# Problems with Screen Capturing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-screen-capturing/67406>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 3, 2001, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-screen-capturing/67406 "2001-06-03T05:39:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Raziel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Raziel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raziel)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-screen-capturing/67406/1 "2001-06-03T05:39:08Z")

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I’m using Paint Shop Pro 7. Why is it that when I try to do a screen capture involving a movie of any sort (DVD using WinDVD, MPEG, AVI or QT using the associated programs), I can never get the image? It just turns up as a black spot in the capture. Is there any way to get around this?

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**Author:** ![BigGiantHead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b4bc9f/32.png) [@BigGiantHead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigGiantHead)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-screen-capturing/67406/2 "2001-06-03T06:00:55Z")

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How are you doing the screen capture? Is there an in-program feature for this? (I have PSP7, I just haven’t bothered to chase all the details in it yet.) If so, you might just try using your keyboard’s Print Screen button at the appropriate moment, then pasting it in and cropping.

- Dave

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**Author:** ![Raziel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Raziel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raziel)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-screen-capturing/67406/3 "2001-06-03T06:02:49Z")

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In PSP, go to File \> Import, and you should see the Screen Capture options.

I thought about using Print Screen…is there a way I can tell Windows to use Print Screen as a “Print to file” button?

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-screen-capturing/67406/4 "2001-06-03T06:15:04Z")

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The reason it doesn’t work is because the application is using DirectX to display the movie, and this throws off the screen capture utility. I think there are specific screen capture programs that work around this problem, but I don’t have any direct experience, so I don’t have a particular suggestion.

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**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-screen-capturing/67406/5 "2001-06-03T07:04:13Z")

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When you pause the movie, first minimise the window down to a button on the taskbar, then expand it onto the desktop again. Use ALT-print screen to capture the screen. The paused movie will now be visible in the capture when you paste it to Paint Shop.

This works for windows media player and kind-of works for real player (what you see is not what you get with real player). I have absolutely no idea why!

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**Author:** ![Raziel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Raziel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raziel)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-screen-capturing/67406/6 "2001-06-03T07:23:36Z")

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Works like a charm! Thanks matt!