How to screenshot on Windows — 6 built-in methods
Windows gives you at least six different ways to take a screenshot — and none of them require installing anything. Press PrtScn for a quick full-screen grab, Windows + Shift + S for the Snipping Tool with area selection, or Windows + PrtScn to save directly to a file. Each method works differently and saves to a different location.
Below: every built-in screenshot method on Windows 10 and Windows 11, the keyboard shortcuts, where files save, how to capture a single window, and what to do when your keyboard doesn't have a Print Screen key.
Windows screenshot shortcuts — quick reference
| Shortcut | What it does | Saves to |
|---|---|---|
| PrtScn | Full screen to clipboard | Clipboard |
| Win + PrtScn | Full screen to file | Pictures > Screenshots |
| Alt + PrtScn | Active window to clipboard | Clipboard |
| Win + Shift + S | Open Snipping Tool | Clipboard + notification |
| Win + Alt + PrtScn | Game Bar capture | Videos > Captures |
| Power + Vol Down | Tablet full screen | Pictures > Screenshots |
6 ways to screenshot on Windows
All six methods work on Windows 10 and Windows 11 unless noted otherwise. Pick the one that matches your situation.
Print Screen — full screen to clipboard
The oldest trick in the book. Press Print Screen (labeled PrtScn, PrtSc, or Print Scr depending on your keyboard) and Windows copies your entire screen to the clipboard. Ctrl+V into Paint, Word, Slack, wherever. Fair warning: if you have two monitors, it captures both. You'll probably need to crop.
Print Screen — full screen saved to file
Press Win+PrtScn. Screen dims for a split second. That flash is your confirmation. Windows saves a PNG to Pictures > Screenshots with auto-numbered filenames: Screenshot (1).png, Screenshot (2).png, and so on. No pasting required. Handy when you need to grab 10 screenshots in a row and sort through them later.
Alt + Print Screen — active window only
Captures just the window in focus. Copies to clipboard. Unlike Mac, Windows doesn't add a drop shadow or transparent background (some people prefer this, actually). You get the raw window pixels. Nothing extra.
Snipping Tool — select and annotate
This is the one most people should default to. Press the shortcut, screen dims, toolbar appears at the top with four modes: Rectangular, Freeform, Window, and Full-screen. Select your area and it copies to clipboard. A notification pops up in the corner. Click it to open the editor (crop, draw, highlight, save). It's not fancy, but it covers 80% of screenshot needs without installing anything.
Xbox Game Bar — capture apps and games
Built for gamers, but works for everything. Win+G opens the overlay, then click the camera icon or press Win+Alt+PrtScn. Saves to Videos > Captures (yes, Videos, not Pictures). The hidden gem here: Win+Alt+R starts a screen recording. No extra software needed, and most people don't know it exists.
Tablet mode — Surface and 2-in-1 devices
No keyboard? Press Power + Volume Down at the same time. Screen flashes, screenshot saves to Pictures > Screenshots. Same result as Win+PrtScn but for when your keyboard is folded back or detached. Works on Surface Go, Surface Pro, and pretty much every Windows tablet out there.
Snipping Tool: the most powerful built-in option
Microsoft merged the old Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch into one app for Windows 11, and it's actually gotten decent. Win+Shift+S anywhere gives you four capture modes, basic annotation, and a timer. It's not going to replace a dedicated screenshot editor, but for grab-and-share situations it does the job.
Rectangular Snip
Draw a rectangle around the area you want. The most common mode.
Freeform Snip
Draw any shape with your mouse. The captured area follows your outline.
Window Snip
Click any open window to capture it. Clean edges, no extras.
Full-screen Snip
Captures everything. Same as PrtScn but opens the editor automatically.
Snipping Tool vs. third-party editors
The built-in editor handles the basics: pen, highlighter, ruler, crop. That's about it. No blur for sensitive info, no gradient backgrounds, no shadow effects, no high-res export. Fine for a quick Slack message. Not enough for a product demo or a blog post where the screenshot needs to actually look good.
What if your keyboard has no Print Screen key?
Some compact and laptop keyboards don't have a dedicated Print Screen key. You have three options:
- 1Use Windows + Shift + S. This opens the Snipping Tool without needing Print Screen at all. It's the recommended approach on modern Windows.
- 2Check for Fn + key combos. Many laptops map Print Screen to Fn + F11, Fn + Space, or Fn + Insert. Check your laptop manufacturer's documentation.
- 3Use the on-screen keyboard. Search for "On-Screen Keyboard" in the Start menu. It has a PrtScn key you can click with your mouse.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shortcut to screenshot on Windows?
PrtScn copies full screen to clipboard. Win+Shift+S opens Snipping Tool for area selection. Win+PrtScn saves a full-screen PNG straight to Pictures > Screenshots. For most people, Win+Shift+S is the only one worth memorizing.
Where do screenshots save on Windows?
Depends on the method. Win+PrtScn goes to Pictures > Screenshots. Game Bar goes to Videos > Captures (confusingly). Snipping Tool and plain PrtScn just copy to clipboard and don't save a file at all unless you manually save.
How do I screenshot one window on Windows?
Alt+PrtScn captures the active window to clipboard. Or use Win+Shift+S and pick Window Snip from the toolbar. The Alt+PrtScn method is faster, but the Snipping Tool version opens an editor afterward.
How do I screenshot on Windows without Print Screen?
Win+Shift+S. Doesn't need the Print Screen key at all. You can also just search "Snipping Tool" in the Start menu and open it directly.
Does Windows have a screenshot editor?
Sort of. Snipping Tool on Windows 11 has basic editing (crop, pen, highlighter, text). It handles quick markups fine. For blur, gradient backgrounds, or anything beyond basic annotation, you'll want a separate editor.
How do I take a scrolling screenshot on Windows?
Windows can't do this natively. For web pages, the GoFullPage browser extension works well. For anything outside the browser, ShareX handles scrolling captures. It's a surprising gap in 2026.
Need to edit that screenshot?
ScreenshotEdits adds blur, crop, annotations, and gradient backgrounds to any screenshot. Free on web, Mac & Windows — Windows coming soon.