How To Screenshot Windows Button: Complete Guide for Every Situation

Whether you need to capture your whole screen — or just a portion of it — there are a number of different methods to get the shot quickly and without extra software. The Windows button, combined with other keys, provides built‑in tools that work on Windows 10 and Windows 11. This article walks you through the most reliable ways to screenshot using the Windows button, so you can choose the method that fits your workflow.

Method 1: Using the Print Screen (PrtScn) Key

Full‑screen capture to a file

Press Windows + Print Screen (sometimes shown as Windows + PrtScn). The screen will dim for a moment, indicating that Windows has saved an image of the entire display to the Pictures → Screenshots folder. This is the fastest way to create a permanent file without opening any additional apps.

Copy the whole screen to the clipboard

If you prefer to paste the screenshot directly into a document, email, or image editor, press Print Screen alone. On most keyboards this key is labeled PrtScn or PrtSc. The image is copied to the clipboard, ready for Ctrl + V in any program that accepts images.

Capture only the active window

Hold Alt and press Print Screen. Windows copies the currently focused window to the clipboard, which is useful when you want to exclude the desktop and other open applications.

Method 2: Windows + Shift + S (Snip & Sketch)

The combination Windows + Shift + S launches the Snip & Sketch overlay, also known as the “Snipping Tool” shortcut in newer builds. The screen dims and a small toolbar appears at the top, offering four capture shapes: