Capturing Screenshots in Windows

Screenshots provide visual representations of detailed steps. Following the steps below will help users capture screenshots in older versions of Microsoft Windows using built-in programs.
Another option is to purchase a dedicated screen capture program such as SnagIt from TechSmith (R).

Older Windows Versions

Step	Action
1	Determine the desired results. If... Then... Capturing entire screens Proceed to next step. Capturing portions of a screen, such as a specific action Proceed to Step 3.
2	Press Ctrl+PrintSc.
Note	This method captures everything on all screens. Users with more than one monitor should use a different process.
3	When capturing a portion of a screen, click the Start button and then navigate to Windows Accessories>Snipping Tool.
4	Click the Snipping Tool and then select New Snip.
5	Use the mouse cursor to draw a rectangle around the image.
6	Click Edit and then select Copy.
7	Paste the image into the document using Ctrl+V.
8	Determine if using Windows 10. If... Then... Using Windows 10 Proceed to Windows 10. Not using Windows 10 The Basic Methods process is complete.

Windows 10 Only

Windows 10 users can use the Windows+S key combination to capture screen images and then use Ctrl+V to paste them into a new document.

Step	Action
1	Press the (Windows key)+S. If... Then... Nothing happens Proceed to next step. A crosshair cursor appears and the screen behind it is faded The Win+S function is already loaded. The Windows 10 process is complete.
2	Press Windows+X and then select the Command Prompt option. (Alternate method: right click the Windows button and then select Command Prompt.)
3	Input the following script: “reg.exe add HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced /v DisabledHotkeys /t REG_SZ /d S /f”
Note	Do not input the quotes. This process is done once.
4	Press Enter to see confirmation.
5	Log off the network or stand-alone computer and then log on again.
6	Open OneNote or any Microsoft Office program.
7	Select Paste to Clipboard and then select use always.
8	Hold the Windows key and press S and then draw a rectangle around the area to copy.
9	Press Ctrl+V to paste the screenshot.
10	The Windows 10 process is complete.

Saving Sign-In Images as Windows Wallpaper

Have you ever thought some of the Windows 10 sign-in images would make great desktop wallpapers? The problem is you have no idea where to find them and how to do it.

Cheer up and get busy. Microsoft adds these wallpapers at random and removes them randomly as well.

I

mages are stored in the folder below:

Desktop\Your Name\AppData\Local\Packages\ Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets

Note that “%userprofile%” is what the writer calls Desktop/ your_name.

You must complete three tasks before you can truly use them as wallpaper.

1.       Locate the images.

2.       Store, sort and rename them.

3.       Select them as desktop backgrounds (i.e., wallpaper).

Locating the Images

Step	Action
1	Open Windows File Explorer.
TIP	Hold down the Windows key and then press E.
2	Click the down arrow by Desktop and then select your user name.
3	Click to follow this path: AppData\Local\Packages\ Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets
Result	You are presented with a list of filenames, none of which make any sense.
4	Click inside the list of file names.
5	Press Ctrl+A and then press Ctrl+C to select all files and then copy them.
6	Proceed to Storing, Sorting and Renaming Images.

Storing, Sorting and Renaming Images

Step	Action
1	Right-click on an open area on your desktop.
2	Select New > Folder.
3	Name the folder Wallpaper Images and then double-click to open it.
4	Press Ctrl+V to paste the images into the new folder.
5	Click the View tab and then select Details.
6	Click the Size column heading to sort the images by size. If … Then … Size heading is not visible Go to next step. Size is visible Go to Step 9.
7	To make the Size heading visible, right click to the right of any current heading and then click More.
8	Scroll through the list to locate Size and then click OK.
Result	The Size heading appears.
Alternate	When updating an existing list of image files, click the Date Modified heading instead of Size and then follow Steps 6-8. Only copy the new image files.
9	Click the Size heading and then scroll down to review the file sizes.
TIP	Generally anything less than 100 KB is not an image that will work as a desktop background (i.e., wallpaper). Since you are working from a copy of the original files, you can safely delete those that are too small.
10	Rename the files temporarily by right-clicking the filename and then selecting Rename.
11	Give the file a name that makes sense to you and then input “.jpg” (Do not input the quotation marks). Example DSC02850 becomes glass building.jpg
VIP	Adding the “.jpg” tells Windows this is an image file so it can display it.
12	Click the View tab and then select Extra large icons or Large Icons to see samples of each photo.
13	Right-click any image you do not want and then select Delete to remove it.
14	Rename any image as desired. Refer to Step 10.
15	Proceed to Using as Wallpaper.

Using Images as Wallpaper

Step	Action
1	Open Windows File Explorer.
TIP	Hold down the Windows key and then press E.
2	Click the Wallpaper Images folder on your desktop and then press Ctrl+X to cut it.
3	Click the down arrow by Desktop and then select your user name.
4	Double-click the Pictures folder.
5	Click inside the Pictures folder and then press Ctrl+V to paste the Wallpaper Images folder inside Pictures.
6	Right-click on your Desktop and then select Personalize.
7	After the Settings window appears, Background displays the current background. Click the Background drop-down menu and then select Picture or Slideshow. If … Then… Wanting the images to change automatically Select Slideshow and then go to next step. Wanting one image to appear at all times Select Picture and then go to Step A.
8	Click Browse and then navigate to the folder holding your images. Example: User>Pictures>Wallpaper Images.
9	Ensure the Folder field displays the correct name and then click Choose this folder.
10	Click the Change picture every drop-down menu and then select the appropriate time. Example: 30 minutes.
11	Determine the image order. If … Then… Wanting the images to appear in order Click Shuffle to turn Shuffle Off. Wanting the images to appear randomly Click Shuffle to turn Shuffle On.
12	Choose a fit. Select… To have the images… Fill Fill your screen top to bottom and side to side. Note: This can distort images. Fit Fit the image proportionately on your screen. Note: No distortion but there may be a border. Stretch Fill your screen top to bottom and side to side. Note: This can distort images. Tile Multiple copies fill your screen. Note: This works best with patterns, not photos. Center Appear in the center of your screen. Note: This can distort images. Span Span across more than one monitor. Note: This can distort images.
13	The process is complete. Note: Free photos—primarily of San Francisco and Northern California but also including Yellowstone National Park—are available on my Pinterest Page.