Screenshot on Windows 10
Short answer: Windows 10 screenshots: Windows + Shift + S for a region, Windows + Print Screen to save a PNG, Alt + Print Screen for the active window, Print Screen for the whole screen on the clipboard.
Last verified: 2026-08-01
Windows 10 shortcut reference
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