Windows 11 is DITCHING an almost 20-year-old feature – and users are NOT happy about it

Microsoft’s Windows is ditching a classic feature of PC keyboards that’s about two decades old — and users aren’t happy about it.

Print Screen is a button on PC keyboards that takes a screenshot and automatically copies it for users to paste into another application, such as Paint.

Now, an upcoming update to Windows 11 called KB5025310 will change this so that the Print Screen button opens Microsoft’s snipping tool instead.

The controversial new update comes nearly two years after Windows 11’s original launch — though thankfully it can be fixed.

Microsoft explained it in a blog post along with other new features rolling out to Insider Program members for testing before a general rollout.

But it does mean that the Print Screen button no longer automatically copies screenshots — resulting in additional time-consuming hurdles for Windows users.

Instead, they have to manually take a screenshot in Snipping Tool before they can copy and paste it.

With Windows 11, PC users can already open the Snipping Tool by pressing the Print Screen key, but the new KB5025310 update sets it as the default.

To restore the traditional functionality of the Print Screen key, you need to go to Settings on your Windows 11 PC, followed by Accessibility and Keyboard.

You will then have the option to enable or disable ‘Use the Print Screen key to open Snipping Tool’.

Windows says, “If you’ve previously adjusted this setting yourself, your preference will remain.”

News of the change, first reported by The edgereceived a mixed reception on social media.

One Twitter user said, “I don’t like this at all. There may be things on the screen that disappear [sic] or get confused as soon as you open another app (in this case a snipping tool).’

Another user said, “Why don’t you take a screenshot and open it in the Snipping Tool to edit automatically?”

However, another user called it a “massive quality of life improvement.”

Print Screen – which appeared on PC keyboards in the 1980s – is often labeled in abbreviation to fit the key, such as PrtSc or PrtScn.

Users may need to hold down the Alt key first if it shares the key with another function.

When first added to keyboards, Print Screen originally captured the text that appeared on the screen and transferred it to a computer’s printer port.

But more modern usage over the past 20 years has taken a snapshot of a user’s entire screen.

A possible problem with the current function of the Print Screen button is that it takes a screenshot without any confirmation that it has happened – potentially causing confusion.

But it’s possible that Microsoft wants to direct users to its new-and-improved Snipping Tool, which has been redesigned under Windows 11.

Windows 11 was unveiled to much fanfare in June 2021 and became generally available four months later in October.

It also featured a new color scheme for the famous blue screen of death, a new “Start” button in the middle of the taskbar, and Android apps on the desktop.

Last year, Microsoft added “screen recording” to its new Snipping Tool, allowing users to record the output of their computer screen as a video.

Users have the option to click the ‘Capture’ tab at the top as an alternative to the traditional ‘Snip’ tab that captures images.

Microsoft released three new devices in its touchscreen Surface range last year, specifically designed to work with Windows 11, including a £4,699 update to its all-in-one PC.

But the company has recently made headlines for its work with OpenAI, maker of the hugely successful AI tool ChatGPT.

Microsoft has merged ChatGPT with its Bing search engine, which once rivaled Google Search before falling far behind.