How to Take a Screenshot on Windows: PC and Laptop
Short answer: press Win + Shift + S and select the part of the screen you need — the screenshot lands on your clipboard. Below are all the methods for Windows 10 and 11, what's different on Lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus and Acer laptops, where screenshots are saved, and what to do if PrintScreen doesn't work.
Built-in Windows methods
| Keys | What it does | Where the screenshot goes |
|---|---|---|
| PrintScreen (PrtSc) | full screen; on Windows 11 — opens Snipping Tool | clipboard |
| Win + PrintScreen | full screen | a file in Pictures\Screenshots |
| Alt + PrintScreen | active window | clipboard |
| Win + Shift + S | region, window or full screen, your choice | clipboard plus a Snipping Tool notification |
Paste a screenshot from the clipboard with Ctrl + V — into Word, Telegram, an email, Paint.
On Windows 11, the PrintScreen key opens Snipping Tool by default. To get the old behavior back, go to Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard → "Use the Print screen key to open screen capture".
Screenshots on a laptop
On many laptops PrintScreen shares a key with another function — the label PrtSc, PrtScr or Print Screen is on a key in the top row or next to Insert and Delete. If a single press does nothing, press it together with Fn. That's how most Lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus and Acer models work; some laptops always need Fn, others only when Fn Lock is on.
If there's no such key at all, Win + Shift + S works on any laptop with Windows 10 or 11.
Where screenshots are saved
- Win + PrintScreen — to the Pictures\Screenshots folder.
- PrintScreen, Alt + PrintScreen, Win + Shift + S — nowhere: the screenshot stays on the clipboard until you paste it. On Windows 11, Snipping Tool also saves screenshots to Pictures\Screenshots if that's turned on in its settings.
- If OneDrive is on, screenshots may go to OneDrive\Pictures\Screenshots.
Why PrintScreen isn't working
- You need Fn. On a laptop, try Fn + PrtSc or turn on Fn Lock.
- Another app has taken the key. OneDrive, Dropbox, Lightshot and other screenshot tools intercept PrintScreen. Close the extra one or change its shortcut.
- Windows 11 opens Snipping Tool. That's not a fault — see the setting above.
- The screenshot was taken but "didn't save". Plain PrintScreen doesn't create a file — paste the screenshot with Ctrl + V.
Faster: a screenshot with a link, right away
The built-in methods are fine when you need the screenshot in a document. When you need to send it — to a chat, to tech support, to a colleague — you have to save the file, find it and attach it every time.
Shot2Net does it in one press: PrintScreen → select a region → the link is already on your clipboard, paste it anywhere. Before sending, you can add an arrow, number the steps or blur personal data. It works on Windows 11 too — PrintScreen takes a screenshot again instead of opening Snipping Tool. Free, no sign-up.
FAQ
How do I take a screenshot of part of the screen? Win + Shift + S → "Rectangle" → select the region. Or PrintScreen in Shot2Net.
How do I take a screenshot of just one window? Alt + PrintScreen.
How do I capture a whole web page? Windows' built-in tools can't; the Edge browser can capture the whole page — Ctrl + Shift + S.
How do I send a screenshot as a link? See share a screenshot as a link in a second.