Windows 7: Unable to take screenshots or screenshots are blank.

People often have problems taking screenshots of games in Windows 7. The screenshot is often blank or just shows a picture of the desktop instead of the game that is trying to be captured. Here are some ways to help fix this issue.

Several people have twittered me with problems taking screenshots in Windows 7. Often they are playing a game in full screen. They hit the print screen key to copy a screenshot into the clipboard; however, when they paste into their graphics program, it’s blank or just shows a picture of their desktop. Here are some of the common issues.

1. Often games map the print screen key to some other function. These same games usually have a unique key combo to take screenshots. Check to see if your program has a unique method or key combo to record a screenshot or demo.

2. On some keyboards, the print screen is a combination key that requires another key press to trigger it. Often ALT+PrtScrn works instead of pressing PrtScrn alone.

3. Full screen games often can’t be captured with the regular print screen method. Do this to fix it:

– Right-click on the executable file for the game
– Select the Compatibility tab and then check Disable desktop composition
– Press OK to close the properties dialog and then run the game
– Typical screenshot methods should work now.

4. If all else fails, install a separate program to facilitate screenshots. FRAPS is a standard in the gaming world, but several cheaper options exist.