The Snipping Tool, long known for its ability to take screenshots, has been updated in recent versions of Windows to include screen recording functionality. This handy tool makes it easy to capture both still and video content without needing third-party software. However, this convenience also introduces a challenge: what happens if you close the tool or experience a crash before saving the video? By default, Snipping Tool does not autosave video recordings in an obvious location like it does with images. This can make recovery feel impossible.

How Snipping Tool Video Recording Works

The New Video Feature

In Windows 11 (starting with build 22621.1344 and later), Microsoft introduced screen recording capabilities within the Snipping Tool. You can launch it by pressing Windows + Shift + S, then choosing the video camera icon to record your screen. Once you stop recording, the tool allows you to preview the video and choose whether to save or discard it.

However, unlike many professional screen recording applications that autosave sessions or maintain recovery backups, Snipping Tool only temporarily stores recordings in memory or a temporary file location—until you explicitly save them. If the app is closed prematurely or your PC shuts down unexpectedly, the video file may never be saved to your main file system.

Can Unsaved Snipping Tool Videos Be Recovered?

The Short Answer

Yes, in some cases, you can recover unsaved Snipping Tool videos. While not guaranteed, especially if the system wiped the temporary files, there are multiple recovery avenues worth exploring:

Temporary Files and Cache Folders

AppData hidden directories

Windows File History or Shadow Copies

Data Recovery Software (like Disk Drill)

Windows Event Viewer and Logs

Memory Dumps or Crash Logs

Each method will be explained in detail below to give you the best chance of recovery.

Method 1: Check the Default Save Location

Let’s begin with the simplest and most often overlooked step: check where Snipping Tool normally saves videos after you hit “Save.”

By default, saved recordings are stored in:

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C:\Users\[Your Username]\Videos\SnippingTool\

Open File Explorer and navigate to this directory. Sometimes, a recording might be automatically saved without your awareness if you previously clicked “Save” but forgot.

If the folder doesn’t exist or the video isn’t there, move on to the next method.

Method 2: Search Temporary File Locations

When a screen recording is in progress, Windows often stores parts of the video in temporary directories. If the Snipping Tool crashes or is closed before saving, these temp files might remain.

Steps to Search Temporary Folders:

Open File Explorer

In the address bar, type:

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%temp%

and press Enter.

This opens the Temp folder (usually located at C:\Users\[Your Name]\AppData\Local\Temp).

Sort the files by Date Modified so the most recent files appear first.

Look for files with the following characteristics:

.mp4 or .webm extensions (likely used by Snipping Tool)

Unusual file names (random characters or numbers)

Large file sizes (larger than typical screenshots)

If you find a file that could be your unsaved video, copy it to a different folder and try to open it using VLC Media Player or another flexible media viewer.

Pro Tip:

Use the search bar within the Temp folder and search:

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*.mp4 OR *.webm

If nothing is found, it’s still possible that files have been deleted or moved after the Snipping Tool was closed.

Method 3: Use Panda Data Recovery Tools

Panda Data Recovery

Panda Data Recovery is a user-friendly software solution designed to help individuals and professionals recover lost, deleted, or formatted files from a variety of storage devices. Whether your data loss occurred due to accidental deletion, system crash, virus attack, or corrupted drives, Panda Data Recovery offers a powerful set of tools to retrieve valuable files such as photos, videos, documents, and emails.

One of the key strengths of Panda Data Recovery is its intuitive interface, which guides users through the recovery process with minimal technical knowledge required. After scanning your device be it a hard drive, USB stick, memory card, or SSD the program provides a preview of recoverable files, allowing users to selectively restore exactly what they need.

Method 4: Search the AppData Folder

Sometimes the Snipping Tool may store session data in hidden folders under AppData.

How to Search AppData:

Open File Explorer and in the address bar, type:

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%localappdata%

Look for a folder related to:

SnippingTool

ScreenCapture

Microsoft.Windows.SnippingTool

Browse through these folders to locate unsaved or temporary files. Use the search bar to look for:

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*.mp4 OR *.webm

If you find any suspicious files with recent modification dates, copy them to your desktop and test them in a media player.

Method 5: Use Windows File History or Restore Previous Versions

If you have File History enabled, you might be able to recover the temp or video file by restoring previous versions of folders like Temp, AppData, or Videos.

Steps:

Navigate to C:\Users\[Your Name]\AppData\Local\Temp or Videos\SnippingTool\.

Right-click on the folder and choose “Restore previous versions.”

Browse through the available restore points and select a date/time before the video was lost.

Restore the folder and search for the video again.

This method only works if File History or System Protection was enabled before the loss occurred.

Method 6: Use Windows Event Viewer for Clues

The Event Viewer can reveal whether a video was temporarily created or if the Snipping Tool experienced an error or crash during recording.

Steps:

Press Win + X and select Event Viewer.

Navigate to:

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Windows Logs > Application

Look for entries around the time the recording was made.

Filter for events from:

SnippingTool.exe

Application Error

Windows Error Reporting

Details in the logs may reveal the file path of a temporary video or indicate when the app crashed, helping you target your search for temp files.

Method 7: Use Windows Search History or Timeline

If you had opened or attempted to open the video at any point before losing it, Windows might have indexed it or added it to Timeline or Recent Files.

Steps:

Press Win + R, type:

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recent

and press Enter. This opens your Recent Items list.

Or search in Windows Explorer for:

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date:today kind:=video

This shows video files accessed or modified today. If your Snipping Tool video appears, right-click > Open File Location to recover it.

Method 8: Check Memory Dump (Advanced)

If your system crashed while recording, a memory dump may contain traces of the unsaved file.

This is a highly technical method and best attempted by professionals or using forensic tools. Still, it’s worth noting that RAM snapshot tools and hex editors can sometimes extract partial video content.

For example:

Use FTK Imager or Volatility Framework to extract memory dumps.

Search for .webm or .mp4 headers inside the dump.

This is often only practical for enterprise or forensic data recovery, but worth mentioning as a last resort.

Preventing Unsaved Video Loss in the Future

Losing a Snipping Tool video can be frustrating, but prevention is powerful. Here’s how to avoid future issues:

1. Save Immediately

Get into the habit of saving immediately after recording. Don’t leave the video preview open for long periods.

2. Enable Autosave (if available)

Future updates to Snipping Tool may include autosave or draft recovery features. Check for updates and toggle settings that allow auto backups or autosave behavior.

3. Use Dedicated Tools for Important Recordings

While convenient, Snipping Tool is basic. For professional or critical recordings, use tools like:

OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software)

ShareX

Xbox Game Bar

Camtasia

These apps offer autosave, recovery, and backup capabilities.