Screencapture.com isn’t actually a screenshot tool – it’s a free, browser-based screen recorder. I use it when I need a quick video demo without installing anything. It captures your screen, mic, and system audio right from the browser and saves the recording as a clean MP4.

There’s no option to grab still screenshots, but for fast, no-install video capture – especially when you’re borrowing someone else’s ASUS laptop or working on a locked-down system – it’s surprisingly handy.

Why I picked it: they’re baked right into Windows, they respond instantly on every ASUS I’ve ever used, and they’re perfect for those moments when you need a screenshot right now and don’t want to launch anything.

OS: Windows 10, Windows 11

I’ve leaned on Windows keyboard shortcuts for ages because they behave exactly the way you expect – no surprises, no drama. On some ASUS models, especially the slimmer ZenBook designs, the Print Screen key hides behind Fn, which feels annoying for about five minutes. After that, it’s muscle memory.

The shortcuts themselves haven’t changed much, but Windows 11 did smooth out a few rough edges. The clipboard preview pops in faster, the Snipping Tool blends in more neatly, and the whole setup feels less temperamental than it used to. Microsoft even folded Snip & Sketch into the classic Snipping Tool, which finally made the whole screenshot experience feel like it belongs in one place.

Most days, I use these shortcuts when I just need a clean full-screen grab or want to paste something straight into a doc. It’s not glamorous, but it works – like that old pen in your drawer that somehow writes better than the fancy ones.

Why I picked it: it’s already installed, and the updated version feels noticeably smoother after Microsoft merged it with Snip & Sketch.

OS: Windows 10, Windows 11

I use Snipping Tool when I need more control than a simple Print Screen shortcut. The app recently got a noticeable refresh – Microsoft rolled out upgraded editing tools, better notifications, and improved clipboard previews. It also added a screen-recording mode and a built-in video export feature.

Snipping Tool feels more responsive now. When I drag a region, the capture outline no longer jitters the way it used to on my older ASUS Vivobook. I especially like the delay timer when I need to capture menus – it’s such a tiny feature, but it saves me from awkward finger acrobatics.

How to take a screenshot with Snipping Tool

1. Press Win + Shift + S or open Snipping Tool from the Start menu.
2. Choose the snip mode: Rectangular, Freeform, Window, or Full Screen.
3. Select the area you want to capture.
4. Click the preview in the corner to edit, highlight, or save.

Why I picked it: it’s quick, lightweight, and still one of the easiest ways to grab a region screenshot without opening a full app.

OS: Windows 10 (preinstalled), Windows 11 (legacy version still accessible through search)

I still use Snip & Sketch out of habit – mostly because Win + Shift + S feels like muscle memory at this point. Even though Microsoft merged it with the Snipping Tool in 2023, the standalone Snip & Sketch app still works on many ASUS laptops running Windows 10 or early Windows 11 builds. It behaves like a stripped-down notepad for screenshots: fast, instantly responsive, and good at the basics.

The editing canvas is simple – marker, highlighter, cropping – nothing fancy, but enough to annotate a bug report or highlight a menu on the fly. What I still love is that the capture goes straight to the clipboard with zero ceremony. It’s the screenshot equivalent of grabbing a sticky note.

How to take a screenshot with Snip & Sketch

1. Press Win + Shift + S.
2. Pick the capture mode: rectangular, freeform, window, or full screen.
3. Select the area you want.
4. Click the preview that appears in the corner to edit or save.

Why I picked it: it’s already built into Windows, and the screenshot shortcut feels almost too easy – like discovering a secret door in a house you’ve lived in for years.

OS: Windows 10, Windows 11

I started using Xbox Game Bar for screenshots by accident – I hit Win + G while trying to open Gmail, and suddenly a whole dashboard slid onto my screen like a gaming HUD. It grew on me fast. The overlay lets you grab screenshots, record your screen, check performance stats, and even control Spotify without leaving whatever you’re doing. Microsoft quietly pushed stability improvements and UI tweaks in their Xbox Game Bar updates, especially around capture performance and HDR handling.

