Need help taking a screenshot on my Dell laptop

Tips
1

I’ve been trying to capture my screen on a Dell laptop for a work project and can’t figure out the right key combo or tools. Online guides mention different methods and I’m not sure which applies to my model or Windows version. Can someone walk me through the simplest way to take and save screenshots on a Dell, including any built-in tools or shortcuts I should use?

2

On Dell laptops it mostly depends on your Windows version, not the model. Here are the main options that work on almost all recent Dell + Windows combos.

  1. Fast full‑screen screenshot
    • Press PrtSc (sometimes labeled PrtScr or Print Screen)
    • Windows copies the full screen to the clipboard
    • Open Paint, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc
    • Press Ctrl + V to paste
    • Save the file

  2. Full screen straight to file (Windows 8 / 10 / 11)
    • Press Windows key + PrtSc
    • Screen will dim for a moment
    • Windows saves a PNG to
    This PC > Pictures > Screenshots
    • No need to paste anywhere

  3. Screenshot of active window only
    • Press Alt + PrtSc
    • Windows copies the current window only
    • Paste with Ctrl + V in Paint or any app
    • Save as PNG or JPG

  4. Snipping Tool / Snip & Sketch (Windows 10 / 11)
    Best when you need part of the screen.

Quick shortcut:
• Press Windows key + Shift + S
• Screen goes a bit grey on top, you see a small toolbar

  • Rectangular snip
  • Freeform snip
  • Window snip
  • Fullscreen snip
    • Drag to select what you want
    • Screenshot goes to clipboard
    • Paste with Ctrl + V where you need it
    • On Windows 11 it also pops a small preview in the bottom right, click it to save or edit

Or open it from Start:
• Type “Snipping Tool” and open it
• Click New, pick the area, then File > Save As

  1. Check your Dell keyboard layout
    Some Dell laptops hide PrtSc on a function key. Common labels:
    • “PrtScr” on F10, F11, or Insert
    • “Print Screen” in small text under another symbol
    If so, you need:
    • Fn + PrtSc
    or
    • Fn + Alt + PrtSc
    or
    • Fn + Windows key + PrtSc

Look for an “Fn Lock” key too. If you press Fn + Esc, it often toggles whether F1–F12 behave as function keys or media keys. That can mess with PrtSc if it is on a shared key.

  1. If your company locks some shortcuts
    On work machines, IT sometimes disables some things.
    If Windows + Shift + S does nothing, try:
    • Open Snipping Tool from Start manually
    • Or use Alt + PrtSc and paste in Outlook or Word

Quick cheat list you can stick on a note:
• Full screen to file: Win + PrtSc
• Full screen to clipboard: PrtSc
• Current window: Alt + PrtSc
• Custom area: Win + Shift + S

Try Win + Shift + S first. For most work projects that gives you the cleanest result with the least fuss. If that fails then check if your PrtSc is on a function key and use Fn with it.

3

Couple of extra angles that might clear up the “which method works on my Dell” confusion that @espritlibre didn’t really get into:

  1. Figure out your Windows version first
    Hit Windows key + R, type winver, press Enter.

    • If it says Windows 11 or Windows 10, most of the shortcuts they listed should work.
    • If it says Windows 7 or older, the Win + Shift + S stuff won’t work; you’re in classic Snipping Tool territory.

  2. When PrtSc doesn’t seem to exist
    On some Dell models, Print Screen is annoyingly hidden:

    • Look closely at keys like F10, F11, Insert, or even End for tiny PrtScr, PrtSc, or a little camera icon.
    • If it’s in blue or gray, that usually means you must hold Fn to use it.
      • Example: Fn + F11 instead of just F11.
        If nothing works, check the top row for an Fn Lock icon (often on Esc). Try pressing Fn + Esc once, then test PrtSc again. This little “Fn Lock” twist is what breaks screenshots for a ton of Dell users.

  3. Corporate / work laptop issues
    Since you said it’s for a work project, there’s a decent chance IT messed with defaults:

    • If Win + Shift + S does nothing, they might have disabled it or blocked the Snipping Tool.
    • Try this test: open Word or Outlook, press PrtSc (or Fn + PrtSc), then hit Ctrl + V.
      • If anything pastes, your Print Screen is working and only the snipping shortcut is blocked.
    • If nothing pastes at all, they may have disabled screenshots entirely. At that point you’d need to ask IT, because no magic key combo will fix a policy block.

