Snagit Crashes or the Crosshairs Are Sluggish When Trying to Take a Capture.

Problem

The cross hairs freeze, are sluggish, or may crash when capturing the screen using Snagit on Windows.

Solution

This behavior can be caused by having too many monitors connected to your computer or using multiple 4K monitors. Snagit currently supports using 2-3 monitors or up to two 4K monitors with a refresh rate of 60hz or lower. However, there are some things that are worth trying before you begin disconnecting monitors.

• Option 1: Enable Simple Cross Hairs
• Option 2: Change Render Method
• Option 3: Adjust Windows Theme
• Option 4: Change to Using High-Performance Graphics
• Option 5: Optimize Refresh Rate
• Option 6: Disconnect Monitors

Option 1: Enable Simple Cross Hairs

In Snagit 12 and later, it is possible to change the appearance of the cross hairs so that it is easier for them to render on the screen. In some cases, this can improve performance when multiple monitors are being used. 

Snagit 2018 and Later

1. Open the main Snagit capture window.
2. Click File > Capture Preferences.
   
3. Click the Capture tab.
4. Select Simplified crosshairs.
   
5. Click OK. 

Snagit 13 / 12

1. Exit Snagit and the Snagit Editor. Confirm that they are not running in Task Manager.
2. Press Windows+R on your keyboard to open the Run window.
3. Type the following and click OK: regedit
   
   
4. Browse to:
   • Snagit 13: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\TechSmith\SnagIt\13
   • Snagit 12: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\TechSmith\SnagIt\12
5. Click the 13 (or 12) folder.
6. Right-click in the area on the right and choose New > String value.
7. Name the new value VMOverride.
8. Double-click the new VMOverride value and change the Value data field to OtherVM and click OK.
   
9. Close the Registry Editor, and open Snagit, and try a new capture.

Option 2: Change Render Method

Snagit 2018 and Later

1. Exit Snagit and the Snagit Editor. Confirm that they are not running in Task Manager.
2. Press Windows+R on your keyboard to open the Run window.
3. Type the following and click OK: regedit
   
   
4. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\TechSmith\SnagIt\
5. In the SnagIt folder, click the folder for the version of Snagit you are using.
6. Right-click in the area on the right and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
7. Name the new value ForceSoftwareRendering.
8. Double-click the new ForceSoftwareRendering value and change the Value data field to 1 and click OK.
   
9. Close the Registry Editor, and open Snagit, and try a new capture.

Snagit 13 / 12

1. Exit Snagit and the Snagit Editor. Confirm that they are not running in Task Manager.
2. Press Windows+R on your keyboard to open the Run window.
3. Type the following and click OK: regedit
   
4. Browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TechSmith\SnagIt\
5. In the SnagIt folder, click the folder for the version of Snagit you are using.
6. Right-click in the area on the right and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
7. Name the new value DisableCaptureWindowDxMode.
8. Double-click the new DisableCaptureWindowDxMode value and change the Value data field to 1 and click OK.
   
9. Close the Registry Editor, and open Snagit, and try a new capture.

Option 3: Adjust Windows Theme

Another possible solution is to disable the aero them in Windows 7 (and later) and choose a Windows basic theme instead.

1. Right-click the desktop.
2. Select Personalize.
3. Choose a Basic Theme and apply the change.

Option 4: Change to using High-Performance Graphics 

If you experience sluggishness with multiple monitors (i.e. 2 4K monitors), and if you have a laptop with both an integrated graphics card and a GPU, you can change the system settings to utilize high-performance graphics:

1. Type in Graphics Settings into the Search bar.
2. Choose Desktop app
3. Browse to "C:\Program Files\TechSmith\Snagit 202X" and choose SnagitCapture.exe
4. Click the Options button.
5. Select High Performance, and choose Save.
   
6. Restart Snagit and try a new capture.

Option 5: Optimize Refresh Rate for Snagit

If you have a high refresh rate monitor (this is usually going to be on a desktop computer), you can change the system settings to be optimized for Snagit:

1. Open the NVidia Control Panel. Right-click on the desktop and choose NVidia Control Panel.
2. Choose Manage 3D Settings.
3. Click the Program Settings tab.
4. Click Add.
5. Locate Snagit32.exe (Snagit 2021 or earlier) or SnagitCapture.exe (Snagit 2022 and later) in the C:\Program Files\TechSmith\Snagit xx\ directory. It is the red S icon. Choose Add Selected Program.
6. Select the following settings:
   • Monitor Technology: Fixed Refresh
   • Max Frame Rate: 60 FPS
   • Preferred Refresh Rate: Highest Available
   • Vertical Sync: Let the 3D Application Decide
7. Choose Apply.
8. Restart the computer and test again in Snagit.

Option 6: Disconnect Monitors

If none of the suggestions above help, try disconnecting monitors one by one until performance improves. Snagit is expected to work with up to 2 4k monitors with refresh rates at 60hz or lower or 2-3 1080p monitors.