Miss the Old Screen Clipping Tool in OneNote?

1/8/2016

While not a drastic change-up, the new OneNote 2016 brings about a few cool new features. However, for many seasoned OneNote users, the 2016 version might also bring with it some initial frustration. If you were a regular user of the old Send to OneNote Tool, you may have had a panic moment upon taking your new 2016 version of OneNote for a test drive after installation. That's because Microsoft did away with it. Poof. Gone without a trace.

Some were annoyed with the presence of this tool, while others were avid users of it. For Office 2016, Microsoft axed the tool's presence and irked a decent number of OneNote faithfuls. (Including me.)

I used the handy tool faithfully. It offered three functions, as pictured above, but the only one I really ever used was the Screen Clipping feature. The old setup was a smooth part of my regular OneNote workflow, and a feature I used almost daily at work. Yes, there are other ways to snag a select portion of the screen, but none I tried worked as smoothly and efficiently as the Screen Clipping option in the old Send To OneNote Tool. During a moment of initial panic, I considered uninstalling Office 2016 and reverting back to the 2013 version.

If you have found yourself in a similar mindset, lose the panic. I'll show you the quick and easy way to get that old familiar Screen Clipping function back in your OneNote 2016 experience.

Keyboard Shortcut

Screen Clipping was never my thing to use the keyboard shortcut to access. Since you use the mouse to select and clip, it isn't efficient to go from mouse to keyboard and back to mouse. Anyway, in 2013, you could hold the Windows key + S to execute Screen Clipping. In 2016...nope.

Not to fear, the keyboard shortcut is still there, it is just different. Now, you press Windows key + Shift + S to execute the Screen Clipping function.

Taskbar Icon

A keyboard shortcut is better than nothing, but what if you're using a tablet and don't have a keyboard/type cover connected? Or, what if you just can't live without an icon to click on? Well, the following instructions should make you a very happy OneNoter once again...

STEP 1:
Click on the little up-triangle on your system tray that's located on the far right side of your taskbar. In the little hidden icons box that appears, you should see a little clipper tool icon. Simply drag and drop it from inside the box onto the system tray side of the taskbar. (Sorry--you can't place it elsewhere.)

STEP 2:
Now, right click on the little Clipper icon that you just moved. You will given three option to choose from that will assign an action to the icon, one of which is "Take screen clipping". Choose that option, and you should be all set.

Now, whenever you click on this icon, it will execute the Screen Clipping function that you are used to. (Insert applause here.) It may take a little getting used to having the icon on the right side of your taskbar, but after a few days, I found that I actually like this option better, as it is one less click. Yes, you can do this for OneNote 2013, if you have other computers you use that aren't on 2016 yet and you want to preserve the interface along machines. (My work is still 2013.)

As always, if I have incomplete or incorrect information, please let me know. I'm not a OneNote expert, but rather just a fan.

51 Comments

Patty

3/1/2016 04:03:44 pm

Dear Lost Prophet, THANK YOU !!!! I am thrilled to have my OneNote Clipper back! And it's even better as you noted since it only requires ONE click to execute a screen shot.
Blessings!
Patty

Dia

4/5/2016 12:31:06 pm

Thank you! I just changed computers at work and searched all afternoon trying to find my Clipper icon again!!! A - LIFE - SAVER!!!

Sam G

5/2/2016 01:25:21 pm

Also note that there is another way to get the screen clip in 2016. This is found in the Insert Ribbon / Images / Screen Clipping.

Taking your clip from here automatically places it on the page you are on when you access the tool from ribbon.

5/4/2016 05:16:42 am

Is there a way to make this permanently appear on the task bar? I've had to re-do this process every time after restarting the computer. Thanks.

5/4/2016 08:05:05 am

OK -- solved this myself -- just enable start-up in task manager. Thanks again.

labelle link

5/8/2016 06:03:35 am

To restore previous shortcut (quicker, since two keys only), look at http://www.thewindowsclub.com/screen-clipping-shortcut-onenote-windows-8-1
Anyway, OneNote Web Clipper will take over soon (with Windows Anniversary update), so "send to one note" tool may soon become obsolete.

