Being able to capture your computer screen can be so useful. Perhaps you want to preserve an online transaction, grab an image to share with a friend, or aid tech support in remotely solving a problem with your laptop or PC.
Below are seven easy ways to take a screenshot in Windows 10, many of which also work in Windows 7 and Windows 8.
1. Print Screen
Pressing the Print Screen key is the fastest and easiest way to take a screenshot, but it's certainly the least convenient way to do it. Since the screenshot is not saved but only stored in the system clipboard, it must be pasted into a graphics program or word processor after it has been taken.
The system remembers only one shot, so if you don't fix the image immediately then pressing Print Screen again will replace it with a new one. This will not be useful when you need to take a series of images. Alternatively, the system can be extended with applications such as Clipboard Master.
2. Alt + Print Screen
This solution works just like pressing the Print Screen button, but saves only the active window. So if you have multiple folders opened on your desktop, pressing the Alt and Print Screen keys at the same time will allow you to save the image without background clutter.
3. Windows + Print Screen
The next key combination is Windows + Print Screen. The screen should go out for a moment when you use it. The graphics (.png format) are located in the Screenshots folder, where images are saved by default. This folder is created automatically when you use a keystroke combination for the first time.
4. Windows + H
If you want to take a full screen shot and share it to an online service such as email or social media, press the Windows and H keys at the same time. On the right side you will see a selection of places to which you can send the created image. Of course, what appears here depends on which apps you have installed on your machine.
5. Snipping Tool
Windows 10 has a built-in screenshot too.? Originally it was called the Snipping Tool, and is found in System Accessories. When you launch it you can select the area you want to capture - the active window, the full screen, the rectangle or the shape of your choice. The screenshot can be saved in the system tray or at a location of your choice. Available recording formats are .png, .html, .jpeg and .gif.
6. Windows + Mute button
On Windows 10 mobile devices, screenshots are taken just as they are on smartphones and tablets with other operating systems. Hold down the Windows logo key while pressing the mute button. The same happens if you press the Windows + Print Screen keys on your computer or laptop - the screen fades off for a moment and the created screenshot is saved in the default image folder.
7. Third-party application
The last solution is to use one of the numerous third-party applications for creating screenshots. These might be dedicated applications such as Screenshot Captor or SnapDraw, or browser extensions such as Fireshot and Nimbus. There are so many out there - and most of them free - that you can try a few and pick whichever works best for you.