When Vista came on the scene one of the new features I thought was pretty cool was the new Snipping tool. It’s a really useful little utility and for the most part it’s great. In Windows 7, the tool is still there (no improvements that I can see). But, one of the things about this little utility that bothered me was my inability to use it to capture context and other drop-down menus. Every time I would open the menu I needed to capture, it would disappear as soon as I selected the Snipping Tool.
This really annoyed me. There has to be a way!? Well, it turns out there is a really simple solution for this. To use the Snipping Tool to capture menus, follow these steps.
First, locate and start the Snipping Tool. When the tool starts it will be in “New capture” mode. Click Cancel but, don’t close the tool. Next, open the menu you want to capture. With that menu open, press the “Control” and “Print Screen” buttons on your keyboard. This will re-activate the Snipping Tool in the “New Capture” mode. Now just capture your image.
As you can see above, it works quite well. This, “work-around”, functions the same in Windows Vista and in Windows 7. I’ve also tried it on my laptop and desktop and there was no difference in function.
© 2009, Robert Owen. All rights reserved.
nice tips men! vista is very complicated and their only few people can used it to the fullest..
Oh you JUST saved me the price of SnagIT! Seriously – I got so frustrated with not being able to get the dropdown menu that I downloaded the SnagIT eval this past weekend. Thanks so much!
.-= Christie´s last blog ..Thesis Theme discount – some things to watch out for! =-.
It’s really a pretty good little utility. Still probably wont do everything that programs like snagIT will do but I find it gets the job done. Especially since I figured out this little piece! 🙂
Why not just print screen and cut the jpeg from paint ?
Well, you could do that… But this was about using the utility supplied to accomplish the task. 😉
Oh wow you saved me again! I was trying to capture a dropdown list of user attributes from SharePoint – and I didn’t see any way to “delay” capture in Snipping Tool but my old brain remembered that you had given us a trick. Thanks again!
No Problem! Glad it helps! 🙂
Awesome thanks, have always been looking for a way to capture menu’s easily…
Just an added note for LAPTOP users (since it seems to be a common stumbling block)…
The PrtScn key is only accessible by first pressing (and holding) the Fn or Function key – note that both of these keys are prob blue text – indicating that the Fn key is req’d.
So…. to accomplish Ctrl+PrtScn on a laptop, you must actually press Ctrl+Fn+PrtScn
hope this helps
Thanks for the great tip. I’ve been using the PrtScn-paste-to-Paint-and-crop technique but this is a good time saver!
Thanks. Simple things are difficult if you don’t know!
Thank you very much helped a lot
This was pretty useful thanks a lot 🙂
Muchas gracias!
thanks , helped me.
Thank you!!!!!! Not being able to snip a menu was driving me bonkers! Thank you!!!
I do not have PrintScreen key on my keyboard (Macbook). Any possibility to snip a menu without it?
I will look into it.
If you have an F14 key, try that.
Awsome, man! I knew it existed!
Thank you for this post!!!!!!!!!!!! I was about to freaking pull my hair out with the stupid menu disappearing every time I opened up the snipping tool.
Excellent!
Excellent and very useful tip. Thanks so much !
Great tip! Still works in Windows 10 and as an added bonus, Windows 10 version of Snipping Tool has a Delay menu option allowing a delay of 0 (default on startup) to 5 seconds staying at the last setting until reset to another value.
Great tip!
I also found a video on YouTube showing us how to do that –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEOvvLPhNSc
As I notice, on some laptops/PCs, we have to press “Ctrl + Fn + Prt Sc” instead of “Ctrl + Prt Sc”
Hope this helps!
You sir…are a genius! Thanks a million.
Dear Robert Owen,
That tip was Awesome, I was using the round about way, capture the whole screen then crop the area I need, most of the time the image was dull.
This great tip saved a lot of time and the clarity is not lost as well.
THANKS A LOT
Thanks.This really worked
I was preparing a training manual and needed to capture drop downs.
Though I tried the full print screen and crop option but this is way better.
Thanks again
Thank you very much for this tip! It works perfectly! I really missed this functionality on my work PC as it’s still Windows 7. My home PC is 10 and has the delay built in. So this is a HUGE help for me!
Thank you so much for this information! I’m in the middle of a project and thought I’d hit a wall. In desperation I searched “how to” and this came up. Two minutes later I’m back in business. Thank you!!
Still very valid information in 2016. Thank you. I use “Cntl PrintScr” so seldom, it seems I mostly forget how to do it. It’s nice that you’ve captured and published this. Thank you.
Still works in Windows 10 ! Very helpfull.
So cool. Thank you very very much.
Bless you!
FAnnnntastic…! I have been looking for a way to do this for ages. I create Training Info and Handouts and have needed this many times! Terrific!!! Thanks… JB
Great Tip. I was searching it since long. Thank you.
Doesn’t work with Windows 2010.
You have to paste the clipboard capture (Screen print) into a document (excel/word/pdf/other)- then you can use snipping tool to capture only the area you want.
It works for me on Windows 10.
Works on my Windows 10 Pro 64-bit OS.
+ I love you, thank you!
This made my day today!
How do you prevent picture taken with ‘Snipping Tool” from disappear after a certain time?
Thank you!! Just spent 15 minutes trying to find the answer to this and no one knew! Great tip!
This seems to be working for everyone but me! I have tried the Fn, Ctrl, PrtSc and just Ctrl, PrtSc and it will not work. I have no hair left as I have pulled it all out, can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong?
Thanks 🙂
Great solution. Thanks!
Nine years later and your post is still helpful. Thank you!
Thanks you so much! I could never figure out how to take a pic with a dropdown menu! Now I’ve learned how! I have to write down that little gem!