How to Take a Screenshot in Windows 11 or 10

Aseem Kishore
Ā·
6 min read

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Floating document editor window with text, a landscape image, and a yellow folder on a blue UI background.

Taking a screenshot in Windows 11 or 10 gets frustrating when the shortcut captures the wrong area or leaves you hunting for the file. Use Windows + Shift + S for a selected area, or Windows + PrtScn when you want an image saved immediately.

Fix #1: Capture a selected area with Windows + Shift + S

This shortcut opens the Snipping Tool overlay without making you open the app first.

  1. Arrange the windows you want to capture.
  2. Press Windows + Shift + S.
  3. Select Rectangular, Free-form, Window, or Full-screen from the toolbar.
Windows 11 desktop dimmed with the Windows + Shift + S capture toolbar showing rectangular, free-form, window, and full-screen modes
  1. Drag over the area you want if you selected Rectangular or Free-form.
  2. Release the mouse button to take the screenshot.
  3. Click the screenshot notification to open the image in Snipping Tool.
Current Snipping Tool editor displaying a captured rectangular area with markup and save controls visible

The screenshot is copied to the clipboard automatically. Press Ctrl + V in Paint, Word, Outlook, or another compatible app to paste it.

Fix #2: Save a full-screen screenshot automatically

Use Windows + PrtScn when you need a PNG file without opening an editor.

  1. Display the screen you want to capture.
  2. Press Windows + PrtScn.
  3. Open File Explorer.
  4. Select Pictures > Screenshots.
Windows 11 File Explorer open to Pictures > Screenshots with a newly saved PNG screenshot selected

The screen may dim briefly when Windows takes the screenshot. A new PNG file should appear in the Screenshots folder.

Some laptops require Windows + Fn + PrtScn. If your keyboard lacks a dedicated Print Screen key, try Fn + Windows + Spacebar, which Microsoft supports as an alternative on compatible devices.

A full-size USB keyboard can make these shortcuts easier to use. Check the secondary key labels first if youā€™re working through a laptop dock.

Fix #3: Copy the full screen or active window

The classic Print Screen shortcuts copy an image to the clipboard instead of saving a file.

  1. Press PrtScn to capture the entire screen.
  2. Open Paint or another image editor.
  3. Press Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot.
  4. Press Ctrl + S to save it.
Windows On-Screen Keyboard with the PrtScn key highlighted

To capture one window, click that window and press Alt + PrtScn. Paste the result into an app with Ctrl + V.

On some laptops, you may need Alt + Fn + PrtScn. The required Fn combination depends on the keyboard layout.

Pressing PrtScn may open the Snipping Tool overlay instead of copying the full screen. That behavior is controlled by a Windows keyboard setting, which you can change in Fix #6.

Fix #4: Use the Snipping Tool app

Opening the app gives you access to capture modes, delays, markup tools, and screen recording.

  1. Open Start.
  2. Type Snipping Tool.
  3. Select Snipping Tool from the search results.
Current Windows 11 Snipping Tool home screen with Screenshot, Record, snip mode, delay, and New controls visible
  1. Select a capture mode from the snip mode menu.
  2. Choose a delay if you need time to open a menu or position the pointer.
  3. Select New.
  4. Capture the window, screen, or selected area.
  5. Use the pen, highlighter, crop, or eraser tools if the image needs editing.
  6. Press Ctrl + S to save the screenshot.

The captured image should remain open in Snipping Tool until you save or close it. You can also press Ctrl + C to copy the edited version.

Useful Snipping Tool shortcuts include:

  • Alt + M to choose a capture mode
  • Alt + N to start a new capture
  • Alt + D to choose a delay
  • Ctrl + C to copy the result
  • Ctrl + S to save the image

Snipping Tool also includes a recording mode on supported Windows 11 systems. Select Record, choose New, mark the recording area, and start the recording.

Fix #5: Capture a menu that closes when you click elsewhere

A delayed snip solves the problem of context menus disappearing before the capture begins.

  1. Open Snipping Tool.
  2. Select a delay between one and five seconds.
  3. Select New.
  4. Open the menu you want to capture before the timer expires.
  5. Wait for the screen to dim.
  6. Select the area containing the open menu.
  7. Press Ctrl + S to save the screenshot.
Snipping Tool capturing an open Windows 11 right-click context menu after a delayed snip

The saved image should include the menu in its open state. For more examples, see how to capture context menus using the Snipping Tool.

Fix #6: Make the Print Screen key open Snipping Tool

Check this setting if PrtScn does nothing or opens a different capture app.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Select Accessibility > Keyboard in Windows 11.
  3. Find the option that uses the Print Screen key to open screen capture.
  4. Turn the option on.
  5. Press PrtScn to test it.
Windows 11 Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard with the option for using the Print Screen key to open screen capture highlighted

The screen should dim and display the Snipping Tool capture toolbar. On Windows 10, search Settings for Print Screen if the option isnā€™t visible under Ease of Access > Keyboard.

Turn this option off if you want PrtScn to copy the full screen directly. Also close any third-party screenshot utility that has claimed the same shortcut.

Fix #7: Find a missing screenshot

The shortcut determines whether Windows created a file or only copied the image.

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Select Pictures > Screenshots.
  3. Check OneDrive > Pictures > Screenshots if OneDrive backs up your Pictures folder.
  4. Open Paint and press Ctrl + V if neither folder contains the image.

If the image appears in Paint, it was stored on the clipboard and never saved as a file. Press Ctrl + S and choose a folder.

Clipboard contents can be replaced by the next item you copy. Use Windows + PrtScn when you need a file you can move to an external drive or cloud storage service.

Fix #8: Capture the Windows boot screen

Windows screenshot shortcuts donā€™t run before the operating system loads. Use a camera for a physical PCā€™s BIOS or boot screen, or run the operating system inside a virtual machine when you need a clean digital image.

  1. Start the guest operating system in your virtual machine software.
  2. Resize the virtual machine window so its full display is visible.
  3. Restart the guest operating system.
  4. Press Windows + Shift + S on the host PC when the required boot screen appears.
  5. Select the virtual machine window or drag over the boot area.
  6. Press Ctrl + S in Snipping Tool to save the result.
Virtual machine window displaying a Windows boot screen while the host Windows desktop remains visible

The screenshot should show the guestā€™s boot process without camera glare or distortion. You can create a suitable test system with VirtualBox or Hyper-V.

Other capture options

If OneNote is already part of your workflow, it can also capture screenshots using OneNote. Apple users can follow the separate steps for capturing screenshots in OS X.

Conclusion

Fix #1 solves the everyday screenshot problem with the least effort, while Fix #2 is better when you need an immediate file. If shortcuts keep failing after you check the Print Screen setting, another capture app or a faulty keyboard key is probably interfering.