Tech Tip Tuesday: “Print Screen” – Your Computer’s Selfie

A unique situation exists when trying to provide support for a computer issue over the phone or when something happens intermittently while you're working – we can't see your screen. We usually get interesting descriptions like, “The little dilly whopper won't move over like it usually does”. In all my years of computer support, I still don't know what a “dilly whopper” actually is. So Microsoft did us a favor and built in a function where you can take a picture of your screen and paste it into a document. This is especially helpful when an error window pops up with a description of what the problem is. You can take a picture of it and send it to us instead of closing it and saying, “Ooooh, I think it said something like the thing messed up and there were some numbers and stuff”. A picture is much better. 🙂

There are a couple of options when using Print Screen. The first simply takes a screenshot of everything you see on your screen exactly as it is at the time. This picture is copied to your clipboard. (You can't see your clipboard, by the way) So now you can paste it into an email, Word document, etc. If you have multiple screens it joins them all together into one picture. Try it and see. To do this, all you have to do is find and press your “PrtScn” key which is usually located at the top right of your keyboard but may be at the bottom as well. It may also be any variation of “PrtSc”, “PrntScrn”, or “Print Scr” but I'm sure you'll be able to identify it easily. Keep in mind that you won't receive any confirmation that the screenshot has been taken. Now open a new Word document or email and click “Paste”, or “Ctrl+V” for those who remember the keyboard shortcut. Your screenshot should be visible on the page now. It's possible that it's too big and you'll need to size it down by dragging the corners in.

Another option is to capture a picture of only the “Active” window. Meaning the one on top or the one you're working in. You can make a window active by clicking in it. Now press the “Alt” key at the same time as the “PrtSc” key. When you paste this screenshot you will only see the active window and the size is determined by the size of the window when you took the screenshot.

A third option, if you really want to get fancy, is to use the “Snipping Tool”. You access this little program via Start MenuAll ProgramsAccessoriesSnipping Tool or just type it in the search field of the Start Menu. This program allows you to select only a very specific part of your screen. When you click on Snipping Tool, a small window will open. At the top of the window you'll need to click “New” to start your snip. You can also click the down arrow next to it and choose from Free Form, Rectangle, Window or Full-Screen Snip. When you do this your window will shade and you will see that your mouse cursor has turned into a plus sign like this . You will use that cursor to click and drag to make your snip selection. This may take a little practice. If you mess up, just click “New” again and start over. As a more advanced option, play around with the other menu items in the Snipping Tool to learn to make notes and annotate your screenshot and save as a pic file.

Trust me, after you've mastered this little skill and use it, support people everywhere will appreciate your efforts for helping with troubleshooting and it will hopefully help to find a resolution much sooner.

Author Info: Beatitudes Campus

At the foundation of beatitudes campus is the vision of Church of the beatitudes pastors and congregation members to create a better alternative for older adults than the nursing homes of the early 1960s. The type of community they imagined was the first of its kind in Arizona. Beatitudes Campus is proud to continue the legacy of our founders, by being a leader in the field of aging services for over 50 years.