How to Take a Screenshot in Windows: The Complete 2025 Guide

Whether you’re capturing an error message for IT support, saving a receipt, or documenting a tutorial, knowing how to take a screenshot in Windows is an essential skill. This comprehensive guide covers every built-in method—from the classic Print Screen key to the modern Snipping Tool and Game Bar—plus troubleshooting, use-case advice, and third-party alternatives.

We’ve tested every shortcut on Windows 11 and Windows 10 to bring you the most accurate, up-to-date instructions available.

TL;DR: Quick screenshot shortcuts

Copy these shortcuts for instant reference:

Shortcut	What It Captures	Destination
Win + PrtSc	Full screen	Saved automatically to Pictures\Screenshots
PrtSc	Full screen	Clipboard (paste into app)
Alt + PrtSc	Active window only	Clipboard
Win + Shift + S	Custom area (Snipping Tool)	Clipboard + notification
Win + G	Game/app capture	Videos\Captures (Game Bar)

💡 Pro Tip: Win + Shift + S is the fastest method for custom selections in Windows 10 and 11.

Why do you need multiple screenshot methods

Windows offers six native ways to capture your screen—each suited to different tasks:

• Speed: Need a quick grab? PrtSc or Win + Shift + S are instant.
• Precision: Capturing just one window or a freeform shape? Use Snipping Tool.
• Gaming: Recording gameplay? Game Bar (Win + G) is purpose-built.
• Documentation: Creating step-by-step guides? Steps Recorder logs every click.

Let’s explore each method in detail.

Method 1: Full-screen screenshot (Win + PrtSc)

Best for: Quickly saving your entire screen without opening any apps.

How it works

1. Press Win + PrtSc simultaneously.
2. Your screen will dim briefly to confirm the capture.
3. The screenshot is automatically saved to:
   C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Pictures\Screenshots

Key details

• File format: PNG (high quality, larger file size)
• File name: Auto-numbered (e.g., Screenshot (1).png, Screenshot (2).png)
• No editing: You’ll need to open the file in Paint, Photos, or another editor to crop or annotate.

Method 2: Copy full screen to clipboard (PrtSc)

Best for: Pasting directly into an email, Word document, or image editor.

How it works

1. Press PrtSc (sometimes labelled PrtScn, Print Screen, or PrtSc/SysRq).
2. Nothing visible happens—the screenshot is copied to your clipboard.
3. Open any app (Paint, Word, Photoshop, Slack) and press Ctrl + V to paste.

Limitations

• Only one screenshot can be on the clipboard at a time (each new PrtSc overwrites the previous).
• The image isn’t saved anywhere until you paste and save it manually.

Method 3: Capture active Window only (Alt + PrtSc)

Best for: Screenshotting a single window without desktop clutter.

How it works

1. Click the window you want to capture to make it active.
2. Press Alt + PrtSc.
3. The active window is copied to the clipboard.
4. Paste (Ctrl + V) into your chosen application.

Why it’s useful

• Excludes taskbar, desktop icons, and other windows.
• Creates cleaner, more professional screenshots for documentation.

Method 4: Snipping tool & Snip & Sketch (Win + Shift + S)

Best for: Selecting a custom rectangular, freeform, or window capture with instant editing.

This is the most versatile built-in method. In Windows 10, it’s called Snip & Sketch; in Windows 11, it’s integrated into the redesigned Snipping Tool.

How it works

1. Press Win + Shift + S.
2. Your screen dims, and a small toolbar appears at the top:
   • Rectangle: Drag to select a rectangular area (most common).
   • Freeform: Draw any custom shape with your mouse.
   • Window: Click to capture a single window (similar to Alt + PrtSc but with editing).
   • Full-screen: Capture the entire screen.
3. After selecting, the screenshot is copied to your clipboard.
4. A notification appears in the bottom-right corner—click it to open the Snipping Tool editor.

Snipping tool editor features

• Pen & highlighter: Annotate with colour.
• Eraser: Remove annotations.
• Ruler & protractor: Measure angles and distances (Windows 11).
• Crop: Trim the captured area.
• Save: Export as PNG, JPEG, or GIF.
• Share: Send via email or nearby sharing.

Delay timer (Windows 11)

In the full Snipping Tool app:

1. Open Start → search for Snipping Tool.
2. Click the stopwatch icon to set a 3, 5, or 10-second delay.
3. Click New → position your screen (e.g., open a menu) → the snip captures after the delay.

Use Case: Capturing dropdown menus, tooltips, or hover states that disappear when you press a key.

