How to Screenshot One Window or an Open Menu in Windows 11

To screenshot one window in Windows 11, click the window and press Alt+PrtScn: Windows copies just that window to the clipboard, ready to paste with Ctrl+V. To pick a window with the mouse instead, press Win+Shift+S, choose Window mode on the toolbar and click the window. To capture an open menu, which usually closes when you press a shortcut, open the Snipping Tool app, set a delay, start the snip and open the menu before the countdown ends.

Quick comparison

Method 1: Alt+PrtScn for the active window

1. Click the window you want, so it's the active one.
2. Press Alt+PrtScn. On many laptops PrtScn shares a key with another function, so you may need to hold Fn as well.
3. Click where you want the image (an email, a chat, a document, Paint) and press Ctrl+V.

Microsoft describes Alt+PrtScn as capturing a screenshot of the active window and copying it to the clipboard. Nothing appears on screen when it works, and no file is saved, so paste it or save it before you copy anything else.

Alt+PrtScn captures whichever window has focus. If a small dialog box is open on top of an app, that dialog is usually the active window, which is handy when the dialog is what you want.

Method 2: Win+Shift+S in Window mode

Use this when you want to choose the window with the mouse, or when you'd like the capture saved as a file as well.

1. Press Windows logo key + Shift + S. The screen dims and a toolbar appears at the top.
2. On the toolbar, select the Window mode. (The other modes are Rectangle, Full screen and Freeform.)
3. Move the pointer over the window you want and click it.
4. Paste with Ctrl+V, or click the Snipping Tool notification to open the snip for markup.

In Windows 11 the snip goes to the clipboard and, unless auto-save has been turned off, into Pictures > Screenshots. Pressing PrtScn on its own opens the same overlay on most Windows 11 PCs.

Method 3: Capture an open menu with the delay timer

Menus, right-click context menus, drop-down lists and tooltips tend to close as soon as you press a key or click somewhere else, so Win+Shift+S often catches the app after the menu has gone. Snipping Tool's delay gives you time to open the menu first.

1. Open Start, type Snipping Tool and open the app.
2. Choose a mode. Window captures the whole app with its menu open; Rectangle lets you crop to just the menu.
3. Open the delay setting and pick a delay, such as 5 seconds. You can also press Alt+D.
4. Select New. The countdown starts.
5. Switch to the app and open the menu, right-click menu or drop-down you want.
6. When the countdown ends, the screen turns grey with the menu still open. Click the window, or drag around the area.
7. The snip opens in Snipping Tool. Press Ctrl+C to copy it or Ctrl+S to save it.

If the menu needs a hover to stay open, keep the pointer still over it while the timer runs out.

Windows 10: Ctrl+PrtScn

On Windows 10, Microsoft documents a different route for menus: open Snipping Tool, open the menu, press Ctrl+PrtScn, then choose the mode and select the area. The delay method above is the documented way in Windows 11.

Where each screenshot goes

To check auto-save, open Snipping Tool and select See more > Settings.

Clipboard captures last only until your next copy. If clipboard history (Win+V) is on, recent screenshots also appear there, as long as each is no larger than 4 MB. How to copy a screenshot to the clipboard in Windows 11 covers saving a pasted capture as a file, and how to paste an image from the clipboard covers specific apps.

Tidying the capture before you share it

A window capture can include more than you meant: a file path in the title bar, an email address, an open tab. Open the snip in Snipping Tool and crop it, or use Text actions > Quick redact, which Microsoft says can hide email addresses and phone numbers in the image. How to annotate a screenshot on Windows 11 covers markup in more detail.

On Copilot+ PCs, Snipping Tool also has Perfect Screenshot, which Microsoft says automatically adjusts the capture area to frame what's on screen.

Keeping several window captures handy

When you're documenting steps, each new capture replaces the last one on the clipboard. Win+V history helps for a session, but unpinned items are cleared on restart. Edge Drop, the free screen-edge shelf made by the team behind this site, keeps captured screenshots as PNGs across restarts (unless you turn on clearing at restart) and lets you drag it into a document, chat or folder as an image file. How to keep your last ten screenshots handy compares the options.

FAQ

How do I screenshot one window on Windows 11 without the Print Screen key?

Press Win+Shift+S, choose Window mode and click the window. On devices without a PrtScn key, Microsoft also lists Fn + Windows logo key + Spacebar for taking a screenshot.

Why does Alt+PrtScn capture the whole screen?

Check that Alt is held down before you press PrtScn, and that the window you want is active. Some laptops need Fn as well. If a screenshot app has taken over the PrtScn key, quit it and try again.

Why isn't my screenshot shortcut doing anything?

Snipping Tool may need repairing, or another app may own the keys. Snipping Tool not working on Windows 11 lists the fixes in order.

Related reading

• How to Copy a Screenshot to the Clipboard in Windows 11
• Print Screen vs Win+Shift+S vs Snipping Tool (Windows 11)
• How to Paste an Image From the Clipboard on Windows
• ShareX vs Snipping Tool: Which Screenshot Tool to Use?

Sources

• Keyboard shortcuts in Windows (Microsoft Support) — Alt+PrtScn, Win+Shift+S, PrtScn and Win+PrtScn.
• Use Snipping Tool to capture screenshots (Microsoft Support) — capture modes, delay and Alt+D, capturing a menu, auto-save, Quick redact and Perfect Screenshot.
• How to use Snipping Tool (Microsoft) — Window mode; snips copied to the clipboard and saved to Pictures > Screenshots when auto-save is on.
• Keyboard shortcut for print screen (Microsoft Support) — Fn + Windows logo key + Spacebar and the Screenshots folder.
• Using the clipboard (Microsoft Support) — 4 MB per item and restart behaviour for clipboard history.

Copy. Stack. Drop.

Transform your clipboard into an interactive edge shelf. Stack, pin, and drag assets into any app with zero friction.

Download for Windows Get from Microsoft Store

How to Install Guide · First 10 Minutes Guide · Drag & Drop Guide · Edge Drop vs Win+V · Support