The fastest way: Print Screen and the Snipping Tool

HP computers come with two built-in tools that work right now, without downloading anything. The simplest is the Print Screen key — press it once, and your entire screen copies to your clipboard. Then open any document or image editor (Notepad, Word, Paint, email), right-click, and paste. The image appears where your cursor is.

If you need to capture only part of your screen, use the Snipping Tool, which is faster than Print Screen for most people. Press Windows key + Shift + S at the same time. Your screen dims, and a crosshair cursor appears. Click and drag to draw a box around the part you want to capture. When you release the mouse, the snip copies to your clipboard and a small notification appears in the bottom right corner — click it to open the image and save it as a file.

Both methods work on any HP running Windows 10 or later. The Print Screen key is on the right side of your keyboard, usually labeled "PrtScn" or "Print Scr".

Key Takeaways

  • Press Print Screen to copy your entire screen, then paste it into any document or image editor to save it.
  • Press Windows key + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool, which lets you draw a box around only the part of the screen you need.
  • Screenshots copy to your clipboard first — you must paste them into a program or click the notification to save them as files.
  • For recording video of your screen activity, press Windows key + G to open the Game Bar, then click the record button.
  • HP computers come with these tools built in; you do not need to read or install anything.

Using the Snipping Tool for more control

The Snipping Tool gives you four capture modes. When you press Windows key + Shift + S, you see four small icons at the top of your dimmed screen. The first (a rectangle) lets you drag a box — this is the most common choice. The second (a freeform shape) lets you draw any outline you want with your mouse. The third captures a single window, and the fourth captures your entire screen.

After you capture, a small window pops up in the bottom right corner showing your snip. Click it to open the full image. From there, you can draw on it with a pen or highlighter, crop it, or save it as a PNG, GIF, or JPG file. If you do not click the notification within a few seconds, your snip stays in your clipboard and you can still paste it elsewhere.

Recording your screen with the Game Bar

To record video of what you are doing on your screen, press Windows key + G. A small toolbar appears, usually in the top left corner. Look for a circular record button (it looks like a filled circle) and click it. A countdown appears, then recording starts. A timer shows how long you have been recording.

While recording, you can still use your computer normally — open programs, type, click, and everything appears in the video. To stop recording, press Windows key + G again and click the stop button, or press Windows key + Alt + R. The video saves automatically to your Videos folder in a subfolder called "Captures".

Game Bar recording works on most HP computers with Windows 10 or later. If the toolbar does not appear when you press Windows key + G, your graphics card may not support it, but the Print Screen and Snipping Tool methods will still work.

Where your screenshots and videos are saved

Screenshots taken with Print Screen do not save automatically — they stay in your clipboard until you paste them. If you close a program without pasting, the screenshot is lost. To keep a Print Screen capture, paste it into Paint, Word, or any image editor, then use File > Save As to choose where to store it.

Snips captured with Windows key + Shift + S appear in a notification in the bottom right corner. Click that notification to open the image, then click the save icon (a floppy disk) or press Ctrl + S to save it. By default, snips save to your Pictures folder, but you can choose a different location when you save.

Videos recorded with Game Bar save automatically to your Videos folder, inside a subfolder called "Captures". You can find them by opening File Explorer, clicking Videos on the left side, then double-clicking the Captures folder. Each video is named with the date and time it was recorded.

Adjusting what Game Bar records

Game Bar has settings you can change before you record. Press Windows key + G, then look for a settings icon (usually a gear or three horizontal lines) in the toolbar. Click it to open Game Bar settings. You can turn the microphone on or off (to record sound or just video), change the video quality, and choose where videos save.

If you want to record audio from your computer speakers as well as your microphone, look for an "Audio" or "Microphone" setting and make sure both are turned on. Lower video quality saves space on your hard drive but makes the video look less sharp. Higher quality looks better but takes up more storage.

Troubleshooting when screenshots do not work

If Print Screen does not work, check whether your keyboard has a special function key. Some HP laptops require you to hold Fn + Print Screen instead of just Print Screen. The Fn key is usually in the bottom left corner of the keyboard, near the Ctrl key.

If Windows key + Shift + S does not open the Snipping Tool, your computer may be running an older version of Windows. Try opening the Snipping Tool directly by clicking the Windows Start button, typing "snipping tool" in the search box, and clicking the result. This works on Windows 7 and later.

If Game Bar does not record, check that your graphics drivers are up to date. Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting it from the menu. Find "Display adapters", right-click your graphics card, and select "Update driver". If that does not work, the Print Screen and Snipping Tool methods will still capture what you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take a screenshot of just one window?

Yes. Press Windows key + Shift + S, then click the window icon (the third option at the top). Move your cursor over the window you want to capture and click it. The entire window, including its title bar, captures as one image.

How do I record my screen with sound?

Press Windows key + G to open Game Bar, then look for microphone or audio settings before you click record. Turn on both your microphone and "System Audio" or "Speaker Audio" if that option appears. Both sounds record together in the video file.

What if I need to edit my screenshot after I take it?

Click the notification that appears after you snip, then use the pen and highlighter tools to draw on the image. You can also open Paint (search for it in the Start menu), paste your screenshot, and use Paint's editing tools to crop, rotate, or add text before saving.

How much storage do screen recordings use?

A one-minute video at standard quality uses roughly 50 to 100 megabytes. A five-minute video uses 250 to 500 megabytes. Higher quality settings use more space. Check your Videos folder size by right-clicking it and selecting Properties to see how much storage your recordings are taking up.

Can I take a screenshot of something that is not on my screen right now?

No. Screenshots capture only what is visible on your monitor at that moment. If you need to capture something off-screen, scroll to it first, then take the screenshot. For web pages longer than one screen, you may need to take multiple screenshots or use a browser extension designed for full-page captures.