How to take a screenshot on Windows 7 without the snipping tool

How to take a screenshot on Windows 7 without the snipping tool

Throughout this article, you’ll learn how to take a screenshot on Windows 7 without the snipping tool. It is an easy action that you may often need to perform. How can you do it properly?

It is simple. Window 7 offers a screenshot utility that you can access through the start menu button, then you have to type “snipping tool” in the search box on the taskbar, and then select “Snipping Tool” from the list of results. That will launch the snipping tool window.

But what if the Windows snipping tool isn’t working on your computer or if you want to take a screenshot using a quicker and more practical method that the native screenshot tool?

Fortunately, the snipping tool isn’t the only option available to take a screenshot on Windows 7. There are tons of other options that let you take screenshots within a few seconds.

And the best part is that you won’t even have to install any app on your computer. It’s all done through keyboard shortcuts.

Now, let’s dive into the details on how to take a screenshot on Windows 7 without the snipping tool.

Table of Contents

  1. How to take a screenshot on Windows 7 without the snipping tool: use keyboard shortcuts
    1. PrtScr (Print Screen Key)
    2. Windows + PrtScr
    3. Alt + PrtScr
    4. Taking a screenshot on a laptop
  2. Taking screenshots using third-party tools
  3. Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
    1. Can Windows 7 screenshot?
    2. What is the best screenshot app for Windows 7?
    3. How do I take a screenshot on my Windows 7 laptop?
    4. How do you take a screenshot on Windows 7 and save it automatically?
    5. How do you take a scrolling screenshot in Windows 7?
    6. How to edit a screenshot on Windows 7?
    7. How do I take a screenshot on a Windows 7 laptop without the PrintScreen button?
    8. How can you view a Windows 7 screenshot?
    9. My PC is not able to take screenshots in Windows 7 using the PrtScr key. Why?
  4. Wrap Up

How to take a screenshot on Windows 7 without the snipping tool: use keyboard shortcuts

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PrtScr (Print Screen Key)

If you’re a 90’s kid, you’d probably be familiar with this one. It’s a tiny key found in the panel above the arrow keys. Back in those days, we used to press this key to take a screenshot. Now that people have access to the snipping tool, this key is getting forgotten.

But the key is still there and you can still use it to take a Windows screenshot within a second. Sometimes, the PrtScn keyboard shortcut doesn’t work alone. So, you’d have to press the Ctrl + PrtScr keys to successfully take the screenshot.

However, you need to keep in mind that it saves only one screenshot at a time. And the previous screenshot is automatically removed from the clipboard and is replaced with the new one when you press the PrtScr key again.

So, you’d have to save the screenshot into your Windows PC using a photo editing tool before you could take another one.

The process of saving the screenshot isn’t difficult at all. You need to open an image editing program like Paint and then press Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot there. From here you can follow the basic settings to save the screenshot in your target folder.

The reason why we consider that process is a better option than a snipping tool is that it is virtually instant. Takes only a fraction of a second to take a screenshot with it.

Windows + PrtScr

If you’re not willing to use an additional image editing program to save a screenshot, you’ll love this shortcut. Simply, press the Windows + PrtScr keys together and the screenshot will be automatically saved as a file on your hard drive.

Now, you must be thinking about where those screenshots can be found later on. Well, you need to access the Pictures Library on your computer and then open the Screenshots folder. You’d find all the screenshots there.

Keep in mind this folder only contains the screenshots taken using Windows + PrtScr shortcut. If a captured screenshot was taken using other methods, it needs to be accessed differently.

Alt + PrtScr

This shortcut is helpful if you aim to take a screenshot just of the active window. The process of saving this screenshot is similar to the first method we’ve explained in this article when using PrtScr by itself. Open the image editing program, press Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot, edit it if you want to and save it to your computer.

Taking a screenshot on a laptop

Nowadays, a huge number of people use laptops instead of desktop computers. The process of taking a screenshot on a laptop is generally the same but can vary a bit on some models.

On some laptops, the PrtScr key isn’t primarily reserved for capturing screenshots but it also performs other tasks. If that’s the case, you need to press the Fn key along with PrtScr so you can properly take a screenshot. Let’s now take a look at how you can use the above-mentioned methods on your laptop.

If you want to save a screenshot on the clipboard, you need to press Ctrl + PrtScr + Fn. Then edit the image in Paint or another image editor and save it in your desired folder.

But if you want to save the screenshot directly on your hard drive, you should press the Windows key + PrtScn + Fn.

And if you want to take screenshots of the active window, you must use the Alt + PrtScn + Fn keys together. The editing process is again the same.

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Taking screenshots using third-party tools

There are some handy third-party tools you can use to take a screenshot on Windows 7. These tools let you take screenshots with just a few clicks.

Most of those apps are available for free and they are really easy to use. And more, they come with several editing options you can use to make changes to the screenshot according to your needs.

Simply, run a search on the internet and you’d be able to find a bunch of tools to fit that purpose.

Here are some examples of nice tools you can use to capture screenshots on the Windows operating system. And bear in mind there are tons of other options available for you to choose from:

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Can Windows 7 screenshot?

Yes. To do it, you just need to press the PrtScr key in the active screen you want to screenshot.

What is the best screenshot app for Windows 7?

There are a lot of great screenshotting tools for Windows 7. We recommend you to use the native application: Windows Snipping Tool. It is easy to use, efficient and comes built-it in Windows 7, so you don’t need to be installing extra software.

If you’re willing to try third-party applications, you may try PicPick, ShareX, or Greenshot.

How do I take a screenshot on my Windows 7 laptop?

The same way you’d do with a desktop computer: just press the PrtScr key and your screen capture will be saved to the clipboard. You can then paste it anywhere you want to.

How do you take a screenshot on Windows 7 and save it automatically?

If you want to save a screenshot automatically in Windows 7, just press the “Windows key + PrtScr“. An output file with your capture will be created under the folder \Images\Screenshots.

How do you take a scrolling screenshot in Windows 7?

You cannot take a scrolling screenshot with the built-in application, but there are many apps that provide scrolling screenshots on Windows 7. PicPick is one of the best third-party alternatives that let you take scrolling screenshots. Give it a try.

How to edit a screenshot on Windows 7?

Just press the PrtScr key to capture the screen, then open Paint or any other image editing software, paste the snapshot there, and edit it at your discretion.

How do I take a screenshot on a Windows 7 laptop without the PrintScreen button?

You can take a screenshot without using the PrtScr key. Go to the Start Menu and search for the Snipping Tool. Open it and start using the app. It is much more powerful than just hitting the Print Screen key.

You can even put a shortcut to the Snipping Tool on your desktop or add it to the taskbar.

How can you view a Windows 7 screenshot?

Whenever you hit the PrtScr + Windows keys at the same time, your screenshots will be automatically saved under the folder \Images\Screenshots.

My PC is not able to take screenshots in Windows 7 using the PrtScr key. Why?

Check if the Print Screen key is being used correctly. In some laptops and also some desktop keyboard models, you need to press another function key simultaneously with the PrtScr key, usually, a key labeled “Fn”. Press that key and the print screen key to capture the screenshot accordingly.

Wrap Up

New Windows versions offer multiple options for taking screenshots but Windows 7 users often believe that they only have a single solution to do it, which is not correct.

In this article, we’ve described a number of methods you can use to take a screenshot, so you now know how to take a screen capture on Windows 7 without the snipping tool. Say goodbye to it and welcome to the more practical methods you’ve learned today.

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