Press Windows logo key + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool screenshot overlay. Choose a capture mode, select the screen area or window when prompted, then use the notification to open the image in Snipping Tool. Your capture is copied to the clipboard; it is not automatically saved as a file by this shortcut.
Use Windows + Shift + S to take a screenshot
- Arrange the screen so the content you want is visible.
- Press Windows logo key + Shift + S. The desktop dims and the Snipping Tool overlay appears.
- Choose a mode: rectangular, freeform, window, or full screen.
- For a rectangular or freeform snip, drag over the content. For a window snip, select the window; for a full-screen snip, select the full-screen option.
- Use the notification that appears after the capture to open the image in Snipping Tool.
- In Snipping Tool, you can mark up or crop the image, use Text actions when available, and save or share it.
The shortcut captures an image rather than starting a video recording. The image goes to the clipboard first, so paste it into an app if you only need to insert it there. To keep a file, open the capture from the notification and save it in Snipping Tool.
Choose the right snipping mode
Rectangular snip
Use rectangular mode for a clean, defined area such as a dialog, chart, or part of a webpage. Drag from one corner to the opposite corner around the material you want. Keep the selection tight if you plan to share the image; the snip contains the selected screen content.
Freeform snip
Freeform mode lets you draw an outline around an irregular shape. Select it when a rectangle would include distracting material around the subject. Trace around the area you want to capture, then release to complete the snip.
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Window snip
Choose window mode when the whole contents of one application window are needed. Select the target window after choosing the mode. This is useful for capturing an app without manually drawing a boundary around it.
Full-screen snip
Choose full-screen mode when the entire display is the target. It is the quickest Snipping Tool option when you do not need to crop the image during capture.
Where the screenshot goes, and how to save it
Windows + Shift + S copies the capture to the clipboard. After taking the snip, look for the notification and open it to edit the image in Snipping Tool. Save from there if you need a file, or paste from the clipboard into another app if you only need to insert the image.
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If you want Windows to save a full-screen screenshot directly as a file instead, press Windows logo key + Print Screen. The image is saved in the Screenshots folder under Pictures. That shortcut is different from Windows + Shift + S: it captures the full screen and saves a file rather than opening the image-snipping selection workflow.
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| Shortcut | What it captures | Where the result goes | Selection required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows + Shift + S | Region, window, or full screen through the Snipping Tool overlay | Clipboard; open the notification to edit or save | Depends on the selected mode |
| Print Screen (PrtScn) | Entire screen | Clipboard | No |
| Alt + Print Screen | Active window | Clipboard | No |
| Windows + Print Screen | Entire screen | Screenshots folder under Pictures | No |
| Windows + Shift + R | Video of a selected area | Snipping Tool recording workflow; stop and save when finished | Yes: select an area before starting |
Use Print Screen when you need the whole screen on the clipboard without selecting an area. Use Alt + Print Screen for the active window. Use Windows + Print Screen when you want a full-screen image saved directly as a file. For a recording rather than a still image, Windows + Shift + R opens the Snipping Tool video overlay: select an area, choose Start, then Stop and save.
Capture a menu or other temporary interface
A menu can disappear when you press the screenshot shortcut or change focus. Snipping Tool’s delay lets you prepare the screen before the capture begins.
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- Open Snipping Tool first.
- Choose Delay and set a delay from one to five seconds.
- Start the snip, then use the countdown to open the menu or arrange the temporary interface.
- When the screen dims, select the area you want to capture.
This works best when you know what action opens the transient item and can perform it during the countdown. If the menu still closes, try a longer delay or make sure you are not clicking elsewhere to begin the selection.
Keyboard and Print Screen edge cases
- Print Screen opens the wrong behavior: Microsoft says its behavior can be changed in Settings so that the key opens screen snipping. If PrtScn does not copy the full screen as you expect, check the Print Screen setting in Windows Settings.
- Your keyboard has no PrtScn key: Depending on the device, Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar may provide an alternative. Laptop keyboard layouts vary, so check the device’s keyboard labeling or instructions if that combination does not work.
- You need only the foreground app: Make that app active, then use Alt + Print Screen to copy its window, or choose window mode in the Snipping Tool overlay.
- You need an automatically saved image: Use Windows + Print Screen for a full-screen file. Windows + Shift + S instead puts the snip on the clipboard and relies on the notification workflow if you want to save or edit it.
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Troubleshooting screenshot shortcuts
The Windows + Shift + S overlay does not appear
Press the Windows logo key and Shift together, then tap S. If the overlay still does not appear, open Snipping Tool directly from Windows and use its capture controls. This separates a shortcut problem from the capture workflow itself.
The screenshot seems to have vanished
For Windows + Shift + S, check the clipboard by pasting into an app, or open the notification to reach Snipping Tool. The shortcut does not itself save a file. If you expected a file, take a full-screen capture with Windows + Print Screen instead, or open the snip and save it.
The wrong area or window was captured
Repeat the shortcut and confirm the mode before selecting. Rectangular and freeform modes require a drag; window mode requires selecting the intended window. If you need the whole screen, choose full-screen mode or use a full-screen shortcut.
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A menu closed before you could capture it
Open Snipping Tool before opening the menu and use Delay, from one to five seconds. Use the countdown to reveal the menu, then select the snip when the display dims.
The PrtScn key does not behave as expected
Its behavior may be configured to open screen snipping in Settings. If the key is unavailable on your keyboard, try Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar if your device supports it. The Windows + Shift + S shortcut does not require a dedicated PrtScn key.
Which shortcut should you use?
- For a selected part of the screen, use Windows + Shift + S and choose rectangular or freeform mode.
- For one app window copied to the clipboard, use Alt + Print Screen, or choose window mode in the overlay.
- For a full screen copied to the clipboard, use Print Screen.
- For a full-screen image saved as a file, use Windows + Print Screen.
- For a screen recording, use Windows + Shift + R.
- For a menu that disappears, use Snipping Tool’s one-to-five-second Delay.
For most screenshots where you want control over the target and a chance to edit before saving, Windows + Shift + S is the most flexible starting point.
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