Dec 21, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
To take a screenshot, press and hold these three keys together: Shift, Command, and 3. If you see a thumbnail in the corner of your screen, click it to edit the screenshot. Or wait for the screenshot to save to your desktop. How to capture a portion of the screen. PrtScr is the key that is used on Windows keyboard to make screenshots - this key however is specific to Windows keyboards and does not exist on Mac keyboards. So if you attach one of those to a PC you will face a problem whenever you want to make screen shots. Compared to the Print Screen Function in Windows, macOS assigned Keyboard Shortcuts for Print Screen offer more functionality. For example, pressing Command + Shift + 3 Keys captures the entire screen of Mac in a Screenshot, while Command + Shift + 4 keyboard shortcut can be used to take Screenshot of a selected portion of the screen.
Some cross-platform keyboards have a Print Screen key already. Others use the F14 key as Print Screen. Still others technically have a 'function' key but don't label it as such, instead opting for. Samsung galaxy mac. Print Screen a part of your Mac screen Place the new crosshair cursor at one corner of the area you want to capture (for example, top left), then click and hold. Drag the crosshair over the area of the screen you want to capture. Crosshair for Print Screen on Mac.
There is no doubt that taking a screenshot on Mac is quite straightforward because Apple has given an easy way to do that. However, a lot of users have complained that they have encountered a 'screenshot on Mac not working' problem. If you are also one of those users who are going through this same issue, then you might be looking for methods to fix it.
Well, you have come to the right place. Here, in this article, we have mentioned several ways you can try to come out of this problem without much hassle.
Part 1. What Is a Screenshot?
The term 'Screenshot' also known as a snapshot or screen capture, or print screen. It is a picture that shows the contents of your computer display. In simple words, it allows you to capture whatever you are seeing on your device screen. Once a screenshot is taken, you can save it as an image file where you can open it to edit.
At present, the screenshot feature is quite helpful and that's it is present in all electronic devices, such as smartphones, computers, and tablets. The feature is very useful in many situations, such as when you have to share the screen picture with others or to provide software reviews.
Part 2. How to Take a Screenshot on Mac?
Before you go for a solution to fix the 'screenshot on Mac not working' issue, you need to first learn how to take a screenshot on Mac in the right way. It might be the case that you are capturing your system screen using wrong commands and that's why you met with this annoying problem.
1. Screenshot a window
To screen capture for a window on Man, you need to follow the below steps: Mojave for mac.
- Use 'Command + Shift + 4' at the same time. As you see crosshairs on your screen, use the 'Space' key to hover the cursor over the window. Next, click either on the trackpad or mouse. Don't forget to hold the Space bar when you are dragging.
- Now, you will see the Camera icon, and your window will turn into a grey color. If you end up opening multiple windows, then select the one you like to capture. Finally, tap on the mouse, and you are done with capturing the screenshot for the window.
- After that, you can either right-click on the application icon and choose 'Move to Trash' option or you can simply drag the program icon to the Trash.
2. Screenshot the entire screen
To capture the entire screen, follow the steps:
- To start with, you have to use 'Command + Shift+ 3' keys at the same time.
- Next, you'll the camera shutter sound, and your screenshot will be saved on the desktop.
3. Screenshot a portion of the screen
At present, the screenshot feature is quite helpful and that's it is present in all electronic devices, such as smartphones, computers, and tablets. The feature is very useful in many situations, such as when you have to share the screen picture with others or to provide software reviews.
Part 2. How to Take a Screenshot on Mac?
Before you go for a solution to fix the 'screenshot on Mac not working' issue, you need to first learn how to take a screenshot on Mac in the right way. It might be the case that you are capturing your system screen using wrong commands and that's why you met with this annoying problem.
1. Screenshot a window
To screen capture for a window on Man, you need to follow the below steps: Mojave for mac.
- Use 'Command + Shift + 4' at the same time. As you see crosshairs on your screen, use the 'Space' key to hover the cursor over the window. Next, click either on the trackpad or mouse. Don't forget to hold the Space bar when you are dragging.
- Now, you will see the Camera icon, and your window will turn into a grey color. If you end up opening multiple windows, then select the one you like to capture. Finally, tap on the mouse, and you are done with capturing the screenshot for the window.
- After that, you can either right-click on the application icon and choose 'Move to Trash' option or you can simply drag the program icon to the Trash.
2. Screenshot the entire screen
To capture the entire screen, follow the steps:
- To start with, you have to use 'Command + Shift+ 3' keys at the same time.
- Next, you'll the camera shutter sound, and your screenshot will be saved on the desktop.
3. Screenshot a portion of the screen
Follow the below steps to capture a part of your screen:
- Use 'Command + Shift + 4' Keys at the same time. Using this shortcut, you will be able to take a screenshot of a specific portion.
- After pressing the keys, you will see a cross with some numbers. So, drag the cross across the region that you like to capture.
4. Screenshot a dropdown menu
Follow the steps to capture a dropdown menu on Mac:
- First, open the menu and then, use 'Command + Shift + 4' keys at the same time, and next, drag the cross to the region of the menu.
