Quick overview:
Creating a screenshot under Windows XP with and without a snipping tool: If you want to create screenshots for presentations, help hotlines or websites Screenshots from Windows nothing is easier than that. Set up the desired view and press the Print or PrintScreen key on the keyboard. If you now click on Paste in Paint, PhotoImpact or Microsoft Word, for example, you will get an exact copy of the screen. But how do you create Windows XP screenshots of windows? Which snipping tools help? Here are instructions and screenshot tools for XP.
Screenshot under Windows XP with and without Snipping Tool
Sometimes the screen is overcrowded or only one window should be visible, e.g. the workstation.
In this case, in Windows XP you had to laboriously crop the screenshot to the desired window using an image editing program and save it.
In the long run, this is a waste of time, which I will put an end to with the following instructions.
But first the classic method of taking a Win XP screenshot.
Creating a screenshot in Windows XP (key combination)
- Open in Windows XP the applications from which a Screenshot is to be made.
- Press the Print] button or [Print Screen] to print the screenshot to the Clipboard to save.
- Now Paint or Word and open the screenshot with the Key combination Ctrl+V and save it on the PC.
Tip for professional screen printing:
Below you will find a list of Snipping tools for Windows XP including download links.
With snipping tools, screenshots can be created more conveniently (e.g. of a section) and edited more comprehensively.
There is no need to buffer and paste into another application.
Video tutorial: Taking screenshots in Windows XP without a snipping tool
Here is a video tutorial - with all the steps to take screenshots of the entire screen in Windows XP using only the on-board tools (i.e. without any additional snipping tools installed) or to take screenshots of windows of individual XP applications:
To create screenshots of a window under Windows XP
1. Open the desired window, e.g. the Internet Explorer version information (?/Info) and hold down the ALT key.
2. Now press the Pressure button and let go. Instead of a chaotic picture, which you took with the usual pushbutton...
...you now have a window that has already been cleanly cut out.
I hope you enjoyed this tip. It's nothing special, but for some people it saves time.
5 snipping tools for Windows XP PCs (incl. download links)
Yes, snipping tools are also available in abundance for good old Windows XP.
For example, Snipping Tool XP, Snipping Tool Plus, XPSnipping or the popular Greenshot tool, which also runs under Windows 10 and 11 and is widely used.
If you search for it in older Microsoft forums, you will find great listings of Windows XP snipping tools - for example in this old post in the Windows Server forum. However, some of them are "outdated", no longer work or the pages for downloading the installation files are no longer accessible.
But some screenshot tools for Windows XP are still usable, here is a list of download links to try them out.
Snipping Tool Plus
This is the extended Plus version of the "Snipping Tool", which has been included in the Microsoft operating system since Windows Vista. The Plus version allows you to take, edit and crop screenshots under XP.
Click here to go to the download page of Snipping Tool Plus at heise.de
Greenshot 1.2.10.6
The well-known screenshot software Greenshot also runs under XP, including the Greenshot Editor with many tools for editing Win-XP screenshots.
Here Greenshot at heise.de download
XPSnipping - Windows XP Snipping Tool
The Windows tool XPSnipping enables all the basic functions of the Windows 7 snipping tool on Windows XP PCs. This includes, among other things: Cropping screenshots, resizing and saving to the clipboard.
Click here to go to the download page of XPSnipping at Codeplex
Snipping Tool XP 2.3
This screenshot tool for Windows XP was quite advanced due to the then new possibility of uploading screenshots to the cloud at the free image host Pic(k)Host (which no longer exists today).
Click here to go to the download page of Snipping Tool XP 2.3 at Chip.de
HP Smart Print
A tool for screen printing - also on paper: The official download page of the Hewlett-Packard snipping tool for Windows XP appears to be no longer function. However, the tool can still be downloaded from Computer Bild (although the ratings here are rather poor).
Click here to go to the download page of HP Smart Print at Computer Bild
Movavi Screen Recorder
The Movavi Screen Recorder is an indispensable tool for effortless screen recording. It allows you to record either the entire screen or a user-defined area. In addition, you can capture your webcam, draw on videos in real time and highlight the mouse pointer and keystrokes.
Click here to go to the download page of Screen recorder from Movavi
FAQ
NOTE ON THE NEW PUBLICATION: This article was produced by Sandro Villinger and its original version comes from the Windows tweaks archive, which has been built up since the late 1990s. Some content was updated in 2021.
On Windows Tweaks you will find time-saving tech guides for PC, software & Microsoft. For a stress-free digital everyday life. Already we have been "tweaking" Windows since 1998 and just won't stop!
