Screenshots can be incredibly useful for many purposes, such as showing an error message to a tech support representative or sharing a funny meme with your friends. Taking screenshots on Windows is relatively easy, but it can confuse new users who don't know the shortcuts or tools available. This article will guide you through how to screenshot on windows.

How to take a screenshot on Windows using the keyboard shortcuts

Taking screenshots using keyboard shortcuts is the quickest and easiest method. Follow these steps to take screenshots using keyboard shortcuts:

Capture the entire screen

If you want to capture an image of your entire screen, follow these steps:

Step 1. Press the "Print Screen" (PrtScn) key on your keyboard.

toshiba keyboard print screen key Step 2. The screenshot will be saved to your clipboard, which you can paste into any program using "Ctrl+V" or right-click and select "Paste."

Capture an active window

If you want to capture an image of a specific window, follow these steps:

Step 1. Click on the window you want to capture.

Step 2. Press "Alt + Print Screen" (Alt + PrtScn) on your keyboard. The screenshot of the active window will be saved to your clipboard.

toshiba keyboard alt print screen

Step 3. Open the program where you want to paste the screenshot, such as Microsoft Paint or Word.

Step 4. Press "Ctrl + V" to paste the screenshot.

Step 5. Save the screenshot by clicking "File" and then "Save As."

Screenshot a specific area

If you want to capture an image of a specific part of your screen, follow these steps:

Step 1. Press "Windows + Shift + S" on your keyboard.

toshiba keyboard windows shift s Step 2. Your screen will dim, and the cursor will change to a crosshair.

Step 3. Click and drag the cursor to select the area you want to capture.

Step 4. The screenshot will be saved to your clipboard, and you can paste it into any program using "Ctrl+V" or right-click and select "Paste."

How to screenshot on Windows with the Snipping Tool (for quick screenshot capture)

The Snipping Tool is a built-in screenshot tool in Windows that allows you to capture all or part of your computer screen. It comes with your Windows 11/10/8/7. Here are the steps to take a screenshot using the Snipping Tool:

Step 1. Open the Snipping Tool by clicking on the Start menu, typing "Snipping Tool" in the search bar, and clicking on the app in the search results.

Step 2. Click on the "New" button in the Snipping Tool window.

Step 3. Select the area of the screen that you want to capture. You can choose from the following options:

snipping tool 4 screenshot modes

Free-form Snip: draw a shape around the area you want to capture.
Rectangular Snip: draw a rectangle around the area you want to capture.
Window Snip: capture a whole window by clicking on it.
Full-screen Snip: capture the entire screen.

Step 4. Once you have selected the area to capture, the screenshot will appear in the Snipping Tool window.

Step 5. Click on "File" and then "Save As" to save the screenshot to your computer. Choose a location and file name for the screenshot and click "Save".

Alternatively, you can copy the screenshot to the clipboard by clicking on "Edit" and then "Copy", then paste it into a document or image editing program.

How to screenshot on Windows using the Snip & Sketch App (Snipping Tool alternative on Windows 10)

Snip & Sketch is a built-in screenshot and image editing tool in Windows 10. It replaces the old Snipping Tool app and offers additional features and capabilities.

With Snip & Sketch, you can capture screenshots of your entire screen, a specific window, or a selected area on your screen. The tool also allows you to annotate, highlight, crop, and edit the screenshot and save or share it.

Here are the steps to take a screenshot on Windows using the Snip & Sketch app:

Step 1. Open the Snip & Sketch app. You can do this by clicking the Start button and typing "Snip & Sketch" in the search box or pressing Windows key + Shift + S on your keyboard.

Step 2. Once the app is open, click on the "New" button in the window's top-left corner.

Step 3. You will see a menu with four options: Rectangular snip, Free-form snip, Window snip, and Full-screen snip. Choose the type of snip you want to take.

windows snip and sketch snip modes Step 4. If you choose Rectangular snip or Free-form snip, use your mouse or touchpad to select the area of the screen you want to capture. If you choose Window snip, click on the window you want to capture. If you select the Full-screen snip, the screenshot will be taken immediately.

Step 5. After you have captured the screenshot, it will be automatically saved to the clipboard. You can then paste it into an image editor or other application.

Step 6. Alternatively, you can click the "Save" button in the top-right corner of the window to save the screenshot as an image file. You can choose the file format (PNG, JPG, or GIF) and the location where you want to save the file.

How to take a screenshot on Windows with the Game Bar (take screenshots while playing games)

You may already be familiar with the Game Bar if you're a gamer. This built-in Windows feature lets you capture screenshots and record videos while playing games. To take a screenshot on Windows using the Game Bar, follow these steps:

Step 1. Press the Windows key + G to open the Game Bar.

Step 2. Click the "Screenshot" button or press the "Windows key + Alt + PrtScn" keys on your keyboard.

Step 3. The screenshot will be automatically saved to your "Videos" folder in a subfolder named "Captures."

Alternatively, you can use the "Win + G" hotkey to open the Game Bar and then click the camera icon to take a screenshot.

Note: If the Game Bar is not enabled on your Windows device, you can enable it by going to Settings > Gaming > Game Bar and turning on the "Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar" option.

How to take a snapshot on Windows using the OneDrive App (for tablets and some laptops)

If you have the OneDrive app installed on your Windows tablets or some laptops, you can also easily take screenshots. OneDrive is a cloud-based file-hosting service offered by Microsoft. It allows users to store, share, and synchronize files across different devices and platforms. You can easily collaborate on documents with others and share files with people outside of your organization.

OneDrive works best on newer versions of Windows, as they offer more seamless integration and better performance. However, even on older versions of Windows, OneDrive still provides all of its basic features and functionality. Thus, if you are using Windows 10 or 11, you can use OneDrive to capture screenshots.

