How to Take Screenshots in Windows: Snipping Tool and Shortcuts
All ways to take screenshots in Windows 10 and 11: keyboard shortcuts, Snipping Tool, annotation tools, and how to capture scrolling pages or specific windows.
Windows has several built-in screenshot methods — each suited to different situations. Here's every option and when to use it.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | What it captures | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
PrtScn |
Full screen | Clipboard |
Win + PrtScn |
Full screen | Saved to Pictures\Screenshots |
Alt + PrtScn |
Active window only | Clipboard |
Win + Shift + S |
You select area | Clipboard + notification |
Win + G |
Game bar capture | Videos\Captures folder |
Win + Shift + S opens the Snipping Tool selector — the most versatile option.
Snipping Tool (Windows 11)
Win + Shift + S or search Snipping Tool in Start.
Capture modes:
- Rectangle — drag to select any area
- Window — click a specific window
- Full screen — entire screen
- Freeform — draw any shape
After capture, a notification appears in the bottom right. Click it to open the editor.
Snipping Tool Editor
After capture, the editor opens automatically (or click the notification):
- Pen, highlighter, eraser — annotate directly on the screenshot
- Crop — trim the image
- Ruler and protractor — draw straight lines at angles
- Text recognition (OCR) —
Ctrl + Shift + Textracts text from the screenshot
Save: Ctrl + S — saves as PNG, JPG, or GIF. Copy: Ctrl + C — copies to clipboard for pasting anywhere.
Delay Screenshot
For capturing tooltips, menus, or states that disappear when you press a key:
Open Snipping Tool app → click the clock icon → set 3 or 10 second delay → click New → switch to the window you want to capture → wait for the timer.
Capture Scrolling Content
Windows doesn't have a built-in scrolling screenshot. Options:
Browser scrolling screenshots:
- Edge: right-click page → Screenshot → Capture full page
- Firefox: right-click → Take screenshot → Save full page
- Chrome: install GoFullPage extension
Third-party tools: ShareX (free, open source) supports scrolling capture for any window.
ShareX: Most Powerful Free Option
ShareX is the gold standard for power users:
- Scrolling screenshots
- Screen recording
- Auto-upload to Imgur, Google Drive, etc.
- Built-in OCR, image editor, color picker
Download from getsharex.com — completely free and open source.
Screenshot Location
Win + PrtScn saves automatically to:
C:\Users\YourName\Pictures\Screenshots\
Change the default folder:
Right-click Screenshots folder → Properties → Location → Move → choose new path.
Screenshots via PowerShell
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
$screen = [System.Windows.Forms.Screen]::PrimaryScreen.Bounds
$bitmap = New-Object System.Drawing.Bitmap($screen.Width, $screen.Height)
$graphics = [System.Drawing.Graphics]::FromImage($bitmap)
$graphics.CopyFromScreen($screen.Location, [System.Drawing.Point]::Empty, $screen.Size)
$bitmap.Save("C:\screenshot.png")
$graphics.Dispose()
$bitmap.Dispose()
Write-Host "Saved to C:\screenshot.png"
Summary
For quick capture: Win + Shift + S → select area → paste anywhere. For annotated screenshots: open Snipping Tool → capture → use the built-in editor. For scrolling pages: use browser's built-in tool or ShareX. For automated or scripted screenshots: use the PowerShell method above.