
Key Takeaways
- Taking a screenshot in your Home windows laptop is fast and simple, and there are a number of strategies obtainable.
- The Print Display key captures the whole display and copies it to the clipboard for pasting elsewhere.
- The Snipping Instrument is again on Home windows and lets you seize a particular part of your display, with choices for annotation and sharing.
Taking a screenshot in your Windows computer, be it a desktop or laptop computer, is a fast and simple method to troubleshoot a picture or seize one thing that you must keep in mind for future reference. There are many straightforward methods to take a screenshot on Home windows, however not all of them are clear one-stroke keyboard shortcuts, and a few require a bit of additional work.
In the event you’re not sure of the place to begin on the subject of capturing your Windows computer’s screen, pull up a chair and be a part of us on a journey that’ll train you straightforward methods to seize screenshots.

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Choice 1: Print Display
Take a screenshot
To take a screenshot in your Home windows laptop computer or desktop, press the Print Display / PrtSc / PrtScn key in your keyboard. That is normally situated on the highest proper of your keyboard. To edit and save the screenshot, you may must paste it into an app like Microsoft Paint, edit it, after which go to File -> Save As to put it aside.
Urgent this button captures a snapshot of your total display and copies it to your clipboard, so you possibly can paste it elsewhere.
On some laptops you would possibly discover the PrtScn button buried within the operate keys. If that’s the case, chances are you’ll must press FN + PrtScn collectively to seize the display. This is applicable to the opposite strategies outlined beneath that embrace that button as nicely.
That is possible one of many quickest and best methods to take a screenshot, however it does require some additional effort to edit and save the screenshot.
Choice 2: Home windows Key + Print Display
Take and save a screenshot
To take a screenshot and put it aside to your Home windows desktop or laptop computer, press the Win / Home windows Emblem + PrtSc keys in your keyboard on the similar time.
Whereas simply urgent PrintSc will copy a screenshot to your clipboard, this technique will seize your total display and put it aside as a PNG file. You possibly can then discover that screenshot by opening Home windows explorer, then going to the Footage folder, and searching for a folder known as Screenshots.
Alternatively, you possibly can go to C:Customers<username>PicturesScreenshots if that is simpler so that you can comply with, simply make sure that to interchange <username> along with your present username on your Home windows account.

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Choice 3: Alt + Print Display
Take a screenshot of the lively window
To make your screenshot extra particular, you possibly can press the Alt + PrintSc buttons in your keyboard on the similar time. It will then solely screenshot the window you are at the moment utilizing — the main target window, which is the one you most just lately clicked or carried out an motion on.
Like the usual Print Display operate, this solely captures and copies it to your clipboard, however it does imply it solely will get the window you are utilizing and never every little thing else in your display too. This could make modifying and sharing simpler.
If you wish to seize the window you are utilizing and save the screenshot as a PNG file, you will need to have Xbox Sport Bar put in.
Choice 4: Win + Alt + Print Display
Take and save a screenshot of an lively window
If in case you have Xbox Sport Bar put in in your Home windows gadget, you possibly can press Win / Home windows Emblem + Alt + PrintSc to screenshot and save a particular window (the main target window). If you do not have Xbox Sport Bar put in, you possibly can set up it via the Microsoft Store.
You can even take the screenshot by opening Xbox Sport Bar with
Win+G
and clicking the
Take Screenshot button
designated by the
Digital camera icon
.
This works the identical as Alt + PrintSc however it saves the screenshot to a folder in your drive slightly than copying it. To search out the saved screenshot, go to the Captures folder inside your Movies folder. Or go to C:Customers<username>VideosCaptures.
Take a screenshot of a particular part of your display
It’s kind of complicated, however the Home windows Snipping Instrument is again. The software was changed by the Snip and Sketch software, which itself was changed after Microsoft introduced again the Snipping Instrument, which integrated Snip and Sketch’s options.
To open the Snipping Instrument, seek for it within the Home windows Menu.
Once you open it, you possibly can choose the Snipping mode (Rectangle, Window, Full display, or Freeform) and set the screenshot delay.
Once you hit New, you can begin outlining the world you need to seize within the screenshot. Once you’re completed, the screenshot ought to seem in a brand new Snipping Instrument window.

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As soon as you have completed that, the software will open again up with the screenshot inside. You possibly can then sketch, draw, annotate, spotlight, crop, and even carry out AI textual content choice or redaction actions (when you’re on a brand new sufficient construct of Home windows 11) throughout the app till you are pleased with the screenshot.
Then, within the prime proper nook of the app, you possibly can both save the screenshot as a file, copy it to your clipboard, or share it by way of Outlook, Microsoft Groups, Skype, Mail, or OneNote.
Your screenshot ought to already be saved, although, underneath a generic title in your Screenshots folder. The direct path to the folder it is saved in is: C:Customers<username>PicturesScreenshots
This can be a helpful shortcut
On Home windows 11, you possibly can have it so your Print Display keyboard key opens the display seize section of the Snipping Instrument (the half the place you choose an space of the display to screenshot).
To do that, in your Home windows Settings, go to Accessibility -> Keyboard, and allow the Use the Print display key to open display seize choice.
Now, while you press Print Display, you possibly can choose an space of the display to screenshot slightly than capturing the entire thing or a particular window. The screenshot ought to be saved robotically to your Screenshots folder (C:Customers<username>PicturesScreenshots), and it must also be copied to your clipboard.
Use Win + Shift + S to open the Snipping Instrument
If you wish to depart Print Display as it’s, another choice is to press Home windows key + Shift + S on the similar time to launch the Snipping Instrument’s seize section.
As with the above Print Display alternative technique, the app itself will not open this fashion first, as a substitute you instantly get entry to begin display capturing. Then you possibly can copy or save your screenshot as regular.
Choice 6: Energy Button + Quantity Down
Take a screenshot on a Microsoft Floor gadget
Very like with an iPhone or Android cellphone, there is a fast method to take a screenshot on a Microsoft Floor gadget utilizing its bodily buttons.
To seize a screenshot on a Microsoft Floor, press Energy Button + Quantity Down on the similar time. The screenshot ought to then save to your Screenshots folder inside your Footage folder.

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