How to screen capture windows 10 without the built-in snipping tool?

Honestly, SharaX has a ton of features, which is great if you're into that kind of thing, but for newbies to screen capture on Windows 10, it can feel overwhelming. You’ve got to spend some time figuring out where everything is and how to customize it to your liking. If you're just looking for a quick screenshot, the last thing you want is to feel like you’re in an advanced course on screen capturing. It takes up about 100MB of space, which isn't huge by modern standards, but if you’re on a low-end PC with limited storage, that might sting a bit. Plus, more heft means it could potentially slow things down, especially if you have a lot of programs running. You definitely don’t want your PC chugging along when you’re just trying to grab a quick image.

While SharaX is packed with features, running it on less powerful machines might lead to some lag. If you're trying to screen capture on Windows 10 quickly (like a game moment or an important message), a sluggish performance can be super frustrating. If you’re just looking to grab a simple screenshot, SharaX might feel like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. 

No one mention ShareeX? One of the best screenshot tools for Windows 10.

ShareeX is a completely free tool with no paid version. It not only captures screenshots, but also supports advanced editing, auto-saving and sharing, which is suitable for scenarios with strong demand for screenshot functionality, as well as a high degree of customizability, with the ability to set up shortcuts and save rules.

How to screen capture on Windows 10

1. Open the software in the ShareeX main window, tap Capture to select a screen capture area. You can also use the shortcut keys (default: Shift + Print Screen).

2. After selecting the mode, drag the mouse to select the area, or click Window/Full Screen,When the screenshot is completed, it is automatically displayed in the ShareeX editor.

3. Use the editor to add arrows, text, blur or crop, tap Tools to adjust the effect (e.g. shadow, border) 

4. Click the Save button, or press Ctrl + S, choose the save path, name the file, choose the format (PNG, JPEG, etc.), tap Save.

5. Open the saved folder to make sure the screenshot file exists and shows the correct content.

ShareeX has a bit of a learning curve for screen capture on Windows 10 as it takes time for newbies to get used to the many features, and it requires installation and takes up about 100MB of space, which may affect performance to a certain extent when using it on lower-end PCs.

ScreenCapture.com is a completely free online screenshot tool without paid version, no installation, can capture screenshots through the browser, also supports markup, crop and other editing functions and can be directly downloaded, for the scenario that does not need to install the software.

To screen capture in Windows 10, pls tap Capture button, the screen will be darkened, according to the choice of dragging the mouse to select the area, or click the window/fullscreen, the screenshot is completed, it will be automatically displayed in the webpage editor.

Use the toolbar to add arrows, text, blur or crop, adjust the color or line thickness.

Tap Download button, select PNG or JPEG format, choose the save path, name the file, and tap Save.

Finally, open the saved folder to make sure the screenshot file exists and shows the correct content.

Common Problems and Solutions: 

Unable to take screenshot: In Edge Settings > Privacy > Media Permissions, allow screen capture, or try another browser.

Poor screenshot quality: Press Ctrl + 0 to reset browser zoom.

Download failed: Check the network, refresh the page and try again.

Let’s talk about the downsides of screen capturing on Windows 10. While using the Xbox Game Bar is super convenient, there are definitely some quirks you might run into, based on my experience.

1. The Xbox Game Bar isn’t perfect for long recordings. It tends to be more suited for short clips—think Instagram story length rather than a full-blown streaming session. If you try to capture something really long, you might run into issues like file sizes getting super massive, or the recording just stopping unexpectedly.
2. After you screen capture on Windows 10, you’ve got your video, but good luck doing any fancy editing without jumping into a separate program. The Game Bar doesn’t offer much in the way of post-processing. So, if you want to spice things up with cool transitions or effects, you'll need to learn an external editing software, which can be a bit of a headache.
3. Depending on how you have your settings, the video quality might not always be the best. Sometimes, it can end up looking a bit pixelated or blurry, especially if you're trying to record something that’s moving quickly. So, if you’re aiming for that crystal-clear footage, you might have to play around with settings or end up disappointed.
4. Not every app or game plays nicely with the Game Bar. Sometimes it just won’t capture certain windows or applications, which can be a real pain if you're trying to record something specific. You might have to resort to using third-party software, and that can lead to a whole new set of problems.

