How To Take Screenshots In Windows 10 (Easy Steps)

Whether you are preparing a Powerpoint presentation or collecting evidence on an affected computer, capturing screenshots of a computer is a trick everyone would like to master. Capturing picture-perfect screenshots on a computer is not an amateur’s play. It is a piece of cake to take a screenshot of any computer unless it is running on Windows 10.

Windows 10 operating system is a user-friendly GUI operating system with some best advancements in previous versions but taking screenshots in Windows 10 is a mystery which should be unveiled. Let us understand screenshots capturing in Windows 10

Capturing screenshots in Windows 10

The standard methods to take faster screenshots in Windows 10 are:
1) Print Screen Key
2) Windows 10 Snipping Tool
3) Keyboard Shortcut

These methods will teach a user how to take a screenshot on a PC

Print Screen Key –

Print Screen key on the keyboard is capable of capturing a screenshot of a computer. The screenshot captured will either be saved as a file or without saving it as a file. The option of taking a window screenshot is also available while using print screen key. The print screen button can have either a label of PrtScn, PrntScrn, Print Scr and PrtScr.

Print Screen key is allocated between the F12 key and Scroll Lock key. If any user wonders how to screenshot on a laptop, then press ‘Function’ or ‘fn’ key to access features of print screen. When the Function key is pressed, screenshot gets automatically saved to the clipboard.

How to enable Print Screen in Windows 10? The combination of Alt + PtrScn has scrapped a long time ago, and the new combination to enable Print Screen in Windows 10 is Window logo key+ PtrScn. The combination works for tablets too but laptops use a variation. In laptops, Windows logo key + Ctrl + PrtScn or Windows logo key + Fn + PrtScn is used to save screenshot as a file.

Clipboard –

a) Screenshot without saving
If the captured screenshot is not saved as a file, then it will be available in the clipboard of the computer. Now, where is the clipboard on Windows 10? Windows may not consist of clipboard viewer or clipbrd.exe in Windows 10. You can either download it online or copy it from a Window XP operating system.

You need clipbrd.exe before taking a screenshot. “Windows 10 clipboard not working” will the troubleshooting error you will face lately. The clipboard application will take you to Windows 10 clipboard history for checking saved screenshots.

b) Screenshot a Window
To capture a window, click on title bar of the capture window. Press Alt+PtrScn and screenshot of currently running window will be copied to the clipboard.

In Laptops, you can use Alt + Fn + PrtScn to screenshot a window.

c) Screenshot a Part of a Screen
Windows + Shift + S will grade out screen. Select a part of the screen to be captured by dragging it. A screenshot of a selected screen will be copied to the clipboard. But it only works on Windows 10 creators update.

If the print screen is not working in Windows 10, then you can use alternatives.

Windows 10 Snipping tool –

The most convenient method to take a screenshot on Windows 10 is snipping tool. The tool was introduced in Windows XP but has not lost its touch. It can take screenshots of an open window, rectangular area, a free-form area, and an entire screen.

Windows 10 snipping tool was built over Windows 7, 8 snipping tool limitation. In Windows 7,8 snipping tool needs mouse movements to capture a screenshot. Windows 10 snipping tool has an essential feature which helps it to capture a screenshot without mouse movements. The ‘Delay’ feature aids snipping tool to capture pop-up menus and tooltips.

How to use it? Snipping tool is a pre-installed tool in Operating system which can be accessed through search. You can run the tool and capture screen.

Keyboard Shortcuts –

The Game DVR capabilities of Windows 10 provides a feature of recording footage and video of Window games. The game bar generates screenshots in PNG file format saving them in default video folder on the computer. To use the Game Bar, enable XBox application which came along with Windows 10.

1) Open Settings

2) Under Game DVR, click on Take screenshots using Game DVR

3) Assign a keyboard combination to take screenshot

The standard combination is Window logo key + G key. After the shortcut is used click yes on ‘this is game’. Use Win + Alt + PrtScn to take a screenshot.

DropBox –

DropBox allows capturing of screenshots using keyword shortcuts Ctrl+PtrScn or Ctrl+Alt+PtrScn. When any of these combinations are used, Dropbox saves the screenshot. A public link to the captured screenshot will always be available with the Dropbox application. The image will be copied to the clipboard, in the end, enabling a faster way to share a screenshot with outside world.

It works like the snipping tool to capture either a part of a screen or the whole screen.

Microsoft snip –

Microsoft snip screen capturing tool is exclusively offered by Microsoft Office. It helps to take quick screenshots at ease. This tool is a must for users who often take screenshots of the screen. When the tool is installed, it creates a shortcut on the desktop to capture screen instantly. The intuitive tool comes with several powerful features to take picture-perfect screenshots.

Third-Party Software –

Third-party software like Microsoft snip can also be a better approach to take screenshots. Some software can also be installed as a browser extension for capturing screenshots. Third-Party applications have some sophisticated features which can serve the same purpose of snipping tool or Microsoft snip tool. Installing a Third-party software is a user’s choice.

Conclusion: Screenshot capturing in an advanced Operating system like Windows 10 can be a difficult task. The best way to take a screenshot in Windows 10 is by utilizing pre-installed snipping tool while the print screen and keyboard may not work properly.