How to do screen captures

How do I do screen captures in Windows XP? It was so easy on my old Mac, but how do I get screen captures on Windows XP?

 

Just press the prt scr key (print screen) and it'll place the screen shot on your clipboard. You can then open any word processor or graphics program and paste the contents into it.

There is a nice little free program called PrintKey2000 that I have grown fond of. It does many convenient things with screen captures and lets you define the capture area, include cursor, auto save to your preferred folder, and much more.

 

Incidentally, you should create a Desktop shortcut for your clipboard viewer so that you can check to see what has been captured.

Just right click the Desktop and select NEW > SHORTCUT, then type C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\clipbrd.exe in the Target line. Save it as ClipboardViewer and you're all set.

 

prn scrn

Also, if you only want the "active" window press ALT+Printsdreen key, then paste into your appy

 

Try PCMAG's ScreenSeize - saves user defined screen area as a bit map image file.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,10206,00.asp

Regards - Charles

 

Print screen question???

To Zephyr,
In your answer on how to print screen , you say you save it in your clipboard. Do you mean the clipboard in Word or is there another clipboard I am not aware of. Also when i want to use print screen key, I usually put the memory into my paint programme & then have to go to edit & paste. Am totally confused about this procedure & obviously need some help!!


Also am curious about this printkey2000 programme you mentioned in your post.

Hoping for your help, as you have helped me in the past
Thanks in advance

 

Footnote to last post!

Also when I want to print screen, I have to bring up word or paint & minimize before going to print screen key. Is this right???

Sorry if I appear to be so ignorant, but each step in this confusing world of computers I find so difficult, but I am willing to learn!!!!

Thanks again

 

Lucy - the clipboard is a system applet file that holds any item you want to copy and gives it up when you paste.

To get a screen capture, just press printscreen (if you want the whole screen) or alt-printscreen to just get the active window.

Then you should be able to paste the screen shot into any program that can deal with pictures. I personally use and love the free program Irfanview and haven't had paint open since Irfanview got features to crop and put in text comments over the picture.

Once you have the picture (printscreen and then with an open Irfanview window, file~paste) and fix it to suit yourself, you can save it for future use as jpg, gif, tif, bmp, or whatever or just click on copy and then paste it where you want. Or both.

Or you can use the ctrl-c to copy and ctrl-v to paste if you are a keyboard fan.

So,
- printscreen (or alt-printscreen) to get your screen shot
- open irfanview (or other picture program), ctrl-v to paste the image
and you are in business.

 

Not to worry Lucy, you'll get it all one day. It's much simpler than it seems at first so don't let it put you off.

The copy/paste routine is basic to using Windows and although the concept takes some time to grasp, it's actually pretty simple.

Whether it be a Screen Capture via the PRT SCR key or a highlight and copy using the regular method, the targeted information will be copied to the Clipboard. You won't see it unless you have created a Desktop shortcut to the Clipboard program and click on it for viewing. Trust me, it's there and waiting for you to paste it.

The last material you have copied will always be what is available for pasting into any program that will allow that action, since each time you copy something, it deletes the former item that you copied. It can only hold one thing at a time, the last one you copy.. Most Word Processors and Graphics programs will allow pasting of the Clipboard contents.

The PrinyKey2000 program has even more features and you will need to try it to see if it suits your needs.

Play around with the concept, you'll soon learn all the possibilities. You can't hurt anything so have no fear.

Once you master the standard Clipboard, you may want to get a "Stacking" Clipboard, which can hold more than one item and even carry all copied items over to later sessions. There are lots of those programs out there. I have used smartBoard32 for the past four or five years and wouldn't be without it.

Best wishes.

 

print screen

Thanks to Zephyr & Newt,
Will print out the info & give it a try.
Just so as not to confuse the issue anymore, I do have to bring up the programme first . then press printscreen key & paste!!!

Thanks again chaps, your info is always a big help

 

screen captaures

I've tried a few screen capture apps and the best shareware app I have found is Screenhunter www.wisdom-soft.com.

Allows you to select an area and either copy it to a graphics file of your choice or immediately print it out.

I have been using it for about a year and it has never failed to do exactly what I want

 

print screen question??

Thanks to all who replied to my posts.
Much appreciated