How to Take a Screenshot on Windows 11

How to Take a Screenshot on Windows 11

Windows 11 has several built-in ways to capture your screen, and you don't need any extra software. This guide shows each shortcut, where the file ends up, and what to check when a shortcut does nothing.

Quick Answer

What you want	Press	Where it goes
Choose an area, window or full screen	Windows + Shift + S	Clipboard (and Screenshots folder)
Whole screen saved as a file	Windows + PrtScn	Pictures > Screenshots
Whole screen to paste somewhere	PrtScn	Clipboard or Snipping Tool (see below)
Only the active window	Alt + PrtScn	Clipboard
Game or app window as a file	Windows + Alt + PrtScn	Videos > Captures
Short screen recording	Windows + Shift + R	Snipping Tool video

On some laptops the Print Screen key shares a key with another function. If nothing happens, hold Fn as well, for example Fn + PrtScn.

Method 1: Snipping Tool (Windows + Shift + S)

This is the most flexible option.

1. Press Windows + Shift + S. The screen dims and a small toolbar appears at the top.
2. Choose a mode: Rectangle, Window, Full screen or Freeform.
3. Drag over the area (or click the window you want).
4. The capture is copied to the clipboard. Paste it with Ctrl + V into an email, a chat or a document.
5. A notification appears in the corner. Click it to open the capture in Snipping Tool, where you can crop, draw, highlight and save it with Ctrl + S.

Snipping Tool also saves captures to your Pictures > Screenshots folder automatically. You can change this, and the save location, in Snipping Tool's Settings (the three dots at the top right).

Need a delay? Open the Snipping Tool app, choose a delay of a few seconds, then click New. This is useful for capturing a menu that closes when you press a key.

Method 2: Save the Whole Screen as a File (Windows + PrtScn)

Press Windows + PrtScn. The screen dims for a moment and a PNG file is saved to Pictures > Screenshots. This is the easiest way when you want many screenshots in a row without pasting each one.

If you use more than one monitor, this captures all of them as one wide image.

Method 3: The Print Screen Key on Its Own

What PrtScn does depends on one setting:

• On newer Windows 11 versions the key opens the Snipping Tool overlay, just like Windows + Shift + S.
• With the setting off it copies the whole screen to the clipboard and saves nothing. Paste it with Ctrl + V.

To change it, open Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and switch Use the Print screen key to open screen capture on or off.

If you use OneDrive, it may offer to save screenshots automatically to OneDrive. That option is in OneDrive's own settings, under Sync and back up.

Method 4: Capture One Window (Alt + PrtScn)

Click the window you want so it's active, then press Alt + PrtScn. Only that window is copied to the clipboard, with no taskbar or other windows. Paste it where you need it.

Method 5: Game Bar (Windows + Alt + PrtScn)

Xbox Game Bar can capture the active game or app window and saves it as a file in Videos > Captures. Press Windows + G to open the full Game Bar, where you can also record a video clip. Game Bar doesn't capture the desktop or File Explorer on its own; use Snipping Tool for those.

Record Your Screen

Press Windows + Shift + R to open the Snipping Tool in video mode, drag over the area and click Start. Click Stop when you're done, then save the clip. This is handy for showing a support person exactly what goes wrong.

Screenshot Shortcut Not Working?

Try these in order:

1. Try the Fn key. Many laptop keyboards need Fn + PrtScn, and some have an F Lock or Fn Lock key that changes what the top row does.
2. Check the Print Screen setting in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard (see Method 3). If it's on, PrtScn opens the overlay instead of copying straight away.
3. Look in the right place. Clipboard captures aren't saved as files. Paste them first, or use Windows + PrtScn to get a file.
4. Close other screenshot apps. OneDrive, Dropbox, Lightshot or a keyboard maker's utility can take over the Print Screen key. Turn off their screenshot option or close them and try again.
5. Update Snipping Tool. Open Microsoft Store > Library and install updates, then restart the PC. If Snipping Tool still won't open, go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, click the three dots next to Snipping Tool, choose Advanced options and click Repair (then Reset if that doesn't help).
6. Check the keyboard itself. If other keys also misbehave, see laptop keyboard not working in Windows.

Tips

• Blur private details before you share a screenshot: open it in Snipping Tool and draw over names, email addresses and account numbers, or crop them out.
• Clipboard history (Windows + V) keeps several recent captures, so you can paste an older one. Turn it on the first time you press Windows + V.
• Screenshots add up. Thousands of full-screen PNGs can use several gigabytes. If your drive is filling up, see storage full: how to find what is taking up disk space.

Still Not Working?

If no shortcut works and the Snipping Tool app won't open even after a repair, the problem is usually a damaged Windows component or a pending update. Install the latest updates (see Windows Update stuck or failing if they won't install) and restart. If that still doesn't help, our support team can connect remotely and check it for you.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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