How to Take a Screenshot in Windows Without Using Microsoft Paint
If you're looking for an alternative way to capture a screenshot on your Windows PC without using Microsoft Paint, there are several built-in methods you can try. In this post, we will discuss three different ways to take a screenshot in Windows: using the PrtScn key, using the Snipping Tool, and using the Game Bar (for gaming applications).
Method 1: Using the PrtScn Key
- Open the window or application that you want to capture.
- Press the
PrtScn
key located usually in the top row of your keyboard, next to theInsert
,Home
,Page Up
, etc. keys. This will take a screenshot of the entire screen. If you only want to capture a specific window, pressAlt + PrtScn
. - Open an image editing software like Microsoft Paint, Adobe Photoshop, or Google Picasa to edit and save your screenshot. To do this in Microsoft Paint:
- Go to
Start > All Apps > Windows Accessories > Paint
(or use the shortcut keyWin + R > mspaint
). - Click on the
File
tab, then click onOpen
, and navigate to the location of your saved screenshot. - Press
Ctrl + V
to paste the captured image into Microsoft Paint. Make any necessary edits and save the file.
- Go to
Method 2: Using the Snipping Tool
- Press the
Windows key + Shift + S
. The Snipping Tool will open, allowing you to select a rectangular area of your screen to capture. - Drag the cursor over the desired area to create a selection rectangle. Once the entire portion is highlighted, release the mouse button.
- Your screenshot will automatically be copied to your clipboard, ready for pasting into an image editing software or saving as a file (
Ctrl + S
in Microsoft Paint).
Method 3: Using the Game Bar (for gaming applications)
- Press
Windows key + G
while using a gaming application. The Game Bar will open with an option to capture a screenshot or record a video. - To take a screenshot, simply click on the "Camera icon" located in the Game Bar interface at the bottom right of your screen. Your screenshot will automatically be saved to the
C:\Users\%USERNAME\%Videos\Captures
folder.
There you have it! Three different methods to capture a screenshot on your Windows PC without having to use Microsoft Paint. Give these techniques a try and find which one works best for you.