How To #2 – How Do I Take Screenshots from Windows on a Mac Keyboard

As wonderful as the Mac OS X operating system can be, sometimes installing Windows on an Apple computer or laptop is essential – especially if you are a gamer or simply want to experience the best of both worlds.

Taking a screenshot on a Mac keyboard though can become tricky if you are looking for the ‘Print Screen’ key, as usually it doesn’t exist on the Apple keyboard layout.

This can still be achieved though with the right keyboard button combination…

1. Install Bootcamp drivers

First make sure you have the latest Bootcamp drivers installed, available to download through the ‘Bootcamp Assistant’ software within your Mac operating system. Place them onto a USB stick and then you can install them within your Windows operating system. No doubt a reboot will be required after installation.

2. Take a screenshot using [fn] + [Shift] + [F11]

To capture the entire screen, hold down the following button combination on your Mac keyboard: [fn] + [Shift] + [F11]. There is no indication a screenshot has been taken, you’ll know if it has worked when we complete the next step…

3. Paste the image into an image editor using [ctrl] + [v]

The image will be stored automatically in a temporary location known as the Clipboard. Open one of your favourite image editing applications, I personally love Irfanview, however most will work just fine. Now ‘Paste’ the contents of the Clipboard by either selecting ‘Paste’ from the ‘Edit’ menu or use the keyboard button combination [ctrl] + [v]. Your captured image should now appear within your image editing software!

4. Crop and save the image

Adjust the dimensions (size) of your as image required and then save as a file on your computer.

Hope this helps…