  4. If you need to annotate for work
    Instead of just grabbing the screen like @espritlibre described, you might want quick markup:

    • On Windows 10/11, after Win + Shift + S, a notification should pop in bottom right. Click it to open the Snipping Tool editor, where you can:
      • Draw arrows and circles
      • Highlight text areas
      • Crop tighter
    • If the notification never appears, go to:
      Settings > System > Notifications and make sure Snipping Tool notifications are on.

  5. If none of the shortcuts behave at all
    Quick checklist:

    • Plug in a USB keyboard and try its PrtSc. If that works, your laptop key is the issue.
    • Try toggling Fn + Esc and then test PrtSc again.
    • Reboot. Yeah, obvious, but screenshot hotkeys do randomly glitch after long uptimes.

  6. Minimal “it just works” approach
    If you don’t care which method is “correct” and just need results for your project, try these in order:

    1. Win + Shift + S then draw a box around what you need, paste into your doc.
    2. If that fails, Fn + PrtSc, then Ctrl + V in Word or PowerPoint.
    3. If that fails, open Start, type Snipping Tool, click New, select area, then File > Save As and attach that file.

If you post your Windows version and what’s printed on the key that has PrtSc (or a little camera) on it, people can usually tell you the exact combo in one shot instead of the “try everything” mess.

4

Quick troubleshooting rundown, since @voyageurdubois and @espritlibre already nailed most of the standard shortcuts:

  1. Verify the key is actually being seen

    • Tap your suspected PrtSc combo, then open a chat window or Word and press Ctrl + V.
    • If literally nothing pastes, it is not a “wrong combo” problem, it is either:
      • Fn layer issue
      • Keyboard driver / hardware issue
      • Or a group policy block on screenshots

  2. Check the Fn layer in a more targeted way
    They both mentioned Fn / Fn Lock, but here is a more precise test:

    • Find the key in the top row that has PrtSc printed on it.
    • Try these in sequence, testing paste after each:
      1. Just that key alone
      2. Fn + that key
      3. Fn + Alt + that key
    • Then press Fn + Esc once and repeat the three tests above.
      If it suddenly starts working after Fn + Esc, you know it was the Fn Lock configuration confusing things.

  3. Confirm your company didn’t kill screenshots entirely
    On many corporate Dell laptops, IT can block:

    • Snipping Tool
    • Win + Shift + S
    • Or all bitmap captures via group policy
      Quick check:
    • Press Alt + PrtSc (or Fn + Alt + PrtSc if needed) then Ctrl + V in Outlook or Teams.
    • If that also fails, it is time to ask IT. Fighting group policy locally is pointless.

  4. If you need consistent, documented captures for a work project
    Built‑in tools are fine, but for repeatable workflows (same window, same region, annotations, timestamps) they get annoying. This is where a dedicated screenshot utility helps. Since you mentioned a work project, you might want something like a “Need help taking a screenshot on my Dell laptop” style tool in mind:

    • Pros:
      • One hotkey for capture and auto save to a chosen folder
      • Built‑in annotation (arrows, blur, highlight) without opening Paint
      • Option to auto name files with date, time, window title
    • Cons:
      • Extra software to install, which IT might restrict
      • Another thing running in the background
      • Slight learning curve to set up your hotkeys and defaults

  5. Why this might still differ from what @voyageurdubois / @espritlibre wrote
    They are correct that it mostly depends on Windows version, but on a lot of Dells the real blocker is policy + Fn behavior, not the OS. I would not waste time testing every exotic combo if:

    • Win + Shift + S does nothing
    • Plain PrtSc combos do nothing
    • And paste never produces an image
      That pattern almost always screams “policy or keyboard,” not “wrong shortcut.”

  6. Minimal checklist to finish your project without chasing ghosts

    • Confirm screenshots work at all with any combo and paste.
    • If yes, pick the one that is easiest to repeat for your workflow and stick with it.
    • If no, contact IT and say:
      “I need to capture screens for a work project. It looks like screenshot tools and Print Screen are disabled. Can you enable Snipping Tool or a screenshot app for my account?”

Once you know whether the block is technical or policy, all the Windows key combos from the other replies suddenly make a lot more sense.