WINDOWS 7
Follow the steps for Windows XP, pressing ALT and Print Screen (you must hold down Alt when you press Print Screen) to take a screenshot of the active window. Press just PrtScr (or Print Screen) for the entire screen. Alternatively, use the Snipping Tool: Start Menu/All Programs/Accessories. The remainder of the steps describe using the Snipping Tool.
WINDOWS VISTA
WINDOWS XP
Follow the steps for Windows XP, pressing ALT and Print Screen (you must hold down Alt when you press Print Screen) to take a screenshot of the active window. Press just PrtScr (or Print Screen) for the entire screen. Alternatively, use the Snipping Tool: Start Menu/All Programs/Accessories. The remainder of the steps describe using the Snipping Tool.
- Choose the kind of screenshot (snip) you would like to take. Rectangular is already chosen by default. You can take a screenshot of the entire screen, a window or just a selection of the screen, that you select.
- Click and drag around the area you want a screenshot of. If you chose a window snip, you may be asked to click on the window you'd like a screenshot. If you chose a full screen snip, go right to the next step.
- In the window that pops up showing your screenshot, press the disk icon to save it. Now you can send this screenshot to someone as an attachment to an e-mail, if you want. The image is also copied to the Windows clipboard for use in other applications.
WINDOWS VISTA
- Follow the steps for Windows XP or use the Snipping Tool: Start Menu/All Programs/Accessories. The remainder of the steps describe using the Snipping Tool. For a more detailed tutorial, see How to Take a Screenshot with the Snipping Tool in Vista.
- Select the type of snip. Click on the arrow next to the New button and and choose from the options.
- Capture the snip. Use the mouse or tablet stylus to drag around or select an area or program for snipping.
- Save the image. The snip will be automatically copied to the mark-up window. The toolbar hosts options for saving, creating, copying, e-mailing and editing the snip. To save a snip, press the Save Snip button. In the dialog box enter a name for the file and choose a format if need be.
WINDOWS XP
- Find out what key(s) on your keyboard you need to press to take a screenshot. It may be just pressing PrintScreen, PrtScrn, or pressing Fn or Ctrl then pressing another key. If you want to take screenshot of just the active window (usually the one that's in front of all the others and activated), press "Alt - Print Screen". This means, you should hold down the Alt key and then press the Print Screen key.
- Open Microsoft Paint. To do this, click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Paint. (Another way of accessing Microsoft Paint is pressing the Windows key and "R", then typing 'mspaint' in the box that appears.)
- Go to the Edit menu and click Paste or you can press and hold "Ctrl" and tap V.
- Click File > Save As. In the box that pops up, change the "Save As Type" to PNG or JPG. Type in a file name for your image. Choose a place to save, like the Desktop, and click save.
- If you want to send your image to somebody, simply attach the .png file that you just saved to an email and send it along. Alternatively, you can upload it onto the internet.