Where do screenshots go in Windows 11 and 10?
Checked October 2026
The short answer: most screenshots are saved in Pictures\Screenshots (C:\Users\your name\Pictures\Screenshots). If OneDrive backs up your Pictures folder, look in OneDrive\Pictures\Screenshots instead. And on Windows 10, Win+Shift+S doesn't save a file at all: it only copies the snip.
Every shortcut, and where it saves
| Shortcut | Windows 11 | Windows 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Win+PrtScn | Saves the whole screen as a file in Pictures\Screenshots | The same |
| Win+Shift+S | The Snipping Tool copies the snip and also saves it to Pictures\Screenshots, as long as its automatic save setting is on (the default) | Copies the snip only. Click the notification to open it and save it yourself |
| PrtScn | Opens the Snipping Tool on current versions (Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard changes this) | Copies the whole screen, no file |
| Alt+PrtScn | Copies the active window, no file | The same |
| Win+Alt+PrtScn | Xbox Game Bar saves to Videos\Captures | The same |
OneDrive also has its own option to save screenshots you capture into OneDrive, which can put copies in OneDrive\Pictures\Screenshots. And tools like ShareX, Greenshot or Snagit ignore all of this and save to their own folder, set in their own settings.
Find the folder Windows is really using
- Open File Explorer and go to Pictures.
- Right-click the Screenshots folder and choose Properties.
- Open the Location tab. The path shown there is where Windows saves screenshots.
If you have two Screenshots folders (one in Pictures, one in OneDrive), the Location tab tells you which one is live. The one you keep opening is often the old, empty one.
For the technically minded, Windows keeps the same setting in the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders, in the value named {B7BEDE81-DF94-4682-A7D8-57A52620B86F} (the Screenshots known folder).
Why screenshots seem to vanish
- Windows 10 and Win+Shift+S: the snip is only on the clipboard. Paste it straight away, or click the notification and save it. Win+PrtScn saves a file every time.
- The Snipping Tool's automatic save is off (Windows 11): open the Snipping Tool's settings and switch it back on.
- OneDrive moved the folder: your screenshots are in
OneDrive\Pictures\Screenshots, not the Pictures folder you're looking in. - Another tool took over the shortcut and saves to its own folder.
- The next copy replaced it: anything that only lives on the clipboard is gone the moment you copy something else, unless clipboard history (Win+V) is on. More on that in clipboard history or a screenshot tray.
Change where screenshots are saved
- Right-click the Screenshots folder, choose Properties, open the Location tab.
- Click Move…, choose the new folder, then Apply.
- When Windows asks whether to move the existing files, choosing Yes keeps everything in one place.
On Windows 11, the Snipping Tool's own settings also have a Screenshots are saved to option with a Change button. It moves the same folder.
Or skip the hunt altogether
InTray reads that same Windows setting, so it finds the real Screenshots folder even after OneDrive has moved it, and shows an amber bar if the folder it watches isn't the one Windows saves to. Every new screenshot appears in a small strip at the bottom of the screen, ready to drag into an email, a ticket or an AI chat as a real file. It catches new downloads and photos sent from your phone in the same strip. Use ShareX or Greenshot? Point InTray at that tool's folder from its tray menu (Screenshots & Downloads > Change Screenshots folder).
One honest caveat: InTray watches for files, not the clipboard, so on Windows 10 use Win+PrtScn (or save the snip) and it appears straight away.
Download free. Every feature, Beam included, for 7 days, then £14.99 one-time to keep it. Try InTray free for 7 days.
Common questions
Where are screenshots saved on Windows 11?
In Pictures\Screenshots, or in OneDrive\Pictures\Screenshots if OneDrive backs up your Pictures folder. The Location tab of the Screenshots folder's Properties shows which.
Why isn't Win+Shift+S saving my screenshot?
On Windows 10 it never saves a file: it only copies the snip. On Windows 11 it saves when the Snipping Tool's automatic save setting is on, which is the default.
How do I change where screenshots are saved in Windows?
Right-click the Screenshots folder, choose Properties, open the Location tab, click Move and pick a new folder.
Where do Xbox Game Bar screenshots go?
To Videos\Captures.