Method 5: Snipping tool app (Windows 11 specifics)

Best for: Advanced users who want a dedicated screenshot workspace.

Windows 11 unified the old Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch into a single modern app.

How to open the Snipping Tool app

• Start → type Snipping Tool → press Enter
  OR
• Press Win + Shift + S → click the notification → it opens the editor

New features of the Snipping Tool app in Windows 11

• Screen recording: Click the video camera icon to record screen activity (not just static screenshots).
• Text actions: Extract text from screenshots with built-in OCR (Optical Character Recognition)—copy or redact text directly.
• Auto-save: Toggle Settings → Save screenshots automatically to save every snip to a default folder.

Method 6: Game bar (Win + G)

Best for: Capturing gameplay, recording videos, or screenshotting full-screen apps.

The Xbox Game Bar is designed for gaming, but it works with any Windows app.

How it works

1. Open the app or game you want to capture (must be in focus).
2. Press Win + G to open Game Bar.
3. Click the camera icon (or press Win + Alt + PrtSc) to take a screenshot.
4. Screenshots and recordings are saved to:
   C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Videos\Captures

Additional game bar features

• Record video: Win + Alt + R starts/stops recording.
• Audio settings: Choose which microphone and system audio to capture.
• Performance monitoring: View FPS, CPU, and GPU stats whilst gaming.

Limitations

• Game Bar must be enabled: Settings → Gaming → Xbox Game Bar → toggle On.
• Doesn’t work on the Windows desktop (only within apps).

Method 7: OneDrive auto-save for screenshots

Best for: Automatic cloud backup and cross-device sync.

If you use OneDrive, you can configure it to save all PrtSc screenshots to the cloud automatically.

How to enable

1. Right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner).
2. Select Settings → Backup tab.
3. Tick Automatically save screenshots I capture to OneDrive.
4. Screenshots taken with PrtSc are now saved to:
   OneDrive\Pictures\Screenshots

Benefits

• Access screenshots from any device (phone, tablet, web).
• Frees up local storage.
• Automatic versioning and recovery.

Privacy note

Screenshots are uploaded to Microsoft’s cloud. If you handle sensitive information (banking, medical records), disable this feature or use local methods.

Method 8: Steps Recorder (PSR)

Best for: Creating step-by-step guides with automatic annotations.

Steps Recorder (also called Problem Steps Recorder or PSR) captures every click, window, and action with commentary.

How to use

1. Press Win + R → type psr → press Enter.
2. Click Start Record.
3. Perform the actions you want to document (open apps, click buttons, etc.).
4. Click Stop Record.
5. Save the file (a ZIP containing an HTML report with annotated screenshots).

Best use cases

• Reporting software bugs to IT support.
• Creating training materials.
• Documenting workflows for compliance.

Limitations

• Cannot edit individual screenshots.
• Limited annotation options compared to Snipping Tool.

Method 9: Third-party screenshot tools

Best for: Power users who need advanced features (scrolling capture, cloud upload, GIF creation).

While Windows’ built-in tools cover most needs, third-party apps offer professional-grade features.

Recommended tools

Tool	Best For	Price	Key Features
Greenshot	Open-source simplicity	Free	Hotkeys, plugins, and image editor
PicPick	All-in-one editor	Free (personal)	Colour picker, ruler, whiteboard
Snagit	Professional documentation	£44/year	Scrolling capture, video, templates
ShareX	Advanced automation	Free	OCR, cloud upload, custom workflows
Lightshot	Quick sharing	Free	Instant upload, searchable history

When to use third-party tools

• Scrolling capture: Screenshot an entire webpage (not possible with native tools).
• Cloud integration: Auto-upload to Imgur, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
• Advanced editing: Blur sensitive info, add arrows, create step numbers.
• GIF creation: Record short animations (ShareX, ScreenToGif).

When to use each Screenshot method: A decision guide

Scenario	Best Method	Why
Quick full-screen save	Win + PrtSc	Fastest; auto-saves to folder
Paste into email/doc	PrtSc or Win + Shift + S	Goes straight to the clipboard
Capture one window cleanly	Alt + PrtSc or Win + Shift + S (window mode)	Excludes clutter
Select custom area + edit	Win + Shift + S	Snipping Tool editor opens
Capture the dropdown menu	Snipping Tool delay timer	Gives time to open the menu
Gaming screenshot	Win + Alt + PrtSc (Game Bar)	Saved to Videos\Captures
Cloud backup	OneDrive PrtSc auto-save	Syncs across devices
Step-by-step bug report	Steps Recorder (PSR)	Auto-annotates every action
Scrolling webpage	Snagit or ShareX	Windows can’t do this natively

Troubleshooting common screenshot issues

1. Print screen key not working

Symptoms: Pressing PrtSc does nothing; no screenshot appears.