You should take more time on the snipping tool that comes with Windows 10. In fact, it is a nice piece of software for taking screenshot on Windows 10. It is completely free and requires no additional software. It supports capturing screenshots of the entire screen, windows or customized areas, and also allows you to simply label and save them, which is not only easy to use with multiple screenshot modes for novices, but also lightweight and requires no additional installation.

Part 1: Screen Capture on Windows 10 with Shortcut Keys

You can press Windows + S, type Screenshot Tool or Snipping Tool, tap Screenshot Tool to open the app.
Then tap the drop-down menu next to the New button, to select: 

• Free Shape Screenshot: draw the area manually.
• Rectangle Screenshot: Drag to select a rectangular area.
• Window Screenshot: Select a specific window.
• Full Screen Capture: Capture the entire screen.
• Rectangle Screenshot" is selected by default.

Now, tap New, the screen will be darkened, drag the mouse to select the area according to the mode, or tap Window/Full Screen.

After completing the screenshot, you can use the pen, highlighter or eraser in the toolbar to mark, and tap Crop to adjust the area of the screenshot.

Finally, click File>Save As, or tap Save icon, select the save path, name the file and choose PNG, JPEG or GIF format, and finally tap Save. After finishing saving, open the saved folder and make sure the screenshot file exists and the content is displayed correctly.

Part 2: The Easiest Way to Take Screenshot in Windows 1-

Press Windows + Shift + S to quickly start the screenshot mode, take a screenshot and copy it to the clipboard, you can paste it to other apps.

Windows 10 has a screenshot tool with limited features (only supports basic annotation, no advanced editing), you need to manually select the save path to save, and can only take static screenshots without video recording.

How to screen capture Windows 10 without the built-in snipping tool?  Why? I often use the built-in cutting tools, and they also work for me. As i know. Using Windows + Print Screen to screen capture on Windows 10 is super easy and a great way to save screenshots automatically. Here’s how to do it:

1. Prepare Your Screen:
Make sure everything you want to capture is visible on your screen. This could be an entire desktop, a specific window, or even a website.

2. Press the Keyboard Shortcut:

• Simply press Windows Key + Print Screen (PrtSc) at the same time.
• If you’re using a laptop, the Print Screen key may be labeled as PrtSc, PrtScn, or something similar. You
• might also need to hold down the Fn key along with it, depending on your laptop model.

3. Notice the Screen Dim:
When you press those keys, your screen will briefly dim or flash, indicating that a screenshot has been taken.

4. Locate Your Screenshot:
The screenshot is automatically saved to your device! To find it, go to:

• File Explorer
• Click on This PC
• Open the Pictures folder
• Then go to the Screenshots subfolder.
• Your screenshot will be named something like “Screenshot (1).png” and will increase in number with each new capture.

Using the Xbox Game Bar to capture screen in Windows 10 is a straightforward process, and it's great for recording gameplay or anything else on your screen. Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

1. Open Xbox Game Bar:
- Press Windows Key + G on your keyboard. This will open the Xbox Game Bar overlay. If it doesn’t open, make sure that your Xbox Game Bar is enabled in your settings:
- Go to Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar and ensure that the toggle for "Enable Xbox Game Bar" is turned on.

2. Check for the Capture Widget:
- Once the Game Bar is up, you should see several widgets at the top of the screen. Look for the Capture widget, which usually has a camera icon. If you don't see it, click on the Widget Menu (the icon looks like a menu or a list) and then select Capture.

3. Start Screen Capture Windows 10:
In the Capture widget, you’ll see a few options:

- Take Screenshot: Click this button (it looks like a camera) to take a screenshot instantly. The screenshot will be saved to your Videos > Captures folder.
- Record: If you want to record video, click the Record (circle) icon. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Windows + Alt + R to start and stop recording without having to open the overlay.
- Microphone: If you want to record your voice along with the gameplay or screen, make sure the microphone button is toggled on.

4. Stop Recording:
- If you're recording, you can stop the recording by going back to the Game Bar and clicking the Stop button, or by pressing Windows + Alt + R again.

5. Check Your Recordings:
- Your recordings will be saved in the Videos > Captures folder too. You can easily access them from there to view, edit, or share.