Lightshot is a tremendously useful software for taking screenshots but can have occasional hiccups. It may fail to launch, launch but not take screenshots, show a black screen in the screenshot, stop working in games or on the desktop, or stop responding to keys you set up. To sum up, it may give you troubles that would ruin normal functionality and frustrate you to no end. Luckily, we’re adept at the application and have demonstrated a wide array of solutions over time. Therefore, we’re prepared to cover the most common sources of woe and show you how to fix the Lightshot not working problem, whatever it is.
1. Fix Lightshot not working by restarting or reinstalling the software
The vast majority of issues with the software refusing to work can be solved by quitting, then starting it again. You may also choose to restart Lightshot as administrator by:
- Opening the Start menu.
- Searching for the software, then right-clicking on Lightshot.
- Going to Properties.
- Clicking on Advanced…
- Selecting Run as administrator, then OK.
If that doesn’t produce results, consider deleting Lightshot and installing it again after downloading it from the Internet. You may need to set the hotkeys again, explained in the method below, but that’s a small price to pay for restored functionality.
2. Double-check the hotkey and set a different one
We showed how to change a Lightshot hotkey, and what to do if Lightshot fails to register a hotkey. Those two guides should get you through most permission-related concerns and ways to run the software as an administrator on other platforms.
We also touched on the fact that several well-known applications may impact the functionality. They may take precedence over Lightshot or occupy the key in question, meaning it will not be working until you fix the problem by removing them or ensuring they become low-priority. That applies to Snipping Tool/Snip & Sketch in Windows 10 and 11, which frequently occupy the Print Screen key. Some others include Core Temp, Speed Fan, CPU-Z, NetStress, OneDrive, and Dropbox.
Note that using a laptop may require you to press the Fn (Function) or More button to use some unique buttons. In some cases, that applies to pressing Fn + Print Screen, if the keyboard is reduced in size. We propose checking our guide on types of keyboard, especially if using a non-standard one.
3. Configure settings and eliminate black screen
Another reason Lightshot may stop functioning may include wrong quality settings or format (PNG, JPG, BMP) automatic upload to the Internet when you don’t want that, or printing. If uploading to the Internet is standard practice for you, the Proxy tab is where you need to go. In all these cases, you need to learn to change Lightshot settings. That should solve any issues in the software or its configuration.
4. Check guides or contact Skillbrains if Lightshot is not working
Its developer, Skillbrains, has answered Frequently Asked Questions about Lightshot on its website. If that’s insufficient, look into the Lightshot tutorials. If that is still not the solution to the problem, consider reaching out to Lightshot’s developers at [email protected]. They should answer promptly and help you with any issues you may have.