How can I save a screenshot directly to a file in Windows?

Question

Is there a one button way to save a screenshot directly to a file in Windows?

TheSoftwareJedi accurately answered above question for Windows 8 and 10. Below original extra material remains for posterity.

This is a very important question as the 316K views shows as of 2021. Asked in 2008, SO closed this question around 2015 as being off-topic, probably because of the last question below.

In Windows XP, one can press Alt-PrintScreen to copy an image of the active window, or Ctrl-PrintScreen to copy an image of the full desktop.

This can then be pasted into applications that accept images: Photoshop, Microsoft Word, etc.

I'm wondering: Is there a way to save the screenshot directly to a file? Do I really have to open an image program, like Paint.net or Photoshop, simply to paste an image, then save it?

Answer 1

You can code something pretty simple that will hook the PrintScreen and save the capture in a file.

Here is something to start to capture and save to a file. You will just need to hook the key "Print screen".

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.IO;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
public class CaptureScreen
{

    static public void Main(string[] args)
    {

        try
        {
            Bitmap capture = CaptureScreen.GetDesktopImage();
            string file = Path.Combine(Environment.CurrentDirectory, "screen.gif");
            ImageFormat format = ImageFormat.Gif;
            capture.Save(file, format);
        }
        catch (Exception e)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(e);
        }

    }

    public static Bitmap GetDesktopImage()
    {
        WIN32_API.SIZE size;

        IntPtr  hDC = WIN32_API.GetDC(WIN32_API.GetDesktopWindow()); 
        IntPtr hMemDC = WIN32_API.CreateCompatibleDC(hDC);

        size.cx = WIN32_API.GetSystemMetrics(WIN32_API.SM_CXSCREEN);
        size.cy = WIN32_API.GetSystemMetrics(WIN32_API.SM_CYSCREEN);

        m_HBitmap = WIN32_API.CreateCompatibleBitmap(hDC, size.cx, size.cy);

        if (m_HBitmap!=IntPtr.Zero)
        {
            IntPtr hOld = (IntPtr) WIN32_API.SelectObject(hMemDC, m_HBitmap);
            WIN32_API.BitBlt(hMemDC, 0, 0,size.cx,size.cy, hDC, 0, 0, WIN32_API.SRCCOPY);
            WIN32_API.SelectObject(hMemDC, hOld);
            WIN32_API.DeleteDC(hMemDC);
            WIN32_API.ReleaseDC(WIN32_API.GetDesktopWindow(), hDC);
            return System.Drawing.Image.FromHbitmap(m_HBitmap); 
        }
        return null;
    }

    protected static IntPtr m_HBitmap;
}

public class WIN32_API
{
    public struct SIZE
    {
        public int cx;
        public int cy;
    }
    public  const int SRCCOPY = 13369376;
    public  const int SM_CXSCREEN=0;
    public  const int SM_CYSCREEN=1;

    [DllImport("gdi32.dll",EntryPoint="DeleteDC")]
    public static extern IntPtr DeleteDC(IntPtr hDc);

    [DllImport("gdi32.dll",EntryPoint="DeleteObject")]
    public static extern IntPtr DeleteObject(IntPtr hDc);

    [DllImport("gdi32.dll",EntryPoint="BitBlt")]
    public static extern bool BitBlt(IntPtr hdcDest,int xDest,int yDest,int wDest,int hDest,IntPtr hdcSource,int xSrc,int ySrc,int RasterOp);

    [DllImport ("gdi32.dll",EntryPoint="CreateCompatibleBitmap")]
    public static extern IntPtr CreateCompatibleBitmap(IntPtr hdc,  int nWidth, int nHeight);

    [DllImport ("gdi32.dll",EntryPoint="CreateCompatibleDC")]
    public static extern IntPtr CreateCompatibleDC(IntPtr hdc);

    [DllImport ("gdi32.dll",EntryPoint="SelectObject")]
    public static extern IntPtr SelectObject(IntPtr hdc,IntPtr bmp);

    [DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint="GetDesktopWindow")]
    public static extern IntPtr GetDesktopWindow();

    [DllImport("user32.dll",EntryPoint="GetDC")]
    public static extern IntPtr GetDC(IntPtr ptr);

    [DllImport("user32.dll",EntryPoint="GetSystemMetrics")]
    public static extern int GetSystemMetrics(int abc);

    [DllImport("user32.dll",EntryPoint="GetWindowDC")]
    public static extern IntPtr GetWindowDC(Int32 ptr);

    [DllImport("user32.dll",EntryPoint="ReleaseDC")]
    public static extern IntPtr ReleaseDC(IntPtr hWnd,IntPtr hDc);
}

Update Here is the code to hook the PrintScreen (and other key) from C#:

Hook code