How to Take a Screenshot on an HP Laptop or Desktop

To take a screenshot on a Hewlett-Packard (HP) laptop or desktop running Windows, press Windows + Shift + S, then drag around the area you want to capture. For a full-screen image saved directly to a file, use Windows + PrtSc. Some HP laptop keyboards require Fn + Windows + PrtSc instead.

I recommend starting with the selected-area shortcut because it works without finding the Print Screen key. The instructions below cover Windows 11 and Windows 10, including EliteBook, Pavilion, Envy, Spectre, ProBook and HP desktop PCs. Your keyboard layout and Windows version matter more than the model name.

Choose what you want to capture

Add Fn to Print Screen combinations only if your keyboard requires it. If PrtSc opens a selection toolbar, Windows has assigned it to screen snipping; that does not mean the key is faulty.

Capture part of your HP screen

This is the method I would use for an error message, receipt or a single section of a webpage.

1. Make the content visible on the screen.
2. Press Windows + Shift + S together.
3. Choose the rectangular capture mode from the toolbar.
4. Hold the left mouse button and drag around the area you need.
5. Release the button to capture it.
6. Open the screenshot notification to review or edit the image. You can also paste it into Paint, a document or a message with Ctrl + V.

Windows 11: Current Snipping Tool versions automatically save captures when automatic saving is enabled, normally in Pictures > Screenshots. Open Snipping Tool, select its three-dot menu, then Settings to check automatic saving and the destination folder. You can save an additional copy from the editor.

Windows 10: The shortcut normally uses Snip & Sketch and copies the capture to the clipboard. Open the notification and save the image yourself. Do not assume the automatic-saving feature from Windows 11 is available.

Microsoft documents the capture modes and saving options in its Snipping Tool guide.

Save your entire screen with Windows + Print Screen

1. Arrange the windows you want included.
2. Press Windows + PrtSc. If your HP keyboard places Print Screen on a secondary function, try Fn + Windows + PrtSc.
3. Open File Explorer and select Pictures > Screenshots.
4. Open the newest image to confirm what was captured.

The display may briefly dim. A subtle or missing flash alone does not prove that capture failed, so check the folder.

Windows normally saves these captures as PNG files. If OneDrive backs up your Pictures folder, the folder may be under OneDrive > Pictures > Screenshots. With two monitors connected, the shortcut normally captures the combined desktop. Use a rectangular snip when you need only one display.

Find Print Screen on an HP keyboard

Look for PrtSc, PrtScn, prt sc or Print Screen, often near the upper-right corner. On compact HP laptops, it may share a key with another function. Some newer layouts omit a dedicated Print Screen key.

Try the printed Print Screen function first, then add Fn if necessary. There is no single Fn combination that applies to every Hewlett-Packard keyboard. Check the keyboard diagram in your exact model’s user guide if the label is unclear.

Without a Print Screen key, use Windows + Shift + S or open Snipping Tool from Start. You do not need to install a separate HP screenshot application.

Copy the full screen or just one window

For classic full-screen clipboard capture, press PrtSc, open Paint and press Ctrl + V. Add Fn if your keyboard requires it. Save from Paint with Ctrl + S.

Some Windows configurations make PrtSc open the snipping toolbar instead. On Windows 11, check Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard for the option to use Print Screen to open screen capture. On Windows 10, look under Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard. Wording varies by version.

To capture only an application window:

1. Click the window to make it active.
2. Press Alt + PrtSc, or Fn + Alt + PrtSc if required.
3. Open Paint, Word or another app that accepts images.
4. Press Ctrl + V, then save or send the image.

Check the captured window before sharing it. Account details and private messages inside that window will still be included.

Take a screenshot without using the keyboard

Open Start, search for Snipping Tool and launch it with the mouse or touchscreen. Choose an image capture mode, select New, then select the area you want. This works on Windows HP laptops, desktops and all-in-one PCs.

For a disappearing menu, choose a delay before selecting New, then reopen the menu while the timer runs. Windows 10’s classic Snipping Tool offers a Delay control; Windows 11’s layout and delay choices differ by app version.

If you need to demonstrate several actions instead of one still image, use my guide to screen recording on an HP laptop.

Does an HP desktop use different screenshot shortcuts?

An HP desktop or all-in-one running Windows uses the same shortcuts as a Windows HP laptop. The separate keyboard determines where PrtSc sits and whether Fn is needed. A different brand of monitor does not change the screenshot shortcut.

An HP Chromebook is different. ChromeOS normally uses Ctrl + Show windows for a full screenshot or Ctrl + Shift + Show windows for capture options. A keyboard’s dedicated Screenshot key can also open capture controls. My tablet screenshot keyboard guide explains the differences between Windows, ChromeOS and other platforms.

Your screenshot is missing or the shortcut does nothing

First, test whether it reached the clipboard. Open Paint and press Ctrl + V immediately after capture. If an image appears, capture worked; you still need to save it unless your capture method also created a file.

Then check the right destination. Windows + PrtSc normally saves in Pictures > Screenshots. Windows 11 snips may use the folder selected in Snipping Tool settings. Windows 10 Snip & Sketch captures need manual saving. Check OneDrive if your Pictures folder is backed up there.

Compare the key with the app. If Windows + Shift + S fails, open Snipping Tool manually and select New. If manual capture works, check keyboard shortcuts, remapping software and other capture utilities. Close a conflicting utility and retest one shortcut at a time.

When the app itself will not capture or save, follow my Snipping Tool troubleshooting guide. A black image limited to one streaming or protected app can be a capture restriction rather than a broken HP keyboard.

For everyday use, I would keep two shortcuts handy: Windows + Shift + S for a selected area and Windows + PrtSc for a full-screen file. Verify the result once, and you will know which method and save location work on your HP.