Do you know where the Screenshots and Snips are saved on your PC? Well, it actually depends on the method you are using to take the screenshot. Let’s learn more about it.
Whether you want to share your game score, save an outfit idea, give a presentation, demonstrate something, or anything else, screenshots are used everywhere. Taking and sharing screenshots is very simple and handy. How wonderful it is that we can capture our whole screen with just a single click and share it with anyone worldwide. But has this ever happened to you that you took a screenshot and now you can’t find where it is stored on your PC?
Where are Screenshots saved in Windows 11
We know that there are many different methods of taking screenshots on your PC. With each method, the screenshots and snips are saved in different locations on your PC.
- Using the PrntSc Button
- Using Win+PrntSc Button
- Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch
- Using a Screenshot Tool
1] Using the PrntSc Button
Using the Print Screen (PrntSc) key on your keyboard is the most common and oldest way to take a screenshot on your PC. This button captures the whole screen with a single button. So, when you press the PrntSc button on your keyboard, you won’t see anything happening on the screen but the screenshot will be saved in the clipboard.
You can then paste it into any of the photo editing apps, I use MS Paint and this is actually again the most commonly used method of saving a screenshot. Once you press the PrntSc button and the screen is captured on your clipboard, open MS Paint and press Ctrl+V. The screenshot will be pasted on Paint. Now it’s up to you where you want to save it. Click on the File > Save as > select the format > select the location you want to save it in and click on Save.
Read: How to change the Print Screen folder location in Windows.
2] Win+PrntSc Button
When you use the Win+PrntSc button together, you see a quick click, and Windows take the screenshot of your full screen and save it on your PC. These screenshots are saved in This PC > Pictures >Screenshots.
You cannot select the format for your screenshot, this option by default saves your screenshot in the PNG format. The screenshots are saved in the Pictures folder in Screenshot 2, Screenshot 3, etc. sub-folders folders. The numbers continue from the first screenshot you might have ever taken using the Win+PrntSc option, even if you delete that screenshot. For example, my current screenshot is saved as Screenshot 33, which means I have taken 32 screenshots before on this PC using this option. But if you wish, you can reset the Screenshot counter.
You can, however, change this default location of Screenshots by moving this entire folder somewhere else. 
Go to Pictures, right-click on the Screenshots folder and click on Properties. Go to the Location tab and click on Move, you can then select the folder you want to move this folder in and click on Ok.
Read: Screenshots not saving in Pictures folder in Windows
3] Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch
When you use the Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch to take the screenshot, you get to save it in your preferred location, the same as in MS Paint. The plus point of Snipping Tool is that it lets you capture the full window, the entire screen, and a specific area in rectangular or free-form shape. Once you are done capturing, click the Save button in the top-right corner, as shown in the screenshot above. Now you can select the screenshot image format and the location to save it. So you know where your Snips are saved.
4] Using a Screenshot Tool
If you are using a third-party tool to take screenshots on your PC, check the tool’s default settings to see where it saves screenshots. Normally, such tools let you save the screenshot to your preferred location, just like MS Paint and the Snipping Tool.
Here are the common Screenshot Methods and their Save Locations in a tabular form:
| Method | How to take it | Save location |
|---|---|---|
| Print Screen | Press PrtScn key |
Copied to clipboard. You must paste it (Ctrl+V) into Paint or another app |
| Win+PrtScn | Press both keys together | Automatically saved to Pictures > Screenshots folder |
| Alt+PrtScn | Captures only the active window | Copied to clipboard > paste manually |
| Snipping Tool / Snip & Sketch | Use Windows + Shift + S |
Saved manually after editing, or automatically to Pictures > Screenshots if you click “Save” |
| Xbox Game Bar (Win+G) | Use “Capture” option | Saved to Videos > Captures folder |
Read: How to stop saving screenshots to OneDrive automatically
Why are my Screenshots not going to the Screenshot folder?
Your screenshots will be saved in the Screenshot folder only if you press Win+PrntSc. If you are pressing the PrntSc button, the screenshot will be copied to your clipboard. You then need to paste it into MS Paint and then save it in your preferred location.
How do you save a screenshot on a PC?
If you are using the Snipping Tool or the PrntSc button to take screenshots, you can save them to a location of your choice. But if you are using the Win+PrntSc option, all your screenshots will automatically be saved in the folder Screenshots viz. This PC > Pictures > Screenshots.