Here are the steps to take a snapshot on some Windows tablets or laptops using the OneDrive app:

Step 1. Open the OneDrive app on your device.

Step 2. Navigate to the screen you want to capture.

Step 3. Press the Power button and the Volume down button at the same time. (Note: The button combination may differ depending on your device model. If this doesn't work, try searching online for the specific button combination for your device.)

Step 4. You should see a notification that the screenshot was taken and saved to your device's Camera roll or Screenshots folder.

Step 5. Open the OneDrive app and navigate to the folder where you want to save the screenshot.

Step 6. Tap the "+" button to upload the screenshot from your Camera roll or Screenshots folder to OneDrive.

How to take screenshots on Windows with third-party software (take, edit, and share screenshots)

If you want more advanced features or find the built-in tools too basic, you can use third-party software to take screenshots. Here are some popular options:

1. Awesome Screenshot & Recorder

Awesome screenshot & recorder is a tool or software that allows you to capture screenshots and record your screen. It can be used for a variety of purposes, such as creating instructional videos, recording youtube videos, recording Microsoft teams meeting, or taking screenshots of web pages.

Awesome Screenshot & Recorder

One extension for all your screen recordings & screenshots

Record screen and capture screenshots easily
Edit videos/images quickly
Store videos/images to the cloud and share instantly

The tool is a browser extension for Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. It also offers a standalone desktop application for macOS. With Awesome screenshot & recorder, you can capture a screenshot of the entire web page, a selected portion of the page, the entire screen, or an active window. It also allows you to resize, crop, or annotate your screenshots. Better still, it provides cloud storage for organizing or sharing images quickly!

Additionally, you can use it to record your screen, either in full-screen mode or a selected area. You can also include audio in your recordings, such as your voice or the sound from your computer. The tool includes basic video editing features, such as trimming, cropping, and adding text.

Now, let’s see how you can screenshot on Windows using Awesome Screenshot & Recorder.

Step 1. Download and install the Awesome Screenshot extension to your browser. Sign in to it or create an account.

Step 2. Click the Awesome Screenshot extension icon in the Chrome toolbar to launch the extension.

Step 3. Click the "Capture" tab, then select the area of the screen you want to capture. You can choose to capture the visible part, an entire page, a custom area, a whole screen, or a specific window.

awesome screenshot and recorder extension capture main interface

Step 4. The captured image will be automatically opened in a new tab, where you can edit and annotate it as needed.

awesome screenshot and recorder annotation tool

Step 5. When you are finished editing the image, click the "Done" button to upload it to the cloud. You will also have the option to download it locally, print it, copy it, or generate a shareable link.

awesome screenshot and recorder image download options

2. Greenshot

Greenshot is a free and open-source screenshot tool for Windows that allows users to capture screenshots of their computer screen. It offers a range of features, including capturing the entire screen, a specific window or region, adding annotations and highlighting areas of the screenshot, and saving the image in various file formats.

In addition to basic screenshot functionality, Greenshot also includes a range of additional features, such as the ability to capture entire web pages, scan documents using optical character recognition (OCR), and upload screenshots directly to popular image hosting sites like Imgur and Dropbox.

You can check the steps below to take a screenshot on Windows with Greenshot.

Step 1. Download and install Greenshot from their website.

Step 2. Open the app and select the capture type you want (full screen, window, or region).

Step 3. Capture the screenshot, and it will be saved to your clipboard.

Step 4. You can edit or save the screenshot using the Greenshot editor.

Conclusion

Taking a screenshot on Windows helps capture images of your screen. This guide covers various screen capture methods, including keyboard shortcuts, built-in tools, and third-party software. Just pick one that fits you the most.

FAQs about taking a screenshot on Windows

1. Can I take a screenshot on Windows without using the keyboard?

Yes, you can take a screenshot on Windows without using the keyboard. You can use the Snipping Tool or the Snip & Sketch app, which allows you to capture screenshots using your mouse.

2. Where are my screenshots saved on Windows?

When you take a screenshot on Windows, it is saved to your clipboard. You can then paste the screenshot into a program, such as Microsoft Paint or Word, to save it to your computer.

3. Can I edit my screenshots on Windows?

You can edit your screenshots on Windows using programs such as Microsoft Paint or the Snip & Sketch app. These programs allow you to crop, resize, and add text to screenshots.

4. How to take a scrolling screenshot on windows

Taking a scrolling screenshot on Windows can be done using the built-in Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch app. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Open the application or website that you want to take a scrolling screenshot of.

Step 2. Open the Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch app. You can search for it in the Start Menu or use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + Shift + S to open Snip & Sketch directly.

Step 3. In the Snipping Tool, click on "New" and select "Rectangular Snip" or "Free-form Snip". In Snip & Sketch, click on "New" and select "Rectangular Snip" or "Free-form Snip" or "Full-screen Snip".

Step 4. Click and drag to select the portion of the screen you want to capture. The Snipping Tool will capture the image immediately. In Snip & Sketch, the captured screenshot will open in a new window.

Step 5. If you're using the Snipping Tool, click on "Mode" and select "Window Snip". If you're using Snip & Sketch, click the "…" button and select "Scrolling Window".

Snipping Tool: Select the window you want to capture and click "Capture".
Snip & Sketch: Click and drag the mouse to select the area you want to capture and release the mouse button.

Step 6. The scrolling screenshot will now be captured and displayed in the Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch app.

Step 7. Save the screenshot by clicking "File" and selecting "Save As".

How to Take a Screenshot on Windows: A Comprehensive Guide

Miley

Miley