Have you ever taken a screenshot and then forgotten where you saved it? That’s most likely the case if you’re reading this. Screenshots are typically saved in the Pictures > Screenshots folder, but this can vary depending on how the screenshot was captured. Because of the various Windows versions and methods for capturing screenshots, it’s not always clear where these files end up. This is understandable, given that the location varies depending on how you capture a screenshot. So let’s go over where screenshots go in Windows 10 and 11 regardless of the method used so you can find them quickly.
Where Do Screenshots in Windows 10 and 11 Get Saved?
The screenshot will not be saved as a file if you use the Print Screen or Alt+Print Screen keyboard shortcuts. It is instead copied to the clipboard, which serves as a temporary storage area for copy-and-paste operations. To save the image as a file, copy it and paste it into an image editor like Paint, then save it. The same procedure applies if you use Windows+Shift+S to capture a portion of the screen.
When you use the Windows+Print Screen keyboard shortcut, Windows saves the screenshot as a PNG file in your Pictures > Screenshots folder located at C:\Users[User Name]\Pictures\Screenshots. To be clear, “[User Name]” should be replaced with the name of your Windows account.
The file will be named “Screenshot (#).png,” with the number based on the number of screenshots taken previously. Using Windows+Fn+Print Screen or Power+Volume Down on an older Surface device or certain tablets will result in the same file location.
Let’s go over this in detail.
Where Do Screenshots Go on Windows 10
#1. If You Use PrtScn (Print Screen)
By default, when you take a screenshot with the Print Screen key, the screenshot is not saved to a file. Instead, Windows copies the shot to the clipboard, a special section of memory reserved for temporary copying and pasting. To save the screenshot to disk, copy the image and paste it into an image editor (such as Paint) before saving it as a file.
The same goes for using Alt+Print Screen to capture the active window or Windows+Shift+S to capture a portion of the screen. Those results are copied to your clipboard rather than saved to a file.
#2. If You Use Windows+Print Screen
When you use the Windows+Print Screen keyboard shortcut to capture screenshots in Windows 10 or 11, the image is saved as a PNG file in the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
It can be found at
C:\Users[User Name]\Pictures\Screenshots
In this case, “[User Name]” stands in for the name of the Windows account you used when you took the screenshot.
Windows takes a full-screen screenshot and saves it as a PNG file named “Screenshot (#).png” when you press Windows+Print Screen. The number at the end of the file name accumulates over time based on the number of screenshots you’ve taken previously.
Windows employs the same.
C:\Users[User Name]\Pictures\Screenshots
If you use Windows+Fn+Print Screen on an older Surface device, Power+Volume Down on certain tablets, or Windows+Volume Down on other tablets, you can save the location of a screenshot.
If you manually moved your Screenshots folder using the Properties window, Windows will save the screenshots to the new location you specified instead.
#3. If You Use “Snipping Tool” or “Snip & Sketch”
The Snipping Tool (and Windows 10 also includes a similar tool called Snip & Sketch) allows you to capture custom screenshots. You can select a save location for each file using these tools.
While this will only help if you remember where you saved your last screenshot, it will remember the last location where you saved a file. Take another screenshot, save it, and see where it wants to save the new file to see where that is. Your older screenshots may be present. If not, you could look in File Explorer under “This PC” for the Documents or Pictures folders.
#4. If You Use of the Xbox Game Bar
If you use the “Capture” tool in the Xbox Game Bar (which appears when you press Windows+G), Windows will save the screenshot to your hard drive.
C:\Users\[User Name]\Videos\Captures, where “[User Name]” is the name of the user account used to take the picture.
#5. When Using a Third-Party Screenshot Tool
If you’re taking screenshots in Windows 10 or 11 with a third-party tool that Microsoft didn’t create, you’ll need to check the settings of that tool to see where it saves screenshots. Until then, try looking in your Documents or Pictures folders, both of which can be found under “This PC” in File Explorer.
