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How to Take Screenshots on Windows

Applies toWindows 10Windows 11
6 min fix Updated 8 Mar 2026 · 6 months ago

By , 10+ years in IT support and helpdesk How these guides are checked

Quick Answer

Press Win + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool overlay. Select the area you want to capture — the screenshot is copied to your clipboard and can be pasted with Ctrl + V into any app. For a full-screen capture, press Print Screen.

Checked against Microsoft Learn - Windows release health and Microsoft Learn - end of support and retirement between 5 Aug 2026 and 12 Sep 2026. Nothing published in that period has been linked to this guide.

Summary ​

Windows has several built-in methods for capturing screenshots — from quick keyboard shortcuts to the full Snipping Tool app. This article covers each method and shows how to configure the Print Screen key to automatically save screenshots to your Pictures folder so you can find them later.

Before You Start ​

Instructions ​

1. Quick Snip with Win+Shift+S ​

The fastest way to capture a specific area of your screen.

  1. Press Windows key + Shift + S.
  2. The screen dims and a small toolbar appears at the top with four options:
    • Rectangular Snip — Drag to select a rectangle.
    • Freeform Snip — Draw a custom shape.
    • Window Snip — Click a window to capture it.
    • Full-screen Snip — Capture the entire screen.
  3. Select your preferred snip mode and capture the area.
  4. A notification appears in the bottom-right corner. Click it to open the screenshot in Snipping Tool for annotation or saving.
  5. To paste the screenshot directly without saving, open any application (email, Word, Teams) and press Ctrl + V. Your clipboard holds only the most recent capture, so if you need several at once, see How to Use Clipboard History on Windows.

Tip: The screenshot is copied to your clipboard immediately. If you only need to paste it into a document or chat message, skip the notification and press Ctrl + V wherever you need it.

2. Use the Snipping Tool App ​

The full app provides a timer delay and markup tools for more control.

  1. Open Snipping Tool (search for it in the Start menu or press Windows key and type Snipping Tool).
  2. Click the Snip mode dropdown (rectangle, window, full-screen, or freeform).
  3. To add a delay before capturing, click the clock icon and choose 3 seconds, 5 seconds, or 10 seconds. This is useful for capturing menus or tooltips that disappear.
  4. Click New (or press Ctrl + N) to start the capture.
  5. After capturing, use the toolbar to:
    • Draw or highlight areas with the pen and highlighter tools.
    • Crop the image.
    • Copy to clipboard or Save as a file.
  6. Click the Save icon (or press Ctrl + S) to save the file. Choose your location and file format (PNG is recommended).

3. Auto-Save Screenshots with the Print Screen Key ​

Configure the Print Screen key to save a screenshot directly to your Pictures folder every time you press it.

On Windows 11:

  1. Open Settings (press Windows key + I).
  2. Go to Accessibility > Keyboard.
  3. Find the toggle for Use the Print Screen key to open Snipping Tool and turn it Off.
  4. Now press the Print Screen (PrtScn) key on your keyboard.
  5. Windows automatically saves a full-screen screenshot to: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Pictures\Screenshots

On Windows 10:

  1. Press Windows key + Print Screen (PrtScn).
  2. The screen flashes briefly to confirm the capture.
  3. The screenshot is saved automatically to: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Pictures\Screenshots

Tip: On Windows 10, pressing Print Screen alone copies the screenshot to the clipboard without saving a file. Use Windows key + Print Screen to auto-save.

4. Find Your Saved Screenshots ​

Quickly locate all auto-saved screenshots in one place.

  1. Open File Explorer (press Windows key + E).
  2. Navigate to Pictures > Screenshots in the left sidebar, or go to: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Pictures\Screenshots
  3. All screenshots captured with Print Screen or Win + Print Screen are stored here, named Screenshot (1).png, Screenshot (2).png, and so on.

Troubleshooting ​

TIP

If you need to capture a screenshot of a single window without the rest of the screen, press Alt + Print Screen. This copies only the active window to your clipboard — paste it with Ctrl + V.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
Print Screen opens Snipping Tool instead of savingWindows 11 keyboard settingOpen Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn off Use the Print Screen key to open Snipping Tool.
No Screenshots folder in PicturesFolder not yet createdThe folder is created automatically the first time you use Win + Print Screen. Press Windows key + Print Screen once to generate it.
Screenshot is black or blankProtected content on screenSome apps (e.g., streaming services, DRM-protected content) block screen capture. This is by design and cannot be bypassed.
Snipping Tool not foundApp not installedOpen the Microsoft Store, search for Snipping Tool, and click Install.

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Frequently asked questions

Where do my screenshots go if I just press the Print Screen key?
Pressing the Print Screen (PrtScn) key usually copies the image to your clipboard. If you want it to save as a file automatically, press Windows Key + Print Screen instead (the screen will flash, and it saves to your Pictures > Screenshots folder).
How can I draw on a screenshot before sending it?
After using Win+Shift+S, click the small preview notification that pops up in the bottom right corner. This opens the full Snipping Tool, where you can use a pen or highlighter to mark the image before saving.