Windows 10 allows you to quickly capture the screen by simultaneously pressing Windows logo + PrtSc (Print Screen) keys. The captured screenshot is automatically saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
We have seen many users complaining that Windows 10 doesn’t automatically save the captured screenshot in the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
If you are also experiencing this issue, the given below solutions should help you fix the issue.
Solution 1 of 3
Check if Windows 10 saving screenshots to OneDrive
If you are using a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 10 or using OneDrive on your Windows 10 PC, you should check if Windows 10 is automatically saving screenshots to your OneDrive account. Although Windows 10 displays a “The screenshot was added to your OneDrive” desktop notification upon saving the screenshot to your OneDrive (unless you have turned off the notification), we suggest you check OneDrive settings.
Step 1: Right-click on the OneDrive icon in the system tray, click More and then click Settings.
Step 2: Navigate to the AutoSave tab. Make sure that Automatically save screenshots I capture to OneDrive option is NOT selected. If selected, unselect it and then click OK button.
Solution 2 of 3
Check where Windows 10 is saving screenshots
If the screen is dimming for a moment when you press Windows logo + Print Screen but not saving the screenshot in the Screenshots folder, you can easily check where the screenshot is being saved. Here is how:
Step 1: Open the Quick Access in File Explorer.
Step 2: In the Recent files section, the file at the top of the list is the recently taken screenshot (with the same name). Right-click on the file and then click the Open file location option to open its original location.
Solution 3 of 3
Check permissions for the Screenshots folder
If the Screenshot folder doesn’t have the write permission, Windows 10 might not be able to save in that folder. Here is how to check and alter permissions.
Step 1: Right-click on the Screenshots folder and then click Properties to open the Properties dialog.
Step 2: In the Security tab, click on the Edit button. Make sure the system account has “Full control.”
If these solutions didn’t help you resolve the issue, try resetting Windows 10 to default settings without data loss or reinstall Windows 10 without data loss.
Let us know which solution fixed your issue!
Jorge Dominguez says
Thanks Ash! I had to connect the portable hard drive again, from the portable hard drive I change the folder back to default location.
krystle says
Thank you Vishal Gimhan , your way worked for me, just changed the sorting of screenshot’s Date and they all popped up for me!
Sheila says
Thanks Vishal Ginham. I changed the view to date created and now they are appearing. Finally. Many thanks.
Alex says
I simply want to Win+Shift+S to autosave to C:\Users\Me\Pictures\Screenshots in bmp/jpg and to have a copy in the clipboard.
Is that possible on Windows?
Dan says
windows key+FN Key+print screen worked for me. When I just pressed Fn+Print Screen it did not save to screenshot folder.
Alexis says
Unfortunately, this did not work for me because the properties showed that the system and my user all had Full Control, so I’m not understanding why the screenshots are not saving to that folder or where they may be going if they are being saved.
Caitlyn says
This does not work, screenshots are automatically punted to windows snip and sketch (which they have to be to save apparently) pressing fn+print screen brings up a dropbox prompt and cntl+ print screen does nothing at all. why is this so difficult and poorly implemented – saving a fking screencap should not be hard wtf
rana mahfoud says
Thank you Afreen Begum very very much. your way worked for me.
Zafer says
Thanks a lot. Helped me.
Haili says
Louis your a real one Wndws+FN+ Prntscrn worked! this has been killing me for months!
Vishal Gimhan says
Here I am after facing the same problem. In my case, they were saved at a different location….I mean there were like 750+ screenshots and they were saved somewhere around 450 (Screenshot 450). So if you changed the view or sort settings to “Date Created” or “Date Taken”, You’ll find them.
Sara says
my windows 10 makes me hit the screen to screenshot after doing the windows+print screen and then an edit window is available for me to save the screenshot. It concerns me this isn’t what’s addressed here and I can’t get help. IDK if it’s a windows 10 thing or not and if it’s fixed by windows 11
Balaji says
Worked …Awesome
Ash says
I had a similar issue, in my case, I had moved the screenshot folder to an external harddrive and it was saving all the screenshots there. so when the hard drive was not connected it just didn’t save anywhere. I fixed it moving the screenshots folder back to pictures and moving just the content of it to the hard drive.
