Windows 10: Problem with screenshots on Win 10 Pro

Hello everybody,

I've been using Windows 10 Pro (version 1607) for over a month and for some reason after a recent update I am NOT able to take screenshots of the active window using Alt + PrintScreen key combination (like before the update), instead I have to use Win + PrintScreen.
The problem is that now I get a screenshot of the whole screen (taskbar included) which is driving me nuts.
Any registry trick or a different key combination would be greatly appreciated as I'm not too keen on using third-party apps.

Cheers,
Stefan

:)

 

Windows 10 Problem

After I updated Windows 10 today as I was instructed, I can no longer get on the internet. My wifi no longer shows up to click on it. It was working fine until I allowed the install. I have tried restarting the HP Spectre x 369 laptop and the router,
but this has not helped. (I am using a borrowed Apple computer to search for a solution.) I need help to get back online. Can anyone help or tell me who I might contact for help?

 

Reloading - retrieving my installed WIN 10 PRO

Andre,

Thank you for the reply. Just to be sure I understand your procedure.

I successfully performed an upgrade from WIN 7PRO to Win 10 PRO last July during the "Free" upgrade period. Something has happened to the WIN 10 install -- it will not boot.

I have a complete disk image backup of the WIN 7 just previous to the WIN 10 upgrade that I can install on the computer. Then I want to do a second upgrade to WIN 10.

I assume that in your second screenshot above, clicking " UPGRADE THIS PC NOW" starts the upgrade from the currently installed WIN 7PRO to the new WIN 10 PRO. The same assumption applies to the last screenshot where the " I'm reinstalling WIN 10 on
this PC " is inside the red box.

The end results I expect: The second upgrade will perform the same as the first upgrade; WIN 10 PRO will be the operating system and all of the programs, data files drivers, etc from the previous WIN 7 PRO will be available for use. I DO NOT want to do
a "clean install"

Please confirm that following your procedure will produce a "upgrade from WIN 7 PRO to WIN 10 PRO" ( and NOT a clean install).

Thanks again for your support.

 

Why not use the Windows App Snipping tool under Windows Accessories? It comes with Windows.

 

There's two Alt buttons on your keyboard; try the other Alt button. Let's make sure it's not the Alt key that broke on you.

 

A good idea but the Snipping Tools doesn't automatically copy a screenshot into "C:\Users\(user's name)\Pictures\Screenshots" folder. I usually take some 100 - 150 screenshots on a daily basis so it would take too many clicks.

 

Thank you for your suggestion: I've just plugged in a separate keyboard to my desktop but it still doesn't work so the Alt key is not broken. I also tried the other Alt button but to no avail.

By the way: can you (or anybody else who is reading this post) take a screenshot by pressing Alt + PrintScreen on Win 10 Pro version 1607 (if the numbers matter at all, it should work fine on ANY Windows) to confirm that something's wrong with my system?

 

Alt + Print Screen:





Yes, sadly, your computer has some issue =/

 

Bad news *Sad
Thank you very much.

 

Hey, question:

Does pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete work?

 

Yes, it does and it takes me to the usual bluish screen with Change password, Logout, Task Manager etc options.

 

Hmh, I see. (I wanted to see if that screen you just said shows up or not.. if it didn't work, that would definately mean that there's some software that's causing the Alt button not to work)

But yea, that's a little strange how Alt + Print Screen is procrastinating on you. Try to think back and see if you installed any new programs that run in the background of your computer (by checking in the Task Manager).

There is a possibility that there's a program that's running in the background that could be forcing this combination to not work.

Go to your Task Manager:
Ctrl + Alt + Delete > Task Manager
Press the Details tab

Try to End Task the programs that you see as familiar, that you have installed (don't worry, ending their task just forces them to close during this session of your computer running, after you restart the computer, everything loads up again, I'm sure you already know that).

But that is my best guess. I am assuming that you may have installed something very close to the 1607 update that is making you think that the 1607 update caused this... but HEY,I could be wrong! But I would try my suggestion anyways. Good luck bro, I hope that some app is that you can find is causing the issue.

I talk too much

 

Excellent idea, thank you so much!
Actually last week I couldn’t connect my handset to my PC so I installed a ton of „miraculous” apps that didn’t work only to discover later on that I'd forgotten to install Samsung drivers in the first place *Redface

I’m going to uninstall them, one by one, to see if they interfere in any way with my Windows shortcuts.
I’ll let you know after work (it’s 8.40 AM here in Poland).

 

Okay!
Have a great day at work =)

 

Thank you!

I was so impatient to find a quick solution that instead of checking your method I typed in „FastStone Capture” (a fantastic, but unfortunately paid, application for taking screen shots) into Google and I found a great freeware tool, called Greenshot which meets my expectations: with a simple left Alt + PrintScreen I get a screenshot of the active (yeah !) window written (unlike Microsoft’s solution) to a predefined folder on a hard drive.

The program offers a myriad of options. I highly recommend it.