One thing I appreciate: screenshots land directly in the Captures folder as PNGs – clean, consistent, no clipboard hopping. It’s the tool I use when I need quick images while testing games or apps, or when I simply don’t feel like opening anything else. Fun fact: the Game Bar overlay still works even if your laptop has never run a single game in its life – my old ASUS VivoBook is living proof.

How to take a screenshot with Xbox Game Bar

1. Press Win + G to open the Game Bar overlay.
2. Look for the Capture widget (camera icon).
3. Click the camera button Screenshot.
4. Find the saved image in: Videos > Captures

You can also press Win + Alt + PrtSc to take a screenshot instantly without opening the overlay.

Why I picked it: it keeps things simple – a click or two and you’ve got a screenshot or a full video recording, no fuss.

OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11 (also macOS, but here we focus on Windows)

I turn to Movavi Screen Recorder when I need something more flexible than a keyboard shortcut or basic Snip. It does screenshots, long/scrolling captures, video recordings (with audio or mic), webcam overlays, cursor highlighting – you name it. Recently the developers updated the app’s UI and improved scrolling screenshot stability, which makes it much smoother than older versions.

When I capture a full web page or a long chat thread, Movavi handles scrolling screenshots gracefully – it automatically scrolls and stitches the result into one long image. I’ve used it to grab long receipts or entire thread conversations – and it nails them cleanly every time.

It’s the tool I reach for when I want power without overthinking: either a perfect screenshot, or a screen-recording demo with audio and cursor highlights.

Why I picked it: it’s fast, minimal, and always there when I need a no-nonsense screenshot in two clicks.

OS: Windows 10, Windows 11 (also macOS)

I’ve used Lightshot for years because it launches like a reflex – hit PrtSc, drag, done. No interface clutter, no five-step menus. The charm of Lightshot is that it makes screenshots feel almost casual: draw your box, slap on a quick arrow or highlight, and save or copy instantly.

One thing people forget: Lightshot has built-in reverse image search. I’ve used it to identify fonts, products, and once even a bizarre plant someone posted in a Slack chat. That one turned out to be a cactus shaped like a goose – I regret clicking that link, but Lightshot did its job.

How to take a screenshot with Lightshot

1. Install Lightshot and launch it (it runs in the background).
2. Press PrtSc – Lightshot takes over the key.
3. Drag to select the area you want.
4. Use the mini toolbar to annotate (arrows, text, lines).
5. Save, copy, or upload the screenshot.

Why I picked it: it does everything – screenshots, scrolling captures, GIFs, auto-uploads – and it’s free. Once you get used to it, it feels like having a tiny control center hiding in your taskbar.

OS: Windows 10, Windows 11

ShareX is the tool I install when I know I’ll be taking a lot of screenshots. It’s open-source, which means the devs constantly tinker and push updates that actually matter – performance fixes, file-naming automation, better scrolling capture, and the infamous “workflow” system that lets you automate almost anything. The latest release added improvements to region selection and fixed bugs with delay captures – small, but noticeable when you use the app daily.

What I love most is how customizable everything is. Want every screenshot to automatically save into a specific folder, rename itself, convert to PNG, upload to Dropbox, and copy the link to your clipboard? ShareX can do that – maybe a little too eagerly if you turn everything on at once.

Funny side note: I once accidentally set up an automated workflow that uploaded every screenshot to Imgur. I discovered this when Imgur emailed me, politely asking if I intended to upload 47 pictures of spreadsheets. Lesson learned.

How to take a screenshot with ShareX

1. Install and open ShareX.
2. Press PrtSc (or your assigned hotkey).
3. Select the capture type: region, window, full screen, or scrolling capture.
4. Capture the area.
5. ShareX will automatically save, copy, or upload the file according to your settings.