The fastest way: Press Print Screen or Windows Key + Shift + S

The quickest method depends on what you want to do with the screenshot. If you want to capture your entire screen and save it as a file, press Print Screen (often labeled PrtScn on your keyboard), then open Paint or Word and paste it. If you want to capture just part of your screen and have it ready to paste or save, press Windows Key + Shift + S instead — this opens a selection tool where you draw a box around what you need.

Windows Key + Shift + S is usually faster because the screenshot goes straight to your clipboard and a small notification appears so you can save it when ready. Print Screen also copies to your clipboard, but you have to open another program to paste and save it yourself.

Both methods work on any Windows PC. You do not need to install anything or change any settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Windows Key + Shift + S to select and capture part of your screen; a menu appears where you can save or copy the image.
  • Press Print Screen to capture your whole screen at once, then paste it into Paint, Word, or any image editor to save it.
  • Screenshots go to your clipboard by default, so you can paste them into documents or email without saving a separate file first.
  • The Snipping Tool and Screenshot app (built into Windows 10 and 11) offer more options like delay timers and annotation tools if you need them.
  • You can change where screenshots are saved and what file format they use through Settings if you want them to go directly to a folder.

Using the built-in Snipping Tool for more control

If you need to capture a specific window or draw a freehand shape around what you want, the Snipping Tool gives you more options than the keyboard shortcuts. Open it by typing "Snipping Tool" into your Windows search bar (the magnifying glass icon on your taskbar), then click the app when it appears.

Once Snipping Tool opens, click New and choose your capture type: Free-form (draw any shape), Rectangular (drag a box), Window (click a single window), or Full screen (capture everything). After you make your selection, the screenshot appears in the Snipping Tool window where you can annotate it with a pen or highlighter, then save it as a PNG, GIF, or JPEG file.

Snipping Tool also has a Delay option if you need time to set up what you are capturing — for example, if you want to screenshot a menu that closes when you click away. Set the delay to 3 or 5 seconds, click New, and you will have time to open the menu before the capture begins.

Saving screenshots directly to a folder instead of your clipboard

By default, screenshots go to your clipboard, which means they disappear if you copy something else. If you want Windows to save screenshots automatically to a folder, you can change this in Settings. Open Settings (press Windows Key + I), go to System, then Clipboard, and turn on Clipboard history — this keeps your last 25 clipboard items so you do not lose a screenshot if you copy text.

For automatic file saving, use the Screenshot app instead (Windows 10 and 11 only). Search for "Screenshot" in your search bar and open it. This app saves screenshots as PNG files directly to your Pictures folder by default. You can also change the save location by going to Settings, then System, then Storage, and choosing a different folder.

If you use Print Screen and want the file saved automatically without opening another program, you can enable this in Windows 11 by going to Settings, System, and Clipboard, then turning on Save screenshots to clipboard — though this still requires you to paste and save manually.

Capturing a single window without the background

If you only want to screenshot one window (like a single browser tab or document) without capturing everything behind it, press Alt + Print Screen. This captures only the active window and copies it to your clipboard. Paste it into Paint or Word the same way you would with a full-screen screenshot.

Alternatively, open Snipping Tool, click New, and select Window from the dropdown menu. Then click the window you want to capture. This method is cleaner because you can see exactly what you are capturing before you take the screenshot, and you can save it directly from Snipping Tool without opening another program.

Annotating and editing screenshots before saving

After you take a screenshot with Windows Key + Shift + S, a small notification appears in the bottom right corner. Click it to open the Screenshot app, where you can draw, highlight, or add text before saving. Use the pen tool to draw, the highlighter to mark important areas, or the eraser to remove marks.

If you use Snipping Tool, the same annotation tools appear automatically after you capture. You can also crop the screenshot by dragging the edges of the image, which is useful if you captured more than you needed.

For more detailed editing — resizing, rotating, or adding shapes — save your screenshot as a file and open it in Paint (search "Paint" in your search bar). Paint has basic tools for cropping, resizing, and adding text or shapes, and it is built into Windows so you do not need to install anything.

Troubleshooting when screenshots are not working

If Print Screen or Windows Key + Shift + S is not working, the most common cause is that another program has claimed those keyboard shortcuts. Check if you have screen recording software, remote desktop software, or gaming software installed — these often override the default screenshot keys. Restart your computer first, as this sometimes resets the keyboard shortcuts to default.

If the screenshot appears to be captured but you cannot paste it, make sure you are pasting into a program that accepts images. Notepad does not accept images, but Paint, Word, and most email programs do. Right-click in the program and select Paste, or press Ctrl + V.

If you are using a laptop with a function key (Fn) row, you may need to hold Fn while pressing Print Screen. Check your keyboard — if Print Screen shares a key with another function, try Fn + Print Screen instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do screenshots go when I press Print Screen?

They go to your clipboard, which is temporary storage. You must paste them into a program like Paint or Word and save them as a file, or they will disappear when you restart your computer or copy something else. Windows Key + Shift + S gives you a notification so you can save when ready without opening another program first.

Can I take a screenshot of just my second monitor?

Windows Key + Shift + S lets you select any part of any monitor, so you can draw a box around just your second screen. If you want to capture the entire second monitor at once, use Snipping Tool, click New, select Full screen, and click on the second monitor before the capture begins.

What file format should I use for screenshots?

PNG is best for most screenshots because it keeps the image sharp and does not lose quality. JPEG works if you need a smaller file size, but it can make text look blurry. The Screenshot app and Snipping Tool both save as PNG by default, which is fine for almost any use.

How do I screenshot a video or streaming content?

Most streaming services (Netflix, Disney+, etc.) block screenshots for copyright reasons, so Print Screen and Windows Key + Shift + S will not work. For other videos, the same methods work fine. If a screenshot appears blank or black, the video player is using copy protection and you cannot capture it.

Can I set up a keyboard shortcut to save screenshots to a specific folder automatically?

Windows does not have a built-in setting for this, but you can use the Screenshot app or Snipping Tool and manually choose where to save each time. Alternatively, you can set your Pictures folder as the default save location in Settings, and all screenshots will go there by default when you save them.