 mapping rules + 1 null terminator).
  • 00 00 2A E0 & 00 00 37 E0: Intercepts Extended Print Screen make/break codes and remaps them to 00 00 (Null / Disabled).
  • 00 00 54 00: Neutralizes the SysRq hardware call.
  • 00 00 00 00: Null terminating sequence.

2. Quick Automated Deployment (.reg File)

If deploying across multiple lab or office workstations, save the snippet below into a file named Block_PrintScreen.reg and merge it silently: 

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

To run via administrative Command Prompt or script:

reg import Block_PrintScreen.reg

3. Block Windows Snipping Tool & Win + Shift + S Shortcut

Nullifying the keyboard key does not prevent the Windows Snipping Tool overlay from launching via the mouse or the Win + Shift + S shortcut. Disable the utility system-wide using policy flags:

Option A: Via Local Group Policy Editor (Windows Pro & Enterprise)

  1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter.
  2. Navigate to: 
    Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Tablet PC > Accessories
  3. Locate and double-click Do not allow Snipping Tool to run.
  4. Set it to Enabled, then click Apply and OK.

Option B: Via Command Line (Works on Windows Home, Pro, & Enterprise)

Run the following command in an elevated (Administrator) Command Prompt:

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\TabletPC" /v DisableSnippingTool /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

4. How to Restore Default Screenshot Functions

To revert these settings and restore default functionality at any point:

  • Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout.
  • Right-click and Delete the Scancode Map value.
  • To re-enable the Snipping Tool, remove the policy value: 
    reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\TabletPC" /v DisableSnippingTool /f
  • Restart your workstation to restore the hardware keyboard driver state.

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