Lynne

1/19/2017 01:44:29 pm

This is what this blog page is all about. It's about the OneNote OLD screen clipper which is way more superior than just the WEB Screen Clipper. Finally the author The Lost Prophet on this blog found a way to restore it for us who always loved the old screen clipper.

Marc

6/20/2016 11:53:13 am

THANK YOU! I used the old screen clipping tool dozens of times every day, and was one of those folks you were writing to that was in a big panic about the feature dis-appearing. So wonderful of you to post this valuable assistance in bringing back one of my favorite tools. Thank you so very much!

6/22/2016 03:29:58 pm

Thank you so much! Great Help!

7/30/2016 11:54:18 am

Thank you so much! Was trying to figure it out for the last many days

lollorosso

8/7/2016 07:43:48 am

Thank you! Easy instructions.

Bridget

8/8/2016 07:45:35 am

THANK YOU! As a student, this tool was key for my working and taking quick notes. I've been lost without it. This is excellent - a real lifesaver!

Denise

8/24/2016 03:05:53 pm

Ok I just did this and was so excited but I closed it down and now the icon is gone. Is there a way to get it back in the little Box?

Mikael

9/5/2016 05:01:44 am

Awesome article! Thanks a lot! How do I make the screenshot shortcut if I am using mac (since I don`t have the windows key)?

JARED

2/26/2017 11:56:34 am

I believe I use cmd+ctr+SHIFT+4
good luck

Steve

9/7/2016 06:07:42 am

THANKS!!!!

Callie

9/9/2016 12:34:43 pm

Thank you so much!

Carmen

9/15/2016 07:18:50 am

Thank you so much! I was feeling totally lost without it!!

Brian

10/1/2016 03:22:24 pm

Thank you so much! I just uninstalled and then reinstalled MS Office because of a Word and OneNote "Not Responding" and saw that screen clipping moved (apparently I was still running an older version of MS Office). I might not have fixed my "Not Responding" issue but at least I got screen clipping back. Thank you!

Paul

10/4/2016 08:02:56 pm

Not sure if this has been stated yet but it is possible to screen clip by right clicking the OneNote icon on task bar and it pulls up the option to screenclip. It can be done either with a stylus or by holding down with a finger.

Paul

10/4/2016 08:06:32 pm

I mean by not using the tiny icon. You con do this with big icon (the one used to min/max the screen that way you don't need to have another icon in the status bar

Leslie

10/5/2016 04:20:18 pm

Thank you - what a relief! I use that function constantly and was very bummed to see it missing. I Googled the issue thinking I couldn't be the only one sorry to see it go - so glad there is a similar alternative available.

Ives ooi

10/9/2016 12:52:15 pm

not working.
i'm using Win10, office pro 2016.
The "OneNote" icon doesn't appear in taskbar menu.

I've tried to deal with Regedit but can't found OneNote key inside

Niall

3/25/2017 04:39:24 pm

Me too - the little "up arrow" doesn't contain the screen clipping icon, nor does the registry appear to hold anything resembling "screen clipping" and windows + Shift + S doesn't do anything either. I'm using Windows Surface Pro 4, Office 365

SeriusSoft link

10/7/2017 01:12:04 am

Under your start menu, if you have Office 2016 (or 365 installed), you can search for "send to onenote" and click on that. it will likely bring up some silly webpage, BUT, the takeaway is that it also restores that icon to the location the OP mentions.

This works even if you lose access because of their payment model or because you accidently upgraded to 2016 onenote but have an older license (my windows 10 machine came with it all pre-installed and I'm too lazy to "downgrade" my office to the one I'm licensed to use because I haven't had to use the office apps directly just yet.

Hope this helps!

