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Q: Beyond the obligatory and ubiquitous “Thanks Bill,” in your digitally-enhanced Genuinely Intelligent (GI) view, why oh why can’t Windows Snipping Tool’s frame size be set in the registry? No matter what trick I apply each time I use the &^%$ thing its size grows, its position changes, and I am forced to manually resize it by dragging edges up/down and left/right. If it can’t be managed, is there an alternative out there we should give a test drive?

– William R.
Fort Walton Beach, Florida

A:  And just what is wrong with “Thanks, Bill!”?  Maybe I should say “Thanks, William!” instead?  After all, you’re one of the last hanger-oners who are still feeding me the occasional question as I rapidly approach the column’s swan song.  Seriously, things around here are set to come to a conclusion around September if the traffic doesn’t start picking up a little.  I’ll hate to see that happen, but that’s the reality of the local newspapers here in Northwest Florida “going in a new direction” which is apparently away from what the readers actually want.  But I digress…

So, the issue before me today is that of the Windows Snipping Tool, and why its size doesn’t seem to saved anywhere between uses.  Before I answer, let me, as I so often do, provide some background info to those readers who may not be up on Snipping Tool, what it is, and what it can do for them.

Snipping Tool has been around since Windows Vista, and is one of the only good things to have come out of that lame excuse for an OS.  At its core, Snipping Tool replaced the old screen capture methods of using [PrtScr] or [Alt]+[PrtScr] to capture the screen or the contents of a window to the clipboard.  That method was very limited in scope.  Enter Snipping Tool, which allows you to take rectangular captures, as well as window, full-screen, or even free-form captures.  It can even record screen video, including the audio.  You launch it with the magic key combination of [WinKey]+[Shift]+[S], after which your screen will dim slightly, and you’ll see the Snipping Tool interface, located top dead center.  It’s a great little tool, especially when you’re, say, writing a question to your local technology Geek, but can’t quite find the words to describe the problem.  A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words, and goes an unbelievably long way towards engendering understanding when I can’t be there in person to look at your screen.

Now, having said all that, William, the simple answer to your question is that Snipping Tool simply was not designed to capture the same area over and over again.  It is a dynamic tool, which expects you to define the capture area on-the-fly each time you use it.  The exception, of course, is if you’re doing window or full-screen captures, which by their very nature do not require you to define an area.

Microsoft’s modern design philosophy is to be as “Zero Configuration” as possible. They want the OS to handle the “how” so the user only worries about the “what.” By moving away from stuff like .ini files and user-editable Registry keys for window geometry, they prevent a number of problems, such as users accidentally setting a window size to “0x0” or defining coordinates off-screen, both of which would “break” the app. The downside? Power users like you are left with a tool that refuses to obey orders. It’s not that they can’t let you set it in the Registry; it’s that they’ve deliberately chosen not to in the interest of keeping things flowing for users that aren’t as smart as you.

Alternatives?  Sure.  We both know that the Redmond Giant isn’t the final word on tools for Windows.  Here are some suggestions for you to try:

• Greenshot: If you want a tool that stays exactly where you put it, Greenshot is the gold standard.  It’s open-source, lightweight, and (most importantly for you) it has a “Capture last region” function.  You can set a fixed capture region in the settings and it will never deviate.
• ShareX: If Greenshot is a scalpel, ShareX is a Swiss Army Knife.  If allows incredibly granular control over tasks, allowing you to define exact pixel dimensions for your capture area and then lock them in.  It’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you set it, it stays set.
• PicPick: For a balance between a friendly UI and powerful features, PicPick is an excellent choice. It includes a “Fixed Region” capture mode where you can input the exact dimensions that you want.  Every time you trigger the app the frame is exactly that size.  No dragging, no guessing, no frustration.

Last word: I love Snipping Tool, but until Microsoft decides to give us back a “Save Window Position” option, your best bet may be to say “Thanks, Bill, but no thanks!” and opt for a third-party tool that understands the needs of people who actually use the product instead of leaning so heavily on the whims of the design team.

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