If You’re Still Struggling to Locate Your Screenshots
If you still need help locating where your screenshots are saved, there’s a trick you can try. Take another screenshot, then use File Explorer to search for recently modified files. To do so, open an Explorer window by pressing Windows+E, then enter.
datemodified:today
in the search field. (You can narrow the search by going to a specific drive or folder where you believe it may be first.)
After a while, recently created files will appear in the search results list. When you see the screenshot file you just took, right-click it and choose “Open File Location” from the menu. File Explorer will open to the location of that saved screenshot, as well as any other screenshots you have saved.
Can You Change the Location of Screenshots in Windows 10 and 11?
You can change the location where screenshots are saved in Windows 10 and Windows 11. If you use the Properties window to move your Screenshots folder, Windows will save the screenshots to the new location.
The Snipping Tool is included in both Windows 10 and 11, and Windows 10 has a similar tool called Snip & Sketch. Both allow you to take custom screenshots and save files in a specific location. If you need help determining where you saved your last screenshot, these tools remember the last location you saved a file. To find out, take another screenshot and look for the prompt to save the new file.
If you still can’t find your screenshot, look in File Explorer under “This PC” for the Documents or Pictures folders.
How to Modify the Location of Your Screenshots
- First, navigate to the location where you want your screenshots saved in the File Explorer. It could be anywhere, including your computer’s desktop. After that, make a folder called “Screenshots.”
- Now, repeat the steps from the previous section to get to the “Pictures” folder.
- Right-click on the “Screenshots” folder and select “Properties” from the menu that appears.
- In the folder’s “Properties,” click on the “Location” tab. The current location of the Screenshots folder will be displayed. To relocate the folder, select “Move.”
- In the new Explorer window that appears, navigate to and select the new Screenshots folder you created earlier. Once there, click the “Select Folder” button in the bottom-right corner.
All subsequent screenshots taken with Windows + PrtScn will be saved there.
Why Are You Unable to Locate Your Screenshots?
There are numerous reasons why you are unable to view your screenshots. Here are some potential explanations:
- Images are not saved in the default location
- Lost the entire key combination.
- Incorrect key combination
- Screenshot copied only to the clipboard
- Forgotten to paste the image on compatible programs such as Microsoft Paint.
- The default hotkey for screen capture has been changed/modified.
How Can You Find Your Screenshots
After examining the possible causes for your inability to locate your screenshots, you can try the solutions listed below.
#1. Examine Whether Screenshots Are Saved in a Different Location
Even though the default location for any image file type is the primary drive (in most cases, C:), this location could have been altered. Follow these steps to determine where your images and screenshots are being saved.
- Win + I will launch the Settings app.
- Next, navigate to System > Storage.
- Under More storage settings on the right, locate Change where new content is saved and click it.
- Go to the location where you saved your screenshots to retrieve them.
#2. Check the Onedrive Configuration
All of your screenshots are automatically saved to the Onedrive folder, which is one of the reasons why you cannot see them. The following steps may be used to rectify the issue.
- Launch Onedrive and navigate to Settings.
- Uncheck Automatically save screenshots to OneDrive when I capture them under the Autosave tab.
#4. Search for the File
Windows saves screenshots by default in a folder named “Screenshots.” If it is not there, you can search for it by typing the filename into the search bar in Windows Explorer.
After it appears in the search results, right-click the file and select “Open file location” from the context menu. There are likely to be all previously captured screenshots.
#5. Check to See Whether Prtsc Key Is Overridden
PrtScr is the default Windows key for capturing screenshots. However, if you use a third-party tool to capture your screen and take screenshots, its settings have likely overridden the Windows PrtSc key.
To resolve this issue, you can assign a different keybinding for this tool’s screenshot function.
#6. Grant Write Permissions to Screenshot Folder
If the screenshot folder lacks write permission, it will be impossible to save screenshots to that folder.
Here’s how to check permissions and grant them:
- Right-click the Screenshot folder to open it.
- Select the Properties menu option.
- Click the Edit button on the Security tab.
- Check the box next to Allow next to the Full Control field.
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