Often times during the support process we need to physically see what was not working, describing it over the phone or email just isnt enough sometimes.

Taking a screenshot on a Windows PC is easy and lets us see exactly what the problem is. Taking a screenshot (also called a screen grab, or print screen) can be done in one of several ways.

Try any of the techniques listed below, and dont forget to read the Tips Section at the very bottom, especially if something is amiss.

How to Take and Send a Screenshot

1. Take the Screenshot
   
   Press the “Print Screen” Button on your keyboard.
   
2.  Open Microsoft Paint.To open Paint, open the Start menu, click on “All Programs”, click on “Accessories”, and finally click on “Paint”.]
3. Past the Screenshot you took in step 1.
   
• Press CTRL-V (Hold “CTRL” while pressing “V”)
• On Windows XP and earlier you can go to the “Edit” menu at the top, then select “Paste”
4. Save the screenshot (as a PNG!)
   
   Click on File, then select “Save As…” (Windows XP and earlier), or click on the menu button (the blue button beside the “Home” button) and select “Save As” (Windows Vista and later). Type in a file name and change the “Save as type:” field if desired (PNG is the preferred format). Read the “Tips” section for information on file types. You can now send the screenshot by email or put it on a website.
5. Email us the screenshotAttach the screenshot you just took to the ticket for this issue so that it goes to the right person. Please do not email it directly to any support personnel’s email address as they get lost and mixed up between all the other support issues being worked on. If you attach the screenshot to a reply to the automated email you received when you first opened your support request, it will get where it needs to be and we will see it.

Tips

• If you wish, you can also download and use Jing to take screenshots and videos that are immediately available to upload and share on the web.
• There is always a “Print Screen” button on a PC keyboard. It may take some searching to find, but it’s there.
• On laptop keyboards, the “Print Screen” key might be combined with another key. This means that you have to press a “Fn” key or “Function” key to access it. Such a key is usually found on the bottom row of the keyboard.
• Some people who take a lot of screenshots may want to download a program to make the process easier (Jing is Great)
• All versions of Paint from Windows 95 onward can save an image in multiple formats:
• BMP is the default format in Windows XP and earlier. It is an uncompressed format, which means that it will create very large files. Using it is not recommended.
• PNG is the default format in Windows 7. It’s a lossless compressed format, which means that it will take high-quality screenshots at a small filesize. It is the recommended format for taking screenshots.
• JPG or JPEG is the default format in Windows Vista. It is a lossy format, meaning that the screenshot will look slightly blocky and some colors may be a bit off. It’s mainly designed for photographs, and not recommended for screenshots.
• GIF is a very old format, supporting only a limited amount of colors. It’s not recommended.

Originally Written by %AUTHORLINK%% Originally Posted on Dynamic Computer Specialists