Screenshots on Windows 10
Short answer: On Windows 10, press Windows + Shift + S to open Snip & Sketch and capture a region, Windows + Print Screen to save the entire screen to Pictures\Screenshots, or Alt + Print Screen to copy just the active window.
Last verified: 2026-08-01
Snip & Sketch is the Windows 10 capture overlay
Windows 10 ships with both the classic Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch. The Windows + Shift + S shortcut opens Snip & Sketch, and clicking its notification opens the capture in an editor with pen, highlighter, crop and a ruler.
Windows 10 also lets you map the Print Screen key to the snipping overlay: Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard > Print Screen shortcut.
Step by step on Windows 10
- 1Press Windows + Shift + SThe Windows 10 screen dims and a small capture bar appears at the top of the display.
- 2Choose a capture modeRectangular snip, free-form snip, window snip or full-screen snip. Window snip is the cleanest way to capture a single application.
- 3Select the areaDrag across the region, or click the window you want. The capture is copied to the clipboard immediately.
- 4Open the editorClick the notification in the corner to open Snipping Tool, where you can crop, annotate and undo.
- 5Save the filePress Ctrl + S and choose PNG for interface screenshots or JPG when file size matters.
Windows 10 screenshot shortcuts
These shortcuts are part of Windows itself and work in File Explorer, Chrome and any desktop application.
| Shortcut | What it does | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Windows + Shift + S | Open the snipping overlay: rectangular, free-form, window or full-screen snip. Result goes to the clipboard. | Windows 10 & 11 |
| Print Screen | Copy the whole screen to the clipboard. On Windows 11 this can be set to open the snipping overlay instead. | Windows 10 & 11 |
| Alt + Print Screen | Copy only the active window to the clipboard. | Windows 10 & 11 |
| Windows + Print Screen | Save the whole screen straight to Pictures\Screenshots as a PNG file. | Windows 10 & 11 |
| Windows + Alt + Print Screen | Save the active window as a PNG through Xbox Game Bar, into Videos\Captures. | Windows 10 & 11 |
| Windows + G | Open Xbox Game Bar, which includes a capture widget for stills and screen recording. | Windows 10 & 11 |
| Fn + Print Screen | On many Windows laptops the Print Screen key is shared with another function and needs the Fn key. | Windows laptops |
Where Windows saves your screenshots
- Windows + Print Screen saves PNG files to This PC \ Pictures \ Screenshots.
- Windows + Alt + Print Screen saves to This PC \ Videos \ Captures via Xbox Game Bar.
- Windows + Shift + S copies to the clipboard first; the file only exists once you save it from the Snipping Tool editor.
- Print Screen and Alt + Print Screen copy to the clipboard only — paste into an editor or document with Ctrl + V.
You can move the Screenshots folder: right-click it, open Properties, then the Location tab, and choose a new path.
Troubleshooting when the screenshot does not work
- Nothing happens on Print Screen: on a Windows 10 PC the key may be shared with a function key. Try Fn + Print Screen or Fn + Windows + Print Screen.
- Windows + Shift + S does nothing: check Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, and make sure the Snipping Tool app is installed and updated from the Microsoft Store.
- The screen does not dim: another application may have taken the hotkey. Close capture tools running in the notification area and try again.
- Screenshots are black: this usually means hardware-protected content, such as a DRM video player. Capture the window with a different tool or disable hardware acceleration in that application.
- The file never appears: Windows + Print Screen writes to Pictures\Screenshots. If OneDrive is managing your Pictures folder, look inside OneDrive \ Pictures \ Screenshots.
Recommended Windows software
Snipping Tool
Microsoft
Microsoft's built-in Windows screenshot tool for rectangular, window, free-form and full-screen snips, opened with Windows + Shift + S.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Annotation
ShareX
ShareX Team
Free, open-source Windows screenshot and screen capture software with scrolling capture, OCR, screen recording and scriptable after-capture workflows.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
Greenshot
Greenshot
A small, fast open-source screenshot tool for Windows with region and window capture, a simple annotation editor and direct export to file, printer or Office.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Annotation
PicPick
NGWIN
Windows screenshot software combining region, window and scrolling capture with an image editor, colour picker, ruler, protractor and whiteboard.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
FastStone Capture
FastStone
A small paid Windows capture utility with scrolling window capture, a floating toolbar, editor, screen recorder and direct export to PDF.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
Frequently asked questions
- How do I screenshot on Windows 10 without Snipping Tool?
- Press Windows + Print Screen to save the whole screen as a PNG, or Alt + Print Screen to copy the active window to the clipboard.
- Does Windows 10 have scrolling screenshots?
- No. Windows 10 cannot capture content below the fold; use ShareX, PicPick or Snagit for scrolling capture.