Jim Clough

10/22/2016 09:25:20 am

I discovered the Control/Shift/s option some time ago, but what I hoped to gain from your article was how to get the url to go with the clipping when clipping from the web.
This facility seems to have disappeared.

Lynne

5/10/2017 10:15:10 am

same here

Mirian

11/4/2016 01:49:32 pm

Thank you so much!!

BenAsk link

11/20/2016 03:14:43 am

You are a everyday hero! Thankyou!

GroH

12/9/2016 02:17:05 pm

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Finnally a post with useful information on the screen clipping tool in OneNote! Kudos.

Bridgett link

12/12/2016 12:05:18 pm

Thank you so much!!! I was in a panic but thanks to you, all is well.

Lynne

1/19/2017 09:32:56 am

We need more prophets more like you. You have no idea how much you helped so many people. From deepest of my heart... Thank you! Thank you!!

Geof

1/23/2017 06:48:36 pm

Thanks! fixed me right up.

Photo Retouching link

3/8/2017 07:10:41 am

Thank you writer to give us such fantastic things. The only one world come in my mind MARVELOUS and Outstanding! Just outstanding and amazing.

Pam

4/9/2017 09:03:19 am

I run Windows 7 on my personal laptop. I have the full office suite of products but cannot locate the OneNote screen clipping tool.
Is it available for download to run in Windows 7 environment?

The computer that I use at work has Office 10 and the OneNote screen clipping tool is part of the product suite.

SeriusSoft link

10/7/2017 01:14:48 am

I know this is an older message, but i'll include an answer for posterity's sake.

In the start menu, either look for "onenote capture" or "send to onenote" without quotes, and opening it will add the icon to your taskbar and/or open the modal.

Larry O.

4/17/2017 12:22:28 pm

Thanks for this great tip that alllowed me to get the OneNote screen clipping tool back! It saves me lots of time!

Vince

5/7/2017 02:11:43 am

I found the clipper icon where you said it would be now I appear to have deleted it?
Is this even possible?
Thank u for your time

Libby Wennstrom

5/9/2017 10:25:48 am

This post PARTIALLY solved my problem. I'm running OneNote 2016; the keyboard shortcut (Windows-Shift-S) abruptly quit working after a recent update - it only copies the clipping to the clipboard, and does not insert it into OneNote. Thanks to your post, I can use the small taskbar icon to insert a clipping into OneNote again. But I still want my keyboard shortcut back... Help? Why is it not saving into OneNote? Options in File > Options > Send to OneNote are set correctly.

I have already escalated this to Tier II Microsoft support, and no one can give me a straight answer...

Lauma

6/13/2017 01:30:33 pm

I don't have the little up triangle icon in my task bar, so I can't get to the clipper icon.

Tony

6/20/2017 05:10:13 am

Thank you! However, Step 1 in your Taskbar Icon instructions doesn't work. It's because the OneNote clipping icon is NOT in the box. Yes, I do have the option checked in OneNote, but it just doesn't appear that's the problem. Anyway, the Windows-Shift-S does work and i can survive with that, assuming I remember. :) Anyway, thanks for your write up.

Amedeo

6/20/2017 10:38:59 am

Awesome tip!
Thank you very much.

Julz link

7/7/2017 05:10:28 pm

((((((HUGS))))))))) from University of Texas graduate student, RN, mother, wife, waitress, cleaning lady, taxi driver.

This function saved me so much time!!
My entire purpose to use OneNote!
GOD BLESS YOU!!

Oldsirhippy

8/10/2017 07:28:23 am

Unfortunately this did not work for me! My computer died and I had to reload everything including the latest updated One note. On my previous version I used windows key + n to get additional menu items which included screen clipping - but now it just inserts an 'n' on the screen. Windows + shift + s just inserts an 's'. So am using the "snipping tool" which does the same, but is not as smooth an operation as the Onenote screen clipping - I have to cut and paste from the snipping tool window into Onenote.

robot

8/21/2017 02:47:39 pm

U DA BOMB !!!!!!!