- Now, release the mouse to screenshot the region, and next, use the Space key to alter the pointer to a camera. Finally, press the menu to take a screenshot.
That's how you can take a screenshot on Mac. If the above steps didn't work to take and save a screenshot on your Mac, then check out the next section where we have mentioned some solutions that can fix the problem you're going through.
Video Guide on How To Take A Screenshot on Mac
Part 3. How to Fix 'Screenshot on Mac Not Working'?
Well, you now got an idea about how to take a screenshot on Mac in the right way. But, if you still met with a 'screenshot on Mac not working' problem, then try below methods that can probably help you to fix the issue with ease.
1. Check the Keyboard Shortcut Settings
You can use the keyboard shortcut 'Command + Shift + 3' to take a full-screen screenshot and shortcut 'Command + Shift + 4' to capture selected area unless you've activated the screenshots shortcuts.
By default, the screenshot keyboard shortcuts are activated. But, it might be the case that you have configured the settings and don't remember at all. Thus, in this case, all you have to do is to check if the screenshot shortcut is active on your Mac.
Here are simple steps on how you can check:
- To start with, go to the 'Apple' menu and then, navigate to 'System Preferences'.
- Next, tap on 'Keyboard' and next, tap on the 'Shortcuts' tab.
- After that, tap on the 'Screenshots' option from the left side of the window.
- Finally, make sure that all options here are check or active.
Once you ensure keyboard shortcuts for screenshots on your Mac are active, try again to take a screenshot and see whether the problem is gone. If no, then don't be panic as you can try the following solutions to fix it.
2. Restart the Mac
Another thing you can try is simply restarting your Mac. Applications and programs won't work perfectly if you've not restarted your system for a long time. Thus, in such cases, a simple restart on Mac can probably fix the problem without many efforts. Luckily, many users have fixed the problem with this method and so, you must try it too.
There are three ways you can try to restart your Mac, which include:
- Press and hold down the 'Power' button and choose the 'Restart' option. Alternatively, you can use 'Control + Eject' and choose 'Restart'.
- Go to the 'Apple' menu and next, choose 'Restart'.
- Use 'Control + Command + Eject' or 'Control + Command + Power' and next, choose 'Restart'.
After restarting your Mac, the problem should be fixed now. But, if not, then go for the next solutions to fix the 'screenshot on Mac not working' issue.
3. Use Grab to Screenshot on Mac
There are also other ways to take a screenshot on Mac you might don't aware of them. So, instead of taking screenshots using keyboard shortcuts, use Grab to capture screen on your system. Grab is a pre-installed application for Mac OS X and macOS that allows you to take screenshots of the entire screen, the whole window, or only a specified area of your screen.
Here are the simple steps on how to use Grab utility to take screenshots on Mac:
- To start with, you need to open 'Applications' and next, tap on 'Utilities'.
- After that, look for 'Grab' and select it.
- Now, click on 'Capture'.
As per your requirements, you can choose any one option and take a screenshot.
4. Use Preview to Screenshot on Mac
If you encounter a problem like a screenshot on Mac not working, then you can use Preview to capture screenshots. Well, Preview is nothing, but default utility that lets you open and modifies or edit images. Besides this, you can also take a screenshot on Mac using the Preview tool.
Here are simple steps on how to use Preview to screenshot on Mac:
- To begin with, navigate to 'Preview'.
- Next, tap on 'File' and after that, select 'Take Screenshot'.
- Now, choose any one option as per your need.
As you can see there are many alternatives to take a screenshot on Mac. Hopefully, the above methods help you to resolve the problem for you.
Part 4. How to Recover Lost Screenshots on Mac?
Open office update for mac catalina. In some cases, although screenshots are saved by resolving the problem 'screenshot on Mac not working', there are chances that you still lost them due to unknown reason. But, don't be panic if this situation happens to you because you still have a powerful method to recover your lost screenshots on your Mac. And that method is using Recoverit data recovery for Mac.
Luckily, Recoverit Data Recovery software is primarily designed to help those users who accidentally lost their files, such as photos, videos, audio, and documents. No matter how you lost your screenshots whether deleting by mistake, virus attack, or sudden power failure, the tool is powerful enough to work under numerous data loss scenarios.
Recovering media files with this tool takes a few minutes and three easy steps. In order to get back lost screenshots using Recoverit, you need to first download and install the software on your computer. Once you installed the software, follow the below steps:
Step 1: Select the screenshot drive
To start with, run Recoverit. Now, you need to choose a hard drive location from where you have lost your screenshots and click the Start button.
Step 2: Scan the Location
Now, the program will start looking for lost files by performing a scan on your selected hard drive location. Here, it may take several minutes to complete the entire scan process.
Step 3: Preview and Recover
Finally, preview the files and choose the desired files you want to get back after the scan is complete. And click on the 'Recover' button to save recovered screenshots on your Mac.
