How to Take a Screenshot in Microsoft Windows

Take a screen shot

Ever see something on your screen that you’d like to e-mail or save for later? With Microsoft Windows XP, you can take a screen shot and capture an exact image of what’s on the screen.
Screen shots are useful in many ways. For example, if you receive an error message, you can take a screen shot and send your support person an exact replica of the error window, which makes communicating about the error simple. You can also use a screen shot to show someone a Web page without sending them a link. Microsoft uses screen shots to demonstrate how to do tasks within Windows. If you’re helping someone with a computer task or problem, and you can’t be right there with that person, you can use screen shots to illustrate your points through e-mail, instant messaging, or Microsoft Word.
Note: The only times you can’t take a screen shot are before you log on to your computer and when you are playing a video in Microsoft Windows Media Player.
To take a screen shot and save it as a picture

1.	Click the window you want to capture. Press ALT+PRINT SCREEN by holding down the ALT key and then pressing the PRINT SCREEN key. The PRINT SCREEN key is near the upper right corner of your keyboard. (Depending on the type of keyboard you have, the exact key names on your keyboard may vary slightly.) Note: You can take a screen shot of your entire desktop rather than just a single window by pressing the PRINT SCREEN key without holding down the ALT key.
2.	Click Start, click Accessories, and then click Paint.
3.	In the Paint window, click Edit, and then click Paste.
4.	When the image appears in the Paint window, click File, and then click Save As.
5.	In the Save As dialog box, in the File name box, type a name for the screen shot, and then click Save.

You can now print or e-mail the saved screen shot just like you would any other picture.

Posted in: XP