Screenshots are images of a computer screen used for practical or entertainment purposes. They can be used in tutorials, troubleshooting, and remote assistance. Microsoft Windows has a built-in screenshot feature, and there are programs available with more functionality. It is important to avoid reproducing copyrighted material.
A screenshot is an image, somewhat like a photograph, that a computer takes of all the visual elements displayed on a monitor at a given time. A screenshot can be used for practical purposes or for entertainment, such as capturing the action of a video game. It is common for a screenshot feature to be built into an operating system for ease of use.
Screenshots are often used in tutorials, which are simple demonstrations of how to run a program. Also, when helping someone remotely with a computer-related task or problem, screenshots can be effective reference tools to show the necessary steps. The only situations in which a screenshot cannot be taken are when starting up the computer and playing a video in certain programs that play multimedia content.
They can also be used to help troubleshoot a computer problem. For example, a problem, particularly in Microsoft® Windows®, can cause an error message to appear. An error message can contain an alphanumeric code referring to the problem. When the error message appears on the screen, a screenshot can be taken, which can then be saved to a file and sent to a support center. This makes reporting an error much easier.
The most common operating system in use worldwide is Microsoft® Windows®. Taking a screenshot with this family of operating systems is very simple. Once you have the image on your monitor that you want to capture, press the Print Screen key to take a screenshot. You can capture a screenshot of a single window by pressing Alt+Print Screen. This action will copy a screenshot to the clipboard, allowing it to be pasted as an image into an image editing program.
To view and save the screenshot, open the Paint program in “Accessories” on the “Programs” tab in the Start menu. Once open, go to the Edit menu and click Paste. This will feed the screenshot into the program and can then be saved as a GIF-type file, which can be read by any Windows® computer.
There are many programs available that have the ability to capture screenshots with superior functionality. These programs can perform editing functions, such as overriding the pointer arrow and cropping in useful ways, as well as capturing text or images not visible on the monitor. When creating screenshots, it is important to avoid reproducing and distributing material that may be copyrighted.
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