So, you now know what you can do if you ever lost your important files on Mac. However, while you are saving recovered screenshots on Mac, don't save them to the location from where they get lost.
Part 5. Tips against 'Screenshot on Mac Not Working'
Hopefully, the problem 'screenshot on Mac not working' is fixed for you with the help of the above-mentioned methods. However, here are some more tips and tricks you can try to avoid facing the same problem again in the future.
- If you're not good at remembering keyboard shortcuts, then use Grab or Preview to take a screenshot on your system.
- It might be the case that keyboard shortcuts of your Mac are damaged and that's why you are not able to capture a screen using keys.
- You may have changed the default location for saving screenshots and that's why it seems to you that screenshots aren't working on your Mac. So, check the location where your Mac screenshots are saved.
- Sometimes, third-party applications installed on your system prevent the proper functioning of other Mac utilities or programs. So, uninstall or get rid of third-party apps if you've on your system.
- Mac systems are also susceptible to bugs and viruses, which can corrupt your system. As a result, you can face a screenshot, not a working issue. Thus, use anti-virus to protect your system from bugs.
The problem 'screenshot on Mac not working' can be easily resolved if you know the right solutions for this. Luckily, here we have listed all probable methods that can help you to fix the issue with ease. Plus, if you ever end up losing your important screenshots on Mac, then we have also provided the solution to this problem too. It is Recoverit data recovery for Mac. With the help of this tool, you can easily rescue your lost screenshots.
What's Wrong with Mac
- Recover Your Mac
- Fix Your Mac
- Delete Your Mac
- Learn Mac Hacks
Taking screenshot is one of the most common things we do on our computers. It is known to all that 'PrtSc', 'Win + PrtSc' or 'Fn + PrtSc' are the keys to screenshot in Windows and 'Command + Shift + 3/4' are the keys to capture screen on Mac. But do you know how to print screen on Mac running Windows since there is no 'PrtSc' key on the Mac keyboard? If not, you can read this article to learn this trick.
How to Print Screen Windows on Mac with BootCamp
Use Keyboard Shortcuts
In fact, it is very easy to make a screenshot on Mac in Boot Camp. If you are using an Apple keyboard with numeric keypad or Apple Pro keyboard, you can press 'F14' to take a screenshot of the full screen and 'Option + F14' to capture an active window. If you are using an Apple USB & Wireless keyboard or MacBook Pro keyboard, you need to press 'Fn + Shift + F11' to capture full screen and 'Fn + Shift + Option + F11' to snapshot an active window. The screenshot is copied to the clipboard. You can go to Paint, paste the screenshot on the blank board and save it as an image file. This is the default way to print screen on Mac running Windows.
Pros: No need to install additional programs.
Cons: It's awkward to press so many keys at the same time.
Utilize Screenshot Tools
Since you are running Windows OS, you can use third-party screenshot tools for Windows to screenshot on your Mac. Free Screenshot Capture is a wise choice. It is a light-weight online screenshot application. With this tool, you are able to capture full screen, active window and any specific region on the screen. In addition to taking screenshot, it also allows you to annotate the screenshot instantly, share the screenshot to social networks directly or upload it to the free Cloud space provided by the developer.
Here are the detailed steps for you to print screen Windows on Mac with this tool.
- Navigate to screenshot.net, and click on the orange 'Take Screenshot' button. Run Java applet to load this application.
- When the application pops up, hit on the camera icon or press the hotkey 'Ctrl + Q'. Then your cursor will turn into a crosshair. Click, hold and drag your mouse to capture an area. And release your mouse to confirm the screenshot.
- You can annotate the screenshot with lines, arrows, text and so on. After that, click the diskette button to save it to your local file. Alternatively, you can also upload it to the Cloud so that you can get links to embed the screenshot in forums and blogs.
It's worth mentioning that this application also has a pro version which has 10 screenshot modes, including scrolling window screenshot, menu screenshot, polygon screenshot, etc. Aside from that, this pro version also comes with a robust image editor, a screen recorder and a task scheduler which allows you to take automatic screenshots. You can download this version to enjoy all those benefits now.
Pros: You can take, annotate, save/share/upload the screenshot within one interface.
Cons: The online version needs network.
Make Use of Windows Built-in Screenshot Utility
Snipping Tool is another way to screenshot Windows on Mac. To access this utility, just go to 'Start > Accessories > Snipping Tool'. It has four screenshot modes for you to choose: Free-form Snip, Rectangular Snip, Window Snip and Full-screen Snip. Apart from taking screenshot, this tool provides simple annotations as well.
Pros: You don't need to install any programs on your Mac.
Where Is Print Screen On A Mac Keyboard
Cons: Editing options are limited.
Summary
Where Is Print Screen On A Mac Keyboard Pro
This post gives you some feasible ways to print screen Windows on Mac. It is advisable that you adopt the second method of using Free Screenshot Capture. Because, other than taking screenshot, this program also provides many other useful functions like rich editing, direct sharing as well as uploading to free Cloud space.
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