Solutions:

• Check keyboard function: On laptops, you may need Fn + PrtSc (especially Dell, HP, Lenovo).
• Disable F-mode: Some keyboards have an F-lock or Fn lock key—toggle it.
• OneDrive conflict: If OneDrive is set to auto-save, PrtSc alone won’t copy to the clipboard. Disable OneDrive auto-save (see Method 7) or use Win + Shift + S instead.
• Update drivers: Open Device Manager → Keyboards → right-click your keyboard → Update driver.

2. Snipping Tool won’t open (Win + Shift + S does nothing)

Solutions:

• Check if disabled: Go to Settings → Apps → Optional features → search for Snipping Tool. If missing, click Add a feature and install it.
• Restart Snipping Tool process: Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) → Processes → find SnippingTool.exe → End task → try again.
• Re-register the app (Windows 11):
  1. Open PowerShell as Administrator.
  2. Run: Get-AppxPackage *ScreenSketch* | Remove-AppxPackage
  3. Restart PC.
  4. Reinstall from Microsoft Store: search Snipping Tool.

3. Screenshots not saving to Pictures folder

Symptoms: Using Win + PrtSc, but files don’t appear in Pictures\Screenshots.

Solutions:

• Check folder location: Right-click Pictures folder → Properties → Location tab. Ensure it points to the correct drive.
• Restore default location: In the same dialogue, click Restore Default.
• Permissions issue: Right-click the Screenshots folder → Properties → Security → ensure your user account has Full control.

4. Screenshot is blank or black

Causes: Hardware acceleration in apps (browsers, games) can interfere.

Solutions:

• Disable hardware acceleration:
  • Chrome/Edge: Settings → System → toggle off Use hardware acceleration.
  • Games: Try Win + G (Game Bar) instead of PrtSc.
• Update graphics drivers: Visit NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel’s website.

5. Game bar says “Nothing to Record”

Solution: Game Bar only works inside apps, not on the desktop. Open any application (even File Explorer) and try again.

Accessibility & privacy considerations

Clipboard management

Every method that copies to the clipboard (PrtSc, Win + Shift + S, Alt + PrtSc) is visible in Windows Clipboard History (Win + V). If you’ve copied sensitive information (passwords, bank details), clear your clipboard:

1. Press Win + V → click the three dots next to an item → Delete.
2. Or: Settings → System → Clipboard → Clear clipboard data.

OneDrive cloud sync

Screenshots saved to OneDrive are uploaded to Microsoft’s servers. If you work with confidential data (legal, medical, financial), disable OneDrive auto-save or use Win + PrtSc to save locally only.

Microsoft Recall (Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs)

On new Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft introduced Recall—an AI feature that takes frequent screenshots of your activity for search. As of 2025, Recall is opt-in and can be disabled entirely in Settings → Privacy & security → Recall. Be aware that this feature stores snapshots locally.

Screen Reader compatibility

• Snipping Tool and Game Bar are fully navigable with Narrator (Windows screen reader).
• Keyboard shortcuts (Win + Shift + S, Win + PrtSc) are faster for users who rely on keyboard navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Summary: Master every screenshot method

You now know nine ways to take a screenshot in Windows, from the classic PrtSc to the modern Snipping Tool and Game Bar. Here’s your action plan:

1. Daily use: Memorise Win + Shift + S (fastest custom selection).
2. Quick saves: Use Win + PrtSc for instant full-screen captures.
3. Gaming: Enable Game Bar (Win + G) for gameplay screenshots.
4. Advanced needs: Explore Snagit or ShareX for scrolling capture and automation.
5. Troubleshooting: Bookmark this guide—common fixes are in the Troubleshooting section.

Bookmark this page and share it with colleagues who still use their phone to photograph their screen!

Bonus: Keyboard Shortcut Cheat Sheet (Printable)

Shortcut	Action	Saved To
Win + PrtSc	Full screen	Pictures\Screenshots (PNG)
PrtSc	Full screen	Clipboard
Alt + PrtSc	Active window	Clipboard
Win + Shift + S	Custom selection	Clipboard + notification
Win + G	Game Bar (screenshot/record)	Videos\Captures
Win + Alt + PrtSc	Game Bar screenshot (direct)	Videos\Captures
Fn + PrtSc	Laptop alternative (varies)	Depends on the keyboard

💡 Pro Tip: Right-click this table → Print → save as PDF for a quick reference sheet!

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