Adam says
I had the same issue and found out what my problem was. The filenames are something like Screenshot (182). I reinstalled Windows and for some reason, screenshots weren’t saved named after the next number, but filled the blanks instead. If I deleted number 165 previously, the newest picture is named Screenshot (165) if it is the lowest blank number. Hope this helps.
William says
[ windoz + print screen ] always worked for me on this w10 box for full screen saves. However the saves ended up in different locations which eventually settled down to be on whatever usb thumb drive I happened to have attached, and it had to have a ‘screenshots’ folder on it. Nice set up, since all saves were off the main hard drive.
However a recent update apparently installed SnipNSave which I never noticed before but some user mentioned on this page. So sure enough SNS now works when I hit W/PS and I can now do a screen save with many extra steps, compared to the previous rapid-fire functionality. But at least now I can screen-save important docs etc.
Using an old Logitech ‘windows’ keyboard with 12 function keys (but no Fn key) and a ScrLk key that does not solve my problem. Still want the old rapid-fire PrintScreen though.!!
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Karla Acosta says
This helped Julian Bate. Thank you so much!!!
Lola says
Afreen Begum, you are a genius. Thank you, your solution finally worked. Oh the relief!
Louise says
Got it!! fn key +windows key + prtsc all three keys then it works. showed up in my screenshot folder. Someone else here posted this too. Thank you
Louise says
Same, when I choose screenshot, a drop menu drops down, when I click on it nothing seems to happen. I check my screenshot folder, nothing there. I got rid of one drive a while back, when It kept saying it was full. Perhaps that is the problem?
I hate windows 10! So much more complicated.
Cas says
none of this shit is working. the screenshots won’t show up in my files AT ALL, they’re not in my OneDrive, they’re not fucking anywhere.
kc says
NONE of this works. Nothing in Quick Access.
Muhammad Farooq says
Okay……Here at Windows 10 i enabled the Snip and sketch PrntSc OKAY…..That thing asks where to save my pics but out of now where win key+ PrtSc key began to like IDK where the photos are being saved maybe the folder is broken coz i only have one and on my onter computer (same software) has no issue like that……Can i have a reason fo this???
or do i have to disable one screenshot method…….
Afreen Begum says
Hi, solution:1 worked out for me. After following the steps of solution one, restart your PC then press fn+win key+prt sc. Now you can view your screenshots in One drive-> Pictures-> Screenshots
(or) yu can view in the Quick access bar.
Hopefully it will help you.
Thank you.
sophia says
thank you for this. really helpful.
Prithivirajan.K says
better copy the existing screenshots to another folder because its just overwriting the existing screenshots then check by taking screenshots it will work
Khatvangikarra says
All the controls were on but the screenshot’s were not being saved to one drive and I had to save them in word. Then I had done all the above mentioned steps, so I had to deny all and again allow them, and now it is working!!!
Louise says
Hi I had this problem and I just had to go to Windows Settings > System > Shared Experiences. Under ‘Accounts’ it said ‘Some of your accounts need fixing’ in red writing so I clicked it and I had to sign in again to my outlook email. SOLVED !
len says
Tried all three solutions but none worked for me.
Amit says
I don’t have OneDrive installed on my system, still it is not saving in the usual folder …. i.e. Pictures->Screenshots…!!!!!!1
Julian Bates says
To comment further from my precious one: So I found he old file transferred over to the hard-drive, and moved it back, but still no change: I can only make screen-shots if the hard-drive is plugged into the laptop! This is very strange, but happened before on another laptop three years ago.. and a web-page eventually gave me the means to rectify it, but, alas, I cannot find it!
Julian Bates says
Hi. full control is on, ticked, but it thinks my hardrive is the folder (where I always moved my screenshots to)
I unplug it, it is still wanting ot go there, when I now enquire where a ‘screensho file location is!