How to Take a Screenshot on a Dell Laptop or PC

Dell laptops and desktops use the standard Windows screenshot shortcuts. The exact Print Screen label may be PrtSc, PrtScn, or shared with another key; on some laptops you must also hold Fn.

Choose the right screenshot shortcut

Shortcut	What it captures	Where it goes
Windows + Shift + S	A selected area, window, full screen, or free-form shape	Clipboard; open the notification to annotate and save
PrtSc	The full screen	Clipboard
Alt + PrtSc	The active window	Clipboard
Windows + PrtSc	The full screen	Pictures > Screenshots
Windows + Alt + PrtSc	The current game or supported app	Videos > Captures through Xbox Game Bar

For clipboard captures, open Paint, an email, or another image-capable app and press Ctrl + V. Then save the file in PNG or another suitable format.

Use Snipping Tool for more control

Press Windows + Shift + S, or search Start for Snipping Tool.
Select Rectangle, Window, Full screen, or Freeform capture.
Drag over the area if required.
Select the notification preview to crop, annotate, copy, or save the result.

Snipping Tool can also capture after a delay and, on supported Windows versions, record a selected part of the screen. Its settings let you save captures automatically or make the Print Screen key open screen snipping.

Capture a game with Xbox Game Bar

Press Windows + G and select the camera button in the Capture widget, or use Windows + Alt + PrtSc. Game Bar saves images under Videos > Captures. It is designed for games and individual apps, so it may not capture the desktop or File Explorer.

If Print Screen does not work

Try Fn + PrtSc, or Fn + Windows + PrtSc, if the key shares another function.
Check whether Fn Lock is enabled; the shortcut is often Fn + Esc, depending on the model.
Open Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and review the option that uses Print Screen to open screen capture.
Close utilities that may have reassigned the shortcut, including cloud-sync and screenshot apps.
Test Windows + Shift + S. If it works, the issue is likely limited to the Print Screen key or its mapping.

Find a missing screenshot

A plain PrtSc or Alt + PrtSc capture is only on the clipboard until you paste it. Windows + PrtSc normally saves to Pictures > Screenshots, but OneDrive backup or a customized Pictures location can redirect that folder. Game Bar uses Videos > Captures. Snipping Tool uses the folder you choose or its configured automatic-save location.

If you need video rather than a still image, see how to record the Windows screen. For a broader shortcut reference, use this Windows keyboard shortcuts guide.

Protect private information

Before sharing a capture, crop or redact passwords, email addresses, account numbers, QR codes, browser tabs, and notification previews. Blurring can sometimes be reversed or leave readable shapes; a solid opaque block or tight crop is safer.