# computer idiot \[needs help doing a screen capture\]
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 12, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276 "2008-11-12T00:57:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@timbicile59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timbicile59)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/1 "2008-11-12T00:57:38Z")
I’m new with this fancy adding machine. Can anyone tell me how to do a screenshot? Thanks in advance.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/2 "2008-11-12T01:04:27Z")
Assuming Windows XP.
Run PAINT and minimize.
Start, Programs, Accesories, Paint.
When you are ready for your screen shot, press CONTROL PRINT SCREEN.
Bring up Paint, click Edit, Paste.
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### Author:  [@timbicile59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timbicile59)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/3 "2008-11-12T01:25:01Z")
I have no idea if i’m doing it right but its not working.
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### Author:  [@timbicile59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timbicile59)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/4 "2008-11-12T01:26:08Z")
Ill try again tomorrow thank you though
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### Author:  [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/5 "2008-11-12T01:27:33Z")
First things first: Do you see the “print screen” button? It may say something like “prt sc” or “prnt scrn”.
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/6 "2008-11-12T01:28:54Z")
Added some description to the thread title.
**Gfactor**
General Questions Moderator
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### Author:  [@Apex\_Rogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apex_Rogers)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/7 "2008-11-12T01:28:57Z")
There’s no need to hit control to use the print screen button. Hit the Print Screen button alone and then try to paste the image into Paint.
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### Author:  [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/8 "2008-11-12T01:31:03Z")
> [@timbicile59](#):
>
> I have no idea if i’m doing it right but its not working.
You’re doing it wrong then! 🙂 I’ve just tried it and it worked perfectly. Yay, ya live and ya learn. God, I love the Dope sometimes.
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### Author:  [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/9 "2008-11-12T01:32:18Z")
Just wanted to add that if you only want to take a screenshot of the active window, as opposed to the entire desktop, you can do ALT+Print Screen.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/10 "2008-11-12T01:39:53Z")
> [@ApexRogers](#):
>
> There’s no need to hit control to use the print screen button. Hit the Print Screen button alone and then try to paste the image into Paint.
By George, He’s right. 🙂
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/11 "2008-11-12T01:41:24Z")
> [@YamatoTwinkie](#):
>
> Just wanted to add that if you only want to take a screenshot of the active window, as opposed to the entire desktop, you can do ALT+Print Screen.
I love the 'Dope.
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### Author:  [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/12 "2008-11-12T02:48:49Z")
I’ve found that a free piece of software called “Screen Hunter” makes screen captures of all or a part of the screen to be extremely easy. It can be downloaded from [wisdom-soft.com](http://wisdom-soft.com), and, as I said, can be had in a free version. I use it all the time.
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### Author:  [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/13 "2008-11-12T08:10:05Z")
Another software that may help is MWSnap from [here](http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/mwsnap.html)
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/14 "2008-11-12T08:26:08Z")
If you are running Windows XP, print screen, then either paste into paint, or another image editing program like [IrfanView](http://www.irfanview.com/). (Which is free, and very user friendly.) Don’t forget to save. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/15 "2008-11-12T15:25:35Z")
Also, if you’re putting the screen shot in a Word document or Outlook email, you can paste it directly after using PrintScreen (or Alt+PrintScreen). You don’t necessarily need to paste it into Paint first and save.
(I’m a software developer and often get emails from users with a screen shot of an error message they’re getting. One user will consistently do the following: use Alt+PrintScreen to capture just the error message, then he will paste it into Paint, take a screen shot of the Paint screen, save THAT in Paint, convert it to black and white, and then paste it into Outlook. Dude, just paste the error message into Outlook!)
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### Author:  [@timbicile59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timbicile59)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/16 "2008-11-12T21:20:25Z")
Thanks all. I still had to get my daughter to show me how but mission accomplished.
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### Author:  [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/17 "2008-11-13T00:18:24Z")
Just to note: on my keyboard, ctrl-printscreen does “Insert” (or absolutely nothing in most modern software). This Microsoft keyboard has a doublesized delete key, so they removed the Insert key from that little group and put it under the printscreen key.
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### Author:  [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/18 "2008-11-13T01:16:20Z")
> [@Zabali\_Clawbane](#):
>
> If you are running Windows XP, print screen, then either paste into paint, or another image editing program like [IrfanView](http://www.irfanview.com/). (Which is free, and very user friendly.) Don’t forget to save. 🙂
And it handles pretty much every audio and visual extension there is (you do need the plugins though).
In the _options_ menu of IfranView there’s _Capture/Screenshot_ which will do all the work for you (capture, name and save), with either a hot key or multiple captures with a time delay, in a number of file formats (jpg, bmp, png, gif, tif, raw, etc).
I’m currently using it to teach my brother how to use a new program. Using the multi capture with a .5 second delay to capture every thing I’m doing on screen, then converting the slide show into a stand alone executable, Irfan Skiljan is a minor god.
CMC +fnord!
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### Author:  [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/19 "2008-11-13T02:04:03Z")
I’m late to the party, but I’m a real fan of the Faststone screen capture program. It went to pay-for-use, but here’s the last freeware version, which I love.
[http://321download.com/LastFreeware/page4.html#FastStone%20Capture](http://321download.com/LastFreeware/page4.html#FastStone%20Capture)
Simple to use, all the options I need (full window, freehand rectangle capture, etc), small, fast, and has a simple drawing/text tool that lets me circle, draw lines, add labels to pics for quick, notated screen grabs. Not bloatware.
I’ll second the use of IRfanview. Great program.
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### Author:  [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-idiot-needs-help-doing-a-screen-capture/472276/20 "2008-11-13T05:34:06Z")
FastStone is too cool… Thanks
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