How to take a screenshot on Windows

Method 1: Snipping Tool overlay

1. 1Press Windows + Shift + SThe Windows screen dims and a small capture bar appears at the top of the display.
2. 2Choose a capture modeRectangular snip, free-form snip, window snip or full-screen snip. Window snip is the cleanest way to capture a single application.
3. 3Select the areaDrag across the region, or click the window you want. The capture is copied to the clipboard immediately.
4. 4Open the editorClick the notification in the corner to open Snipping Tool, where you can crop, annotate and undo.
5. 5Save the filePress Ctrl + S and choose PNG for interface screenshots or JPG when file size matters.

Method 2: Print Screen variations

• Print Screen — whole screen to clipboard.
• Alt + Print Screen — active window to clipboard.
• Windows + Print Screen — whole screen saved as a PNG file.
• Windows + Alt + Print Screen — active window saved via Xbox Game Bar.

Method 3: Xbox Game Bar

Windows + G opens the capture widget, which is the easiest route for full-screen applications where the snipping overlay does not appear.

Troubleshooting when the screenshot does not work

• Nothing happens on Print Screen: on a Windows PC the key may be shared with a function key. Try Fn + Print Screen or Fn + Windows + Print Screen.
• Windows + Shift + S does nothing: check Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, and make sure the Snipping Tool app is installed and updated from the Microsoft Store.
• The screen does not dim: another application may have taken the hotkey. Close capture tools running in the notification area and try again.
• Screenshots are black: this usually means hardware-protected content, such as a DRM video player. Capture the window with a different tool or disable hardware acceleration in that application.
• The file never appears: Windows + Print Screen writes to Pictures\Screenshots. If OneDrive is managing your Pictures folder, look inside OneDrive \ Pictures \ Screenshots.

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