How to Take Screenshots on Windows

1.1 Capture the Entire Screen

The simplest way to take a screenshot of your entire screen:

1. Locate the Print Screen (or PrtSc) key on your keyboard (usually in the upper-right section)
2. Press the Print Screen key
3. The screenshot is copied to your clipboard
4. Open an application that accepts images (like Paint, Word, or PowerPoint)
5. Press Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot
6. Save the file in your preferred format

1.2 Capture the Entire Screen and Save Automatically

To capture your entire screen and save it automatically:

1. Press Windows + Print Screen keys together
2. Your screen will briefly dim to indicate a successful capture
3. The screenshot is automatically saved in the Screenshots folder

1.3 Capture Active Window Only

To capture only the currently active window:

1. Click on the window you want to capture to make it active
2. Press Alt + Print Screen keys together
3. The screenshot of the active window is copied to your clipboard
4. Open an application that accepts images
5. Press Ctrl + V to paste
6. Save the file

2.1 Capture a Selected Area

This modern screenshot tool allows you to capture specific portions of your screen:

1. Press Windows + Shift + S keys together
2. Your screen will dim and a small toolbar will appear at the top of your screen
3. Select from the following modes:
   • Rectangular Snip: Draw a rectangle to capture
   • Freeform Snip: Draw any shape to capture
   • Window Snip: Select a specific window to capture
   • Fullscreen Snip: Capture the entire screen
4. After selecting the area, the screenshot is copied to your clipboard
5. A notification will appear in the lower-right corner
6. Click the notification to open the Snip & Sketch app for editing
7. Use the tools to annotate, then click the save icon to save your screenshot

3.1 Using the Classic Snipping Tool

The Snipping Tool has been part of Windows for many years and offers more options than simple keyboard shortcuts:

1. Open the Start menu and type "Snipping Tool"
2. Click on the Snipping Tool app to open it
3. Click on "New" or press Ctrl + N
4. The screen will freeze and dim slightly
5. Select the type of snip you want from the "Mode" menu or toolbar:
   • Free-form Snip: Draw any shape around the area
   • Rectangular Snip: Draw a rectangle
   • Window Snip: Select a window to capture
   • Full-screen Snip: Capture the entire screen
6. The selected area will open in the Snipping Tool editor
7. Use the pen, highlighter, or eraser tools to annotate if needed
8. Click the save icon to save your screenshot

4.1 Taking Screenshots in Games and Apps

The Xbox Game Bar is designed for gamers but works for taking screenshots in most apps:

1. Press Windows + G to open Xbox Game Bar
2. Click on the camera icon in the "Capture" widget (or press Windows + Alt + PrtSc)
3. A notification will appear showing "Screenshot saved"
4. The screenshot is automatically saved in the Videos\Captures folder

How to Change Screenshot Save Location

You can change where the Windows + PrtSc screenshots are saved:

1. Right-click on the Screenshots folder in Pictures
2. Select "Properties"
3. Go to the "Location" tab
4. Click "Move" and select a new folder
5. Click "Apply" and then "OK"

For Game Bar screenshots:

1. Press Windows + G to open Game Bar
2. Click the settings icon in the main widget
3. Select "Captures"
4. Under "Save captures to," click "Change" to select a new folder

Make Print Screen Open Snipping Tool

You can configure the Print Screen key to open the Snipping Tool:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard
2. Toggle on "Use the Print Screen button to open screen snipping"
3. Now pressing PrtSc will open the Snipping Tool interface

Screenshots on Laptops

On many laptops, you may need to press the Fn key along with PrtSc:

• Full screen: Fn + PrtSc
• Active window: Fn + Alt + PrtSc
• Save to file: Fn + Windows + PrtSc

Delayed Screenshots

For capturing menus or tooltips that disappear when you press keys:

1. Open Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch
2. In Snipping Tool, click "Delay" and select 1-5 seconds
3. In Snip & Sketch, click the down arrow next to "New" and select a delay
4. Set up what you want to capture during the delay period

Troubleshooting

If screenshots aren't working:

• Check if your keyboard has a Function Lock that needs to be toggled
• Try pressing Fn + PrtSc on laptops
• Some applications (especially games) may block the Windows key combinations
• Restart your computer if screenshot functionality suddenly stops working

Editing Screenshots

Windows provides several options for editing screenshots:

• Paint: The classic option for basic editing, resizing, and saving in different formats
• Photos app: Offers more modern editing tools for cropping, filters, and markup
• Snip & Sketch: Provides annotation tools like pen, highlighter, and ruler directly after taking a screenshot

For more advanced editing, consider third-party apps like GIMP (free), Adobe Photoshop, or specialized screenshot tools like Greenshot or ShareX.