Where Do Screenshots Go on Windows? Every Save Location
Screenshots on Windows land in different places depending on which shortcut you pressed. In Windows 11, PrtScn and Alt+PrtScn copy to the clipboard, Win+PrtScn saves a file to Pictures\Screenshots, Snipping Tool saves Win+Shift+S snips to its Screenshots folder unless you change its settings, and the Xbox Game Bar saves to Videos\Captures. If OneDrive backs up your Pictures folder, your screenshots are backed up with it. Here is the complete map.
The quick answer: every shortcut and its destination
| Shortcut | Where it goes |
|---|---|
PrtScn | Clipboard |
Alt + PrtScn | Clipboard |
Win + PrtScn | Pictures\Screenshots |
Win + Shift + S | Clipboard, and the Screenshots folder when Snipping Tool's automatic saving is on |
Win + Alt + PrtScn (Game Bar) | Videos\Captures |
Maxisnap Ctrl + Alt + 5 | Annotation editor — save anywhere |
For Maxisnap, this table describes the Windows app. A Mac version is also available, for macOS 13 or later.
Why is my PrtScn screenshot not in any folder?
In Windows 11, PrtScn and Alt+PrtScn copy the capture to the clipboard. Press Ctrl+V in Paint, Word, or a chat window to paste it, or press Win+V to open clipboard history if it is turned on. For a file saved automatically, use Win+PrtScn.
In Windows 11, a setting under Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard makes the PrtScn key open screen snipping. If your PrtScn opens a capture overlay, that setting is on.
Where does Win+PrtScn save screenshots?
In Windows 11, Win+PrtScn captures the full screen and saves it to a file in the Screenshots subfolder of the Pictures folder:
C:\Users\<your name>\Pictures\Screenshots
On laptops, you may need Win+Fn+PrtScn if your PrtScn shares a key with something else.
Where does the Snipping Tool (Win+Shift+S) put snips?
Current Windows 11 Snipping Tool automatically saves captured snips to its Screenshots folder. Open Snipping Tool > See more > Settings to inspect automatic saving and the destination. Older versions or changed settings may behave differently; you can still open the editor and use Save As for another copy. See Microsoft's current save instructions and our Snipping Tool troubleshooting guide.
Why are my screenshots going to OneDrive?
To see which folders OneDrive backs up, open OneDrive settings, go to Sync and backup, and select Manage backup. If Pictures is backed up, screenshots saved in its Screenshots folder sync to OneDrive and can appear on your other devices.
What does the Xbox Game Bar do with captures?
In Windows 11, Win+Alt+PrtScn takes a screenshot with Game Bar and saves it as a PNG file in the Captures folder under Videos:
C:\Users\<your name>\Videos\Captures
Microsoft's guide describes Game Bar as working with games and apps, so captures from ordinary apps can land there too.
How do I change where Snipping Tool saves snips?
In Windows 11, Snipping Tool's settings control where snips are saved: open Snipping Tool, select See more, then Settings, and change the automatic save behavior or the default Screenshots folder.
Where Maxisnap saves captures
Maxisnap is a separate capture tool with its own save settings. With Maxisnap, the normal region and full-screen hotkeys open the annotation editor; the separate region-and-upload action can skip it. Save chooses your export folder, while Auto Recovery is enabled by default in Pictures\Maxisnap Auto Recovery, with its location and retention configurable in Settings > Preferences. Local capture and annotation are free for Windows 10 and 11; Cloud sharing uses the published free allowance, and uploading to your own server requires Studio.
More shortcuts and workflows: our complete screenshot shortcut reference covers every key combination above plus the annotation-editor keys, and the how-to-take-screenshots guide starts from zero.
Maxisnap is not affiliated with Microsoft. This page describes Windows features as Microsoft's documentation presented them in October 2026; check Microsoft's documentation for current behavior.