To capture part of a Microsoft Surface screen, press Windows key + Shift + S, then choose a snip type and select what you want. To save the entire screen directly as an image file, press Windows key + PrtScn; Microsoft says it is saved in Pictures > Screenshots. Other shortcuts depend on your Surface model and keyboard.
Choose the screenshot method that matches your Surface
The best shortcut depends on both what you want to capture and what you want to happen to the image. A selected area, a saved full-screen file and a clipboard capture are different outcomes. Start with the first two shortcuts in this table; use the other methods only if your device supports them.
| What you want | Method | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Capture a selected region, window or screen | Press Windows key + Shift + S | Opens the Snipping Tool image-capture overlay. Choose a snip type; the capture is copied to Snipping Tool for editing, saving or sharing. |
| Save a full-screen screenshot as a file | Press Windows key + PrtScn | Microsoft says the image is saved in Pictures > Screenshots. |
| Open capture from a keyboard key | Press the dedicated Snipping key, if your keyboard has one | Opens screenshot capture. The key is present on some keyboards, including the Surface Pro 13-inch Keyboard. |
| Capture using device buttons | Hold Power and press Volume Up, on supported Surface models | Microsoft documents this for Surface Pro, Book, Go and Studio, but says it does not work on Surface Laptop. |
For most people, Windows key + Shift + S is the most flexible starting point because you can choose the capture area. If you need a full-screen image saved without first choosing a region, use Windows key + PrtScn.
Capture a region, window or full screen with Snipping Tool
- Press Windows key + Shift + S. The image-capture overlay opens. This shortcut is for still images.
- Choose the kind of snip. Snipping Tool supports freeform, rectangular, window and full-screen image captures.
- Make the capture. For a rectangle, select and drag over the area. For a window, select the window you want. For freeform, trace the area; for full screen, capture the screen.
- Open the capture in Snipping Tool. Microsoft describes the capture as copied into the Snipping Tool window, where you can make changes, save or share it.
- Save or share if needed. Use Snipping Tool’s available controls to finish the image. If you only need the capture temporarily, the copied result may be sufficient for your workflow.
This method is useful for instructions, bug reports, or sharing only one portion of a screen instead of exposing the whole desktop. A window snip is preferable when the application window is the subject; a rectangular or freeform selection is more suitable when you want to include just a particular control, message or section.
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Save a full-screen screenshot directly
Press Windows key + PrtScn to capture the full screen and save it. Microsoft Surface guidance gives the destination as Pictures > Screenshots in File Explorer. Open File Explorer and browse to that folder to locate the file.
This is distinct from using the Snipping Tool overlay: the key combination is intended to save a full-screen capture to a folder, rather than first selecting a region in the overlay. If you need only one part of the display, use Windows key + Shift + S instead.
Other shortcuts, and when they apply
Dedicated Snipping key
Some Surface keyboards include a Snipping key that opens capture. Microsoft identifies it on the Surface Pro 13-inch Keyboard. It is a keyboard feature, not a key that every Surface has. If your keyboard does not have it, use Windows key + Shift + S; you do not need to buy a special keyboard to take screenshots.
Power and Volume Up
Microsoft documents holding the Power button and pressing Volume Up on Surface Pro, Surface Book, Surface Go and Surface Studio. This shortcut is device-specific, and Microsoft explicitly says it does not work on Surface Laptop. If the button combination is unavailable or does not produce a screenshot on your setup, use one of the keyboard shortcuts or Snipping Tool.
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Fn combinations on some keyboards
Microsoft’s Surface guidance also lists keyboard-dependent combinations:
- Fn + Spacebar opens Windows screen snip for a window or desktop section.
- Fn + Alt + Spacebar places a screenshot of the active window on the clipboard.
These depend on the keyboard and its configuration, so they are not universal Surface shortcuts. If you are unsure whether they apply, the standard Windows key + Shift + S route is the clearer option.
Print Screen by itself
Microsoft’s Windows Snipping Tool guidance also documents pressing Print Screen (PrtSc) for a full-screen static image copied to the clipboard. The result can depend on system configuration. If you specifically want a saved image file, use the Surface instructions for Windows key + PrtScn and look in Pictures > Screenshots.
Still screenshots versus screen recording
Windows key + Shift + S opens the image-capture overlay. Snipping Tool also has a video snip: press Windows key + Shift + R to open the video-capture overlay. The latter starts a video capture workflow; it is not a shortcut for taking a still screenshot.
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Choose an image snip when you need one frame, such as a settings view or error message. Choose the video overlay when the thing you need to show is a sequence of actions. The capture type matters: pressing the video shortcut will not produce the same result as the still-image shortcut.
Find and handle the captured image
Where the image goes depends on the method. The automatic file destination specifically documented for Surface is Pictures > Screenshots after Windows key + PrtScn. A Snipping Tool capture is copied into the Snipping Tool window, where Microsoft says you can edit, save or share it. The Fn shortcut for an active-window screenshot is documented as a clipboard capture.
If you are sending a screenshot to someone else, check the image before sharing it. A full-screen capture can include open windows, notifications or other desktop content beyond the application you meant to show. Choose a region or window snip when that extra information is not needed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting Surface screenshot shortcuts
The device-button shortcut does nothing
First check the model. Microsoft says Power plus Volume Up does not work on Surface Laptop, and documents it for Surface Pro, Book, Go and Studio. Since support can vary by device setup, switch to Windows key + Shift + S or Windows key + PrtScn rather than assuming every Surface has the same button behavior.
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You cannot find the file
Check that you used Windows key + PrtScn, the shortcut Microsoft specifies for a saved full-screen screenshot. Then open File Explorer and check Pictures > Screenshots. If you used the Snipping Tool overlay, look in the Snipping Tool window: that workflow copies the capture there for editing, saving or sharing rather than being the documented automatic-file route.
The Print Screen key does not save a file
Pressing PrtSc by itself is documented in Microsoft’s Windows guidance as a clipboard capture, and behavior can vary with configuration. For a saved Surface screenshot, use Windows key + PrtScn. For a selected capture, use Windows key + Shift + S.
Your keyboard has no Snipping key
The dedicated key is only available on some keyboards. Its absence does not block screenshot capture: use the Windows shortcut to open Snipping Tool. The Surface Pro 13-inch Keyboard is one example of a keyboard Microsoft says includes the dedicated key, but it is optional convenience rather than a requirement.
You pressed the video shortcut but wanted an image
Windows key + Shift + R opens the video-capture overlay. For a still screenshot, press Windows key + Shift + S and select an image snip.
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Or skip the browser setup
For a screenshot of a website rather than the Surface desktop, ScreenshotNeo offers a one-request screenshot API. It is not a replacement for the Surface shortcuts above: it captures a web page from a URL, not whatever is currently displayed on your Surface. See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for its API options.
Example cURL request, using Stripe as the target URL:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp
Python equivalent:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)
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const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
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Replace the example target with the public page URL you want to capture and provide your API key. ScreenshotNeo can return PNG, JPEG or WebP images or a PDF. It accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits cost nothing, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. An MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 shots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month with no card.
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