Screen capture on Windows 10
Short answer: On Windows 10, Windows + Shift + S captures a still through Snip & Sketch, and Windows + Alt + R records the active window with Xbox Game Bar. ShareX adds scrolling capture and better recording controls at no cost.
Last verified: 2026-08-01
Windows 10 capture shortcuts
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 |
Screen capture software that suits Windows 10 machines
Windows 10 PCs are often older hardware, so a light footprint matters. Greenshot and Lightshot start instantly, ShareX stays modest until you record video, and OBS Studio needs a reasonably modern CPU or GPU encoder for smooth recording.
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
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
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- Annotation
PicPick
NGWIN
Windows screenshot software combining region, window and scrolling capture with an image editor, colour picker, ruler, protractor and whiteboard.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
FastStone Capture
FastStone
A small paid Windows capture utility with scrolling window capture, a floating toolbar, editor, screen recorder and direct export to PDF.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
OBS Studio
OBS Project
Free, open-source Windows screen recording and streaming software with scenes, sources and a screenshot output for the current frame.
- Screen recording
- Full screen capture
- Window capture
- Screenshot