How to Take a Screenshot on Windows in 2027: Every Method That Still Works

Learning how to take screenshot on windows should take seconds, not a search through settings. Windows already includes what you need: a shortcut for part of the screen, one that saves the whole screen as a file, one for a single window, and a built-in app for editing and recording. This guide covers every method that still works on Windows 10 and 11 in 2027, where each capture goes, and what to do when a shortcut does nothing.

Key takeaways

• Windows + Shift + S is the fastest way to screenshot part of the screen.
• Windows + Print Screen saves a full-screen screenshot to Pictures > Screenshots.
• Print Screen, Alt + Print Screen, and Windows + Shift + S copy to the clipboard only.
• On Windows 11, Print Screen opens Snipping Tool by default; change this in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
• For video, use Windows + Shift + R in Snipping Tool on supported Windows 11 builds, or Xbox Game Bar.
• On a laptop with no Print Screen key, try Fn, or Fn + Windows + Spacebar where supported.

Direct answer: Press Windows + Shift + S, drag over the area you want, then paste with Ctrl + V or click the notification to edit and save it. For a file saved with no extra steps, press Windows + Print Screen. For just the active window, press Alt + Print Screen and paste it where you need it.

How to take screenshot on windows: the fastest method

Learn Windows + Shift + S first. It works on Windows 10 and 11, lets you choose exactly what to capture, and avoids screenshotting the whole screen when you only needed one part. The screen dims, a toolbar appears at the top, and you pick a mode before selecting. The rest of this guide is organised by job — find yours and use its method.

Pick the right screenshot on Windows method for the job

Shortcuts differ in what they capture and where the result goes. A clipboard capture is quick but lost when you copy something else. A file capture is ready to attach or find later.

Job	Shortcut	Captures	Goes to
Part of the screen	Windows + Shift + S	Region, shape, window, full screen	Clipboard
Whole screen, as a file	Windows + Print Screen	Entire screen	Pictures > Screenshots
Whole screen, to paste	Print Screen*	Entire screen	Clipboard
Just one window	Alt + Print Screen	Active window	Clipboard
Video of a region	Windows + Shift + R	Selected region	Saved video file
Game or app capture	Windows + Alt + Print Screen	Game or app window	Videos > Captures

*On Windows 10, or on Windows 11 with the Snipping Tool toggle off. On Windows 11 by default, Print Screen opens Snipping Tool instead.

How to screenshot part of the screen with Windows + Shift + S

This is the best all-round Windows screenshot shortcut, and the one Microsoft documents for Snipping Tool.

1. Press Windows + Shift + S. The screen dims and the toolbar appears at the top.
2. Choose Rectangle, Freeform, Window, or Full screen. Rectangle suits most jobs.
3. Drag over the area, or click a window for a window snip. Full screen captures at once.
4. Paste with Ctrl + V into an email, chat, document, or Paint.
5. To edit, crop, or save as a file, click the notification after capture, or open Snipping Tool.

If the screenshot matters, save it from Snipping Tool straight away — the next thing you copy replaces it on the clipboard.

How to take screenshot on Windows 11 with Snipping Tool

On Windows 11, Snipping Tool combines the older Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch. Open it from Start search, or jump to the overlay with Windows + Shift + S. Inside the app, select Snipping Mode, choose a mode, then select New. After capture, crop, draw on, highlight, copy, save, or share the snip in its window. See Microsoft’s guide to using Snipping Tool to capture screenshots for the official steps.

How do I edit or crop a screenshot?

Click the notification after capture, or open the snip in Snipping Tool, and use its crop, pen, and highlighter tools, then Save. If a captured photo is blurry rather than badly framed, see our guide on how to fix grainy photos.

How do I capture a menu?

Menus vanish when you press a shortcut, so use Snipping Tool’s delay: choose a delay, select New, then open the menu during the countdown.

How to take screenshot on Windows 10

The core shortcuts are identical: Windows + Shift + S, Windows + Print Screen, and Alt + Print Screen. Two differences matter. First, Print Screen alone copies the whole screen to the clipboard on Windows 10, while on Windows 11 it opens Snipping Tool by default. Second, Windows 10 has no Snipping Tool video snip — use Xbox Game Bar for recording, and our best free video editing software picks if the recording needs trimming.

How do I screenshot on PC with the Print Screen key

The Print Screen key — labelled PrtScn, PrtSc, or Print Screen — is the classic print screen windows method, but what it does depends on your version and one setting.

