Lightshot is a useful software that allows a user to take, customize, and share screenshots. It is available for free and can be downloaded on both Windows and Mac devices.
As versatile as it may be, it sometimes may not register a hotkey thereby shutting down its functions and leaving you unable to take screenshots. When this happens, you will get the message: “Lightshot failed to register hotkey!”
Here are some of the reasons why Lightshot may fail to register a hotkey:
- A separate program has registered the hotkey
- You are using an old version of Windows
- You are using an old build of Lightshot
Here are a few solutions you can apply to help you solve this issue. They are:
Solution#1: Check if another program has registered the hotkey
Some hotkeys are usually preset in a program and are also commonly applied by most users.
However, Lightshot cannot register or use the following hotkeys if they are already in use by other programs:
- Alt + PrtSc
- PrtSc + Win
- Ctrl + PrtSc
- Ctrl + Shift + PrtSc
- Shift + PrtSc
You can check whether the hotkeys are already registered on another program by using a program like Windows Hotkey Explorer. To access it, you can apply a shortcut by clicking Win + E keys on your keyboard.
The biggest culprit that creates a conflict with the registered keys on LightShot is OneDrive. To check and reset the hotkey settings on OneDrive, follow these steps:
- Open OneDrive
- Select settings and click on “Auto Save”
- Scroll down to the option “Automatically save screenshots I capture to OneDrive” and disable
- Restart Lightshot to allow it to register the freed hotkey
By disabling the settings on OneDrive, you can now use Lightshot as it will register the hotkey.
Solution#2: Change the hotkey
A hotkey is a shortcut that provides a quick way to perform different functions on your computer.
When a windows hotkey is not working, you can change it by selecting a new combination of keys that will help you utilize Lightshot.
Here is how to change the Lightshot hotkey:
- Open Lightshot
- Click on ‘Options’
- Select “General History” and deactivate it by clicking the box before the words
- On the larger box on your right, create your new hotkey
- Click on the small box again to activate the new hotkey
By changing the hotkey, you will be able to prevent the “Lightshot hotkey not working” issue.
This is because you will have created a new hotkey that allows Lightshot to perform the functions required.
Solution#3: Update your Windows OS
If Lightshot is not working on Windows 10 you need to update your Windows operating system to the latest version. This prevents any conflicts that may be hindering LightShot from working.
To update Windows 10 follow these simple steps:
- Open the Windows by clicking on the ‘Start’ button.
- Select ‘Settings’
- Click on “Update & Security”
- Select “Windows Update” and click on “Check for Updates”
- Select “Install Updates”
- Restart your device
By restarting your device, the updates made for Lightshot by Windows will be installed and you can use the tool for your screenshots.
Frequent Windows 10 Updates help the program to run tools such as Lightshot more efficiently. Therefore, this eliminates problems such as the registration of hotkeys.
You can also apply the solution if your browser Lightshot extension is not working. Updating your browser will help you solve any Lightshot chrome hotkey issues.
These solutions will help you resolve the “Lightshot failed to register hotkey” issue in a span of a few minutes.
They are easy to apply and you will find that the issue has been resolved you can now use Lightshot to take screenshots.
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