General Chat

ok now for PrtSc (or sometimes PrtScr)...

This one has been around for aeons and the key can be found towards the top right of your keyboard. It is sometimes shrouded in mystery (often by those who think knowledge is power) but is in fact really easy to use.
It has two main functions - either copy the whole of your screen or just the active window.

To use it you may well have to press the FN key and hold it down at the same time.

Press and hold FN and then tap the PrtSc key.
If you now go to an application such as Paint or Word and paste, either from the right click menu, the topbar menu or using Ctrl and V, the captured screenshot of everything you can see on your monitor will be pasted into your document.
Now try it by selecting a window, such as an Internet Explorer window for example, by clicking in it once. This time press and hold FN and Alt (both are quite likely towards bottom left of your keyboard) and then tap PrtSc once. When you paste this time into a document, only the active window (in this example Internet Explorer) will be pasted.
Give it a go and see what happens.

Hope this is of use but holler if you get stuck.

thanks for starting this thread - I saw it indexed on my new Windows 7 and couldn't think what I'd do with it - or how. Should be pretty useful.

edit - just as I thought I was getting somewhere - where and what is the FN key? Nothing like that bottom left of my keyboard - is it the MS flag?

I just used it to post a photo of my house from google maps

went to the pic and clicked start (bottom left) then clicked the snipping tool (scissors)

then used left button on mouse to highlite the part of the pic I wanted...then save (which is in the little box) so it then went to "my pictures" so able to post it where I wanted it to go from there...facebook or email to someone ect

Elizabeth are you using a laptop or desktop computer?

The FN key is sometimes called the Function key and is more usually found on laptops. it is used to utilise additional functions for various keys.
However, try doing it without using the FN key. In other words just press PrtSc or Alt and PrtSc.

jax if you select "Save as..." from the File menu you can choose where you save it anywhere on your computer.
There are also pen, highlighter and eraser facilities so you can annotate images before, for example, emailing them.
In your example, you could draw a big arrow and write "this is where I live"

I would rather keep everything together at the moment Errol...least I can then find them again :-D

I recently used it to take a photo of OH's new car off of autotrader...using paint to erase the numberplate....I think??

As I have only used it a couple of times I am still learning...but getting there :-)

I always say to people, the best way to learn how to use a computer and the various different software packages is simply....do it

You can't actually do an awful lot of harm and experimenting is the best way to learn

I have a couple of pairs of scissors - will they do

Well I've learnt something new today :-D Thank you.

Ah! well I have Windows 7 but can I find it ..NO ... so will wait till kids come up at w /end thanks for info

Nolls click on Start Menu (bottom left of screen) then "All Programs" then "Accessories" (you may have to scroll down) and you should find it there.

If anyone would like to create a shortcut to it on their desktop I'll post instructions in a bit.

Nolls if it still isn't there then you probably need to activate it in the way I described earlier on the thread.

However, if you are using Windows 7 Starter edition then it is not included and you will not be able to use it.

Thank you Errol will check with the boys (probably g/son aged 10 LOL!) but knowing my luck I won't have it!

Right then, to create a shortcut, click on Start menu and then "All Programs" (you have to do this from All Programs rather than an item pinned to or featuring on your Start menu).
Click on the Accessories folder.
Find Snipping Tool and RIGHT click once on it.
From the menu that pops up, point your cursor to "Send to" and on the sub menu that appears click once on "Desktop (create shortcut)".
You will now find a shortcut to Snipping Tool on your desktop.

This method can be used to create a desktop shortcut for virtually any program on your Start menu.

Errol Your Great ...Got It Thank You for Dimwits like me - I always need the Idiots Full Guide

Nobody is ever a dimwit. We all just have our own strengths and weaknesses.

Ohh! A diplomat I can see ....

well I've been called many things in my past but never a diplomat lol

Just came back - wondered what I had missed - ErrolSheep wonderful job - everything clear - real idiots guide.

:-) :-)

"Thought - Useful for GR members to visually to show GR what they are experiencing with the site from their own computer"



But if you offer to send a member of the support team any attachment they are not interested.

Unless you are thinking of putting anything into the main text of an email then that might work.