How to Completely Disable ‘Snipping Tool’ (SnippingTool.exe) via Group Policy in Windows 11

The Snipping Tool (SnippingTool.exe) is a built-in Windows 11 utility that allows users to quickly capture screenshots of their desktop, annotate them, and share them. While highly convenient for general office work, it can represent a data leakage risk in highly secure environments. In financial institutions, healthcare facilities, or computer-based testing centres, allowing users to rapidly capture, save, and export images of sensitive on-screen data (such as patient records, exam questions, or customer financial details) is a violation of data loss prevention (DLP) protocols.

This guide explains how to completely disable the execution of the Snipping Tool in Windows 11 using the Group Policy Editor.

Disable SnippingTool.exe via Group Policy

To ensure the application cannot be launched via the Start Menu, the Print Screen key, or direct executable execution, we will use the “Don’t run specified Windows applications” policy. This method is available on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

1. Log into Windows 11 with an Administrator account.
2. Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue box.
3. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
4. In the left-hand navigation pane, drill down to the following path:

   User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System

5. In the right-hand pane, locate the policy named Don’t run specified Windows applications.
6. Double-click the policy to open its configuration window.
7. Select the radio button next to Enabled.
8. Under the “Options” section, click the Show… button next to “List of disallowed applications”.
9. In the “Show Contents” dialogue box, double-click the empty space under the “Value” column and type exactly:

   SnippingTool.exe

10. Click OK to close the list, then click Apply and OK on the main policy window.

Verify the Restriction

The Group Policy restriction typically applies instantly. To verify the lockdown, press the Windows key and type Snipping Tool. Click on the app icon to launch it.

Instead of the screen dimming and the capture menu appearing, Windows will immediately block the execution and display an error dialogue box stating: “This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.”

Furthermore, pressing the default Win + Shift + S keyboard shortcut will simply result in no action, successfully preventing any unauthorized screenshot captures via the built-in utility.