How To Take a Snapshot of a Windows Computer Screen

There are many reasons to want to take a snap-shot of a computer screen. Some do it to capture an error message they want to send to technical support while others do it to have a record of something funny, like a hilarious exchange during a chat session with a friend. Some even use it to capture a website article or photograph that they want to cite in a report or repost as part of a blog post. Regardless of the actual reason, it is not hard at all to do this if your computer is running the Windows operating system.

* Use the Print Screen button. One way to do this is using the Print Screen, PRT SCRN or PRTSC button on your computer. Depending on the model of your computer or laptop, the actual label of the button may vary, but ultimately they will function the same way.
* First, load the website, document, or redo the steps that will cause the error message to appear. Basically, have what you want to “capture” appear on your computer screen. For web pages or documents, you might have to scroll or adjust the page to show the specific portion you wish to capture.
* When ready, press the Print Screen button. Note that for other computers, the Print Screen button might not automatically function. Try pressing Shift + Print Screen or even Function + Shift + Print Screen. This should actually “capture” the visible portion of your screen and have in the computer’s clipboard as an image waiting to be used.
* Now, load up your image editing software. All versions of Windows have an in-resident image editor called Paint (or MS Paint, depending on the version). Others might use other image software such as Adobe Photoshop or Gimp.
* Click on the image software to select it then click New to start a new project or image. There, press Ctrl + V to paste the image currently in the clipboard onto the workspace as a new image. You can now resize, edit, or save the image as you need to.
* Another way is to use any software that you have for screen capturing. For Windows Vista users, a program called the Snipping Tool can be found in Accessories. It not only allows you to select a portion of the displayed screen, but also do minor edits or markings on it, and save it in various file formats. For web browsers, some web browsers can have plug-ins or extensions that allow you capture a displayed webpage. Chrome, for example, as a screen capture extension called Aviary Screen Capture. It even has another extension called Webpage Screenshot that allows one to capture the whole webpage even if it is not all completely visible on screen.


A quick word of warning! When capturing your screen, always remember that even the mouse cursor gets captured. So be sure to move the mouse out of the way before hitting Print Screen. Also, keep in mind that captured images will have the same dimensions as the source. Resizing the image might be necessary depending on what use you have in mind for it.