To take a screenshot on Windows 10 machines is very easy due to the presence of the Print Screen button on your keyboard. Whenever you want to capture your screen, you can simply hit the button to snip the screen.
However, some aren’t having this kind of convenience since the Print Screen button isn’t working on their computers.
If you’re stuck in the same position, try the following methods to solve the Print Screen not working on your Windows 10 computer.
Part 1 Troubleshooting: Solve the Print Screen button not working on Windows 10
Part 2 Workarounds: How to take a screenshot on Windows 10
Part 1 Troubleshooting: Solve the Print Screen button not working on Windows 10
In this part, 3 methods for fixing the Print Screen button not working error will be listed.
1. Close certain processes on your computer
There are some applications that will take over the Print Screen button, like the Snipping tool, OneDrive, and Dropbox.
Some related hotkey combinations of these apps will occupy the Prt Scr key, so the button is not working when you press it. You need to shut down these programs to use the Prt Scr button.
Shut down OneDrive, Google Drive, and Snipping Tool on your Windows 10 computer:
- To begin, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager window.
- Then, locate the 3 programs, click End Task to shut them down.
Close the Task Manager window when you end the 3 processes. You can use Print Screen to take a screenshot on your computer successfully afterward.
2. Update your keyboard driver
If your keyboard driver is outdated, the Print Screen key isn’t going to work.
In this case, you need to update your keyboard driver to support the Print Screen button working properly.
This is how:
On your desktop, click the searching icon on the bottom left, and type in Device Manager, open it.
Locate Keyboards and click it, then, right-click on HID Keyboard Device. Choose Update driver from the drop-down list.
Next, choose Search automatically for updated driver software from the pop-out window.
Windows will find the latest version of the keyboard driver and install it on your computer.
When the installation is complete, you can restart your computer. In this way, you can use Print Screen to take a screenshot.
Warm tips:
Using a laptop, you are unavailable to take a screenshot by clicking Print Screen solely since the Print Screen button is also the F11 or F12 button on most laptops.
So, when you hit the button separately, your system will consider it as an act of using the F11/12.
To take a screenshot successfully on laptops, you need to press Prt Scr and Fn simultaneously.
Part 2 Workarounds: How to take a screenshot on Windows 10
There are various ways to take a screenshot on a Windows 10 computer, you can try other tools as well.
1. More shortcuts for taking a screenshot on Windows 10
Besides the Print Screen button, there are more hidden built-in snipping features on your Windows 10 computer. Check this out:
- Alt + Prt Scr: Capture the currently active window and copy to the clipboard;
- Win + Prt Scr: Snip the entire screen and saves the image to the Pictures/Screenshots folder;
- Win + Shift + S: Copies selected portion to the clipboard.
Caution: If you’re using these hotkeys on a laptop computer, you need to press the Fn button additionally.
You can try these key combinations instead of using the Print Screen button.
2. Take a screenshot with Aiseesoft Screen Recorder on Windows 10
If you prefer to have a more flexible screenshot and create more productive images, look no further than Aiseesoft Screen Recorder.
Aiseesoft Screen Recorder is an all-in-one snipping and recording tool, you can use it to take a screenshot, record a video or record audio after you have it on your computer.
The app offers multiple considerate features. For instance:
- You can use a custom or default hotkey to start a snipping with no delays.
- Moreover, you can add annotations and markups on the captured images as you wish.
- Also, you can decide the area and content to capture, as well as the destination, format, and quality of the output pictures.
Once installed, use the default hotkey “Ctrl + Alt + C” to initiate a snipping.
An orange dotted box will appear on your grey-out screen. You can use the cursor to adjust the size of the dotted box which is also the region for the screenshot. Or you can click on the desktop to take a full-screen capture or hit any window as you like to take a window screenshot.
Then, it will activate a panel for you to edit the image. You can choose to add texts, lines, shapes, blurs, or callout on the draft, select a color that pleases you if needed.
Next, you can save the image to a default folder by clicking Save. Or you may copy it to the clipboard, click Copy.
Now, you know how to fix Print Screen button doesn’t work on your Windows 10 computer issue. And if you’re stuck in endless choices or snipping tools, Aiseesoft Screen Recorder will help you solve all screen capture problems.