Print Screen Key no longer working in Windows 7?

Anonymous

I am running Windows 7 64-bit. I can't get my PrtScn key to capture my screen so I can paste it to another program. I used to be able to do this in XP, and even in my wife's 64-bit Vista. It could also be my MS wireless keyboard 1.1, which as proven to be buggy and requires update fixes from MS.

Anyone else having print screen troubles?

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

To everyone still having a problem with Print Screen, and none of the proposed solutions work: I have your answer!

I recently bought a brand new laptop, and I'm running both Ubuntu 10.04 and Windows 7. I'm a Simmer, and I was getting more and more frustrated that I could not capture the screen on my Sims game so I can share my CC. Nothing anyone on here said worked, and then I found this.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/easily-disable-vistas-aero-before-running-an-application-such-as-a-video-game/

It worked for me, and I hope it works for you all!

Close out of the program you are having trouble with capturing the screen.

Right click on the shortcut of the program on your desktop (in my case it's Sims 2 Apartment Life).

Click on Properties .

Click on the Compatibility tab.

In the middle area of that tab, there should be a bunch of check boxes under Settings. Click in the box alongsideDisable desktop composition.

Apply the changes, click OK.

Open up you program, press on your Print Screen (Prt Sc) button, open up a paint program, paste your image (Ctrl + C) and voilà! It should work! ^_____^

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi drfkv5,

Welcome to Microsoft Answers Forum.

As you are using a wireless keyboard I would suggest you to check on the F LOCK (function lock) key on your keyboard. Check on the top right of your Keyboard for the F Lock Key, which may be stopping you from using the print screen key. The F LOCK key toggles the alternate function keys. An alternate function key is a key that has two possible commands depending on the F LOCK toggle key state.

Check the below Microsoft article for details:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894513

Also try and check if the status light on the keyboard for the F LOCK key. Refer to the below article for help on status light identification:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894037

To add on, I would suggest you to try the snipping tool in Windows7. It can help you take the screen shots easily. You can check the snipping tool functionality with the help of these articles:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/snipping-tool

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Use-Snipping-Tool-to-capture-screen-shots

Thanks,

Hope this helps. Let us know the results.

Meghmala – Microsoft Support

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think

0 comments

145 additional answers

Anonymous

2010-05-16T00:01:58+00:00

I am using Windows 7 64-bit. I found this forum when I couldn't take screenshots using my PrintScreen button. I noticed someone mentioned using the function key or the alt key, so I tried using the Ctrl key. CTRL + PRTSCN will take the screenshot, and copy it to the clipboard to be pasted into another program.
Was this answer helpful?

1 person found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2010-06-05T12:56:34+00:00

thank you very much :)

I just got my windows7 laptop yesterday.. and bought something online and the confirmation email didnt come through so i tried and tried to print screen it but nothing happened.. i do realise that the snipping tool is pretty self explanatory but i didnt realise you could do this with it lol but thanks to you its actually a lot clearer now :)

El Tardo.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2010-06-05T15:20:52+00:00

On Sat, 5 Jun 2010 12:56:34 +0000, El Tardo696 wrote:

> I just got my windows7 laptop yesterday.. and bought something online and the confirmation email didnt come through so i tried and tried to print screen it but nothing happened.. i do realise that the snipping tool is pretty self explanatory but i didnt realise you could do this with it lol but thanks to you its actually a lot clearer now :)

Back in the days of DOS, the PrtScn key used to print the screen. But

in all versions of Windows, this works differently, and the name of

the key is now an anachronism. The key does *not* print the screen.

PrtScrn captures the whole screen, and Alt-PrtScrn captures the active

window.

Either one captures the image to the Windows clipboard. Once it's in

the clipboard you can paste (Ctrl-V) it into any application that

supports graphics (Windows Paint, other graphics programs, even your

favorite word processor). You can edit or add to the image as you

wish, then print it.

This ability to manipulate the image in a program before printing it

is an improvement over the original DOS method of just printing it.

But if you'd like that old facility back, there are several

third-party freeware/shareware programs that can do this, such as

PrintKey2000 at

http://www.sharewarejunkies.com/00zwd2/printkey2000.htm

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003

Ken Blake
Was this answer helpful?

3 people found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments