Wondering where a screenshot you took with the “Print Screen” key went? Find here the default location where screenshots save on Windows 11 and Windows 10 (using “PrtScn”, Snipping Tool, Snip and Sketch etc.).
First, You’re a Woodpecker, and You Have a Tree
You have a tree, three young and enemies to boot.
The tree is not a haphazard choice, of course, and neither is the nesting cavity’s location. For all around the entrance, sticky resin flows beneath the bark—and soon on it.
Red-cockaded woodpeckers excavate resin wells just above and around their nests to form an obviously deterring barrier.
That’s one way to save a woodpecker from preying snakes. If, by that token, you want to save a screenshot from disappearing, the location is not a haphazard choice either:
The Default Location Where Snipping Tool Does Save (Windows 10 and Windows 11)
The location where screenshots are saved on Windows depends on the way the screenshot is taken.
Where Screenshots Taken with the “Print Screen” Key Save
If you take a photo of the full screen using the Print Screen, Print or PrtScn key, the screenshot is not usually automatically saved to the disk.
These screenshots are copied to the clipboard. From there, you can paste them into documents or an image editor.
If you have set up Snip & Sketch to take over the Print Screen key, the application will open with its default screenshot folder; see below.
If you have set up OneDrive to handle PntScn screenshots, the files will be saved automatically
- in the OneDrive\Pictures\Screenshots folder.
Where Screenshots Made with Snipping Tool (Snip and Sketch) Save
Snipping Tool on Windows 11 does not save screenshots automatically, but you can set up Snip & Sketch to prompt you for saving when you close the app or take a new screenshot.
When you save screenshots in Snipping Tool, the default Windows location for saving is
- in the location last used for saving in Snip & Sketch.
Initial default: The initial default location for saving is Pictures in your Windows account’s user folder.
Screenshots Taken in Windows 10 Snipping Tool
Snipping Tool on Windows 10 does not save screenshots automatically but copies them to the clipboard (from which you can save the image to disk, of course).
When you choose to save a screenshot to disk, the default location is
- in the Pictures folder for the current Windows account.
Windows Screenshots Location Overview
| Screenshot App | Saved to Clipboard | Default Disk Location |
|---|---|---|
| Print Screen | yes | no |
| Print Screen with OneDrive | yes | OneDrive\Pictures\Screenshots |
| Snip & Sketch or Snipping Tool (Windows 10) | yes | %USERPROFILE%\Pictures or last used, not saved automatically |
| Snipping Tool (Windows 11) | yes | %USERPROFILE%\Pictures or last used, not saved automatically |
The Default Location Where Snipping Tool Does Save: FAQ
Can I set up Windows to save screenshots automatically?
Yes, using OneDrive you can have screenshots of the whole screen taken with the Print Screen key saved automatically (without any prompts or windows opening).
To set up OneDrive to automatically save screenshots in a default OneDrive location on Windows 10:
- Install and have OneDrive for Windows running.
- Click on the OneDrive system tray icon with tight left button.
- Select Help & Settings in the window that has appeared.
- Now choose Settings in the menu.
- Go to the Backup tab.
- Check Automatically save screenshots I capture to OneDrive.
- Click OK.
(Default location where screenshots save tested with Snipping Tool 11.2310–11.2407 (Windows 11 and Windows 10); first published February 2022, last updated October 2024)