Diana Z

9/17/2017 04:46:38 pm

Since I recently moved from 2013 to 2016, I too was missing this, and am TRULY GRATEFUL for this information! Thank you again!

JimT

9/22/2017 09:07:53 am

Thank You VERY much. This is a very useful tool that I thought I had lost.

Anthony link

9/24/2017 12:33:49 pm

2017 Sept 24 Sun

What Microsoft did with the OneNote snipping tool is a let down! It does seems like retrogression.

I like that when you took a snip using a keyboard shortcut, that a window appeared where you could quickly navigate to the Notebook location to copy the snip to. That elimination I survived and found ways to get around, although I would still gladly welcome that feature back.

I sort of new about the <Microsoft Key + Shift + S> shortcut before, because that was the only shortcut that would work for me. The <Microsoft Key + S> didn't work for me for some reason.

So, now after I press <Microsoft Key + Shift + S> and select a snip, I have to then open up OneNote manually, and then navigate to the location where I want the snip pasted. A little less convenient, but doable.

NEW DRAWBACK

Now I'm discovering another even more frustrating drawback. When you past the snip, which you now have to do by using the conventional <Ctrl + V> method directly in OneNote, the snip is pasted, but NOT the URL, or the time and date. I liked that the URL, and the time and date would automatically be included underneath the pasted snip. The automatically added URL is nice if you need to go back to the webpage at a future date. Sometimes, I don't want the extra info, especially when I'm pasting multiple snips from the same site, so the extra info can become a bit of a redundant clutter. But if I had to choose, I would rather every snip include the URL, time and date, rather than exclude them.

MY SUGGESTIONS

That the Snipping Tool in Microsoft OneNote were customizable. Some feature to include might be:
> display a OneNote navigation window immediately after the shortcut is pressed (as before), to quickly and conveniently choose the copying location, as well as to set a default location in case you are copying multiple snips to the same location in OneNote
> as before, to have the option of copying the snip to the clipboard, with maybe the added option of automatically copying the snip to both a OneNote location and the clipboard
> have the option to have OneNote also include the URL, and/or the time and/or date with the paste. If you could paste the snip and any combination of the URL, time or date into any document, not just OneNote, that would be nice as well. I don’t think you could do this with the old OneNote snipping tool.
> and going off topic a bit, it would be nice if OneNote did not so rigidly stack objects in a vertical spread, so that they are not easily placed horizontally adjacent one another. You can place objects adjacent one another, but you have to open up a new data-box-window thingy that is adjacent the previous data-box-window thingy. I think you can get two images to line up horizontally adjacent each other in a data-box-window-thingy, but it is a bit tricky.

Hopefully, Microsoft will hear these complaints and suggestions and reintroduce a more comprehensive snipping tool feature in the future, or maybe . . . now!

What to do? March on Washington, or would that be Seattle?

Anthony link

9/24/2017 01:27:19 pm

This is a continuation of the previous post by me.

You can get the URL to automatically appear with an item copied into OneNote. To do this, you have to select either the text and/or the images in the Webpage and paste it into OneNote. On the other hand, if you use the snipping tool to copy text and/or images into OneNote, no URL, time or date will appear with the pasted data, which used to be the case with the old OneNote snipping tool.

SUGGESTION (one more; maybe the bottle I put this in will land on the shores of Microsoft Island)

> I could be nice if you could have text wrap around objects in Microsoft OneNote. I don't think that option is currently the case.

Steff

10/6/2017 09:40:31 am

OMG!!!!! you just saved my life haha I almost thought I had to say goodbye for good to OneNote screen clippings!

Kathleen

10/9/2017 02:56:52 pm

THANK YOU!!!! I just went to a Windows 10 laptop (new one for work) and I panicked. You have saved me, thanks!

Author

I'm not blind--just somewhat distracted...
I am an 20 year veteran of the high school classroom. I love working with young adults, and I love when useful tech can empower self-reliant learning.

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