Print Screen on its own

1. Press Print Screen.
2. On Windows 10, or Windows 11 with the toggle off, this copies the whole screen to the clipboard.
3. Paste with Ctrl + V into Paint, Word, an email, or a chat, then save from there.

Why is Print Screen opening Snipping Tool?

That is not a fault: on Windows 11, Print Screen opens screen snipping by default. To restore the old behaviour, go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn off “Use the Print Screen key to open screen snipping”.

Windows + Print Screen

1. Press Windows + Print Screen; the screen briefly dims.
2. Find the file in File Explorer under Pictures > Screenshots.

How do I screenshot just one window?

1. Click the window so it is active.
2. Press Alt + Print Screen; only that window is copied to the clipboard.
3. Paste with Ctrl + V, or paste into Snipping Tool or Paint to save it as a file.

This suits error messages and single apps, without exposing the rest of your screen. Windows + Shift + S with Window mode does the same job visually.

Where are screenshots saved on Windows?

• Windows + Print Screen: a file in Pictures > Screenshots.
• Windows + Shift + S, Print Screen, Alt + Print Screen: clipboard only, until you paste or save from Snipping Tool.
• Snipping Tool saved snips: your chosen location, or Pictures > Screenshots if auto-saving is on.
• Game Bar captures: files in Videos > Captures.
• Video snips: a video file, shown by Snipping Tool after recording stops.

If you are still unsure how to take screenshot on windows and save the result, use Windows + Print Screen for a file or Windows + Shift + S plus Snipping Tool to save.

How do I record my screen on Windows?

Video snip in Snipping Tool (Windows 11)

1. Open Snipping Tool, select Record, then New — or press Windows + Shift + R on supported builds.
2. Drag over the area, select Start, then Stop. Review and save the recording.

If Record is missing, your build does not include it yet — use Game Bar. Microsoft’s guide to how to take screenshots on Windows 11 covers both methods.

Xbox Game Bar

1. Press Windows + G for the overlay, or Windows + Alt + R to start and stop recording.
2. For a still, press Windows + Alt + Print Screen. Files go to Videos > Captures

How do I take a screenshot on a laptop with no Print Screen key?

• Shared key: hold Fn with the key — Fn + Print Screen, or Fn + Windows + Print Screen for auto-save.
• Fn Lock: toggling it may remove the need to hold Fn.
• Fn + Windows + Spacebar: Microsoft documents this for devices without Print Screen, but it depends on the hardware.
• No keys at all: Windows + Shift + S needs no Print Screen key, and Snipping Tool opens from Start search. On a tablet, the device’s own buttons (often Windows + volume down, where provided) may also work.

For the software worth knowing on a new machine, see our best AI tools guide; for screenshots, the keyboard-free Snipping Tool route is the most reliable fallback.

Why is Print Screen not working? Fix-it checklist

1. Try Fn. Fn + Print Screen, or Fn + Windows + Print Screen, on a laptop.
2. Check what happened. If the Snipping Tool toolbar appeared, it worked — Windows 11 is set to open snipping.
3. Check the clipboard. Open Paint and press Ctrl + V; if the image appears, only the save step was missing.
4. Check the right folder. Only Windows + Print Screen saves to Pictures > Screenshots; OneDrive redirection can also move that folder, so search for “Screenshots”.
5. Close interfering apps. Clipboard managers, remote-desktop tools, and overlays can intercept Print Screen.
6. Control test. If Windows + Shift + S works but Print Screen does not, the key or its setting is the problem.
7. Restart and update. A stuck Snipping Tool process or pending update can break the overlay.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take a scrolling screenshot with Snipping Tool?

No — it does not capture scrolling pages natively. Capture the visible area, scroll, and capture the next part, or use your browser’s full-page capture where offered.

What is the fastest screenshot shortcut?

For how to take screenshot on windows quickly, use Windows + Shift + S for a region, Windows + Print Screen for a saved full screen, and Alt + Print Screen for one window. The fastest is the one matching your job.

Can I change where screenshots are saved?

Windows + Print Screen defaults to Pictures > Screenshots, moving with that folder under OneDrive redirection. In Snipping Tool, choose a location each time you save.

Start with Windows + Shift + S for selections, Windows + Print Screen for saved full screens, and Alt + Print Screen for single windows — and when a shortcut seems to do nothing, check the clipboard, the Fn key, and the Print Screen setting first.