• On Windows 10 and 8, Windows Key+PrtScn to capture entire screen. On Windows 7 and earlier, press PrtScn.
• To capture only the active window, press Alt+PrtScn.
• To capture specific parts of the screen, use the Windows Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch.

This article explains how to take screenshots on a Windows PC. Instructions apply to Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.

How to Take a Screenshot 

The basic way to take a screenshot in Windows is the same way no matter what version of Windows you’re using, and it’s very easy: ​press the PrtScn key on the keyboard.

• PrtScn: Pressing the button once saves a screenshot of the entire screen. If you have multiple monitors connected, a single press of the print screen button will save a screenshot of all the screens in one single image.
• Alt+PrtScn: Press these buttons at the same time to take a screenshot of a single window that you’re focused on. Select the window once to make sure it’s in focus, and then hit these keys.
• Win+PrtScn: Using the Windows key with the print screen button (in Windows 8 and newer) will take a screenshot of the whole screen and then save it in the default Pictures folder in a subfolder called Screenshots (e.g. C:\Users\[user]\Pictures\Screenshots).

How to Paste or Save a Screenshot

The easiest way to save a screenshot is to first paste it in the Microsoft Paint application. This is simple to do in Paint because you don’t have to download it—it’s included with Windows by default.

You do have other options like to paste it in Microsoft Word, Photoshop, or any other program that supports images, but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll use Paint. The quickest way to open Paint in all versions of Windows is through the Run dialog box.

1. Press Win+R.

2. Type mspaint into the Run field, and select Enter.