When you're encountering a problem on your Mac computer and want to describe it to someone else, a screenshot will save you a lot of words. However, many people have reported the issue of screenshot on Mac not working, which is a disaster to the productivity and efficiency of their work. Don't worry. You have landed the right place to learn how to fix screenshot on Mac not working quickly and easily.
Generally, restarting Mac can fix common Mac problems. If you encounter the same problem that screenshot cannot be saved on Mac, you can try to restart your Mac to fix the problem. Just click on the Apple menu and select the Restart option. There are a few other ways to take screenshots on Mac. If your Mac screenshot shortcuts aren't responding correctly, try giving Grab tool a chance to capture the screen on Mac machine. If you are already aware, Grab is a native Apple application that lets users take screenshots of the entire window or a specific area of your display.
Part 1. How to Take Screenshots on Mac with Shortcuts
Just like taking screenshots on Windows, a lot of users print screen on Mac every day. When we talk about the issue of screenshot on Mac not working, it is almost all on taking screenshots with shortcuts.
Check the default screenshot shortcuts on Mac to make you have used them correctly:
- Command ⌘ + Ctrl + Shift + 3 – Print full screen to clipboard
- Command ⌘ + Shift + 3 – Print full screen and save as a file
- Command ⌘ + Ctrl + Shift + 4 – Print selected area to clipboard
- Command ⌘ + Shift + 4 – Print selected area and save as a file
Part 2. How to Fix Screenshot on Mac Not Working
If you're sure that you are pressing the right shortcuts for screenshot, please keep reading to fix the issue with 5 tips.
Tip 1. Make Sure Your Keyboard Functions Normally
Nowadays, people replace their computers and peripherals much more frequently than a decade ago. However, in case your keyboard has served you for a few years, you're suggested check if any of the involved key is faulty. If the keyboard is working well, then you can move on.
Tip 2. Check Screenshot Shortcut Settings
As listed in Part 1, there several default shortcuts for taking screenshots on Mac. When none of them works for you, it may be time to check if the shortcuts have been altered.
- Step 1. Click the Apple icon on the upper-left corner.
- Step 2. Navigate to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts.
- Step 3. Select Screenshots on the left pane, then check the right pane for the current settings.
- Step 4. Make sure the screenshot options are ticked and click Restore Defaults if you feel more comfortable with the default settings.
As a daily utility, screenshot shortcut should be as easy to remember as possible for you. If you're new to Mac or just changed the default settings, it will take you sometime to get used to them.
Tip 3. Restart Your Mac Computer
Mac screenshot not working could be a temporary issue which will disappear after rebooting.
- Step 1. Click the Apple icon on the upper-left corner.
- Step 2. Choose Restart…
- Step 3. After rebooting, try to take a screenshot normally to see if the problem is resolved.
A lot of computer problems are fixed after a simple rebooting, because the it puts an end to the possible software confliction.
Tip 4. Reset NVRAM on Mac
NVRAM, short for Nonvolatile Random-Access Memory, is responsible for controlling the internal settings of your Mac. In case screenshot on Mac is still not working after rebooting, you may reset NVRAM.
- Step 1. Shut down your Mac computer.
- Step 2. Press the Power button to turn the computer on and press Option + Command + P + R immediately.
- Step 3. After rebooting, the settings are reset.
Note: On different versions of Mac computer, you may need to press and hold the four keys together up to 20 seconds. You may refer to the official guide by Apple.
Tip 5. Check Dropbox Settings
If Dropbox is installed on your Mac, the screenshots might be saved to your Dropbox rather than the local disk of your computer.
- Step 1. Run Dropbox on your Mac.
- Step 2. Click Settings on the upper-right corner.
- Step 3. Go to Preferences > Import.
- Step 4. Uncheck Share screenshots using Dropbox.
Part 3. How to Screenshot on Mac without Shortcut
In case your keyboard is faulty physically or the above methods don't work for you, you may try other methods to take screenshots on Mac.
Method 1. Use the Grab Utility
Grab is a pre-installed utility on Mac which is able to print a selected section of the screen.
- On Mac, go to Application > Utilities.
- Open Grab and take screenshots by clicking Capture.
Method 2. Use the Preview Feature
Preview is the default tool for image viewing and editing. You can also take screenshots on Mac with it.
- Open Preview, click File on the top menu, move your mouse cursor to Take Screenshot from the dropdown menu, then select From Selection, Window or Entire Screen.
These two methods require several clicks to take screenshots on Mac, but they are still very useful when screenshot on Mac not working with shortcuts.
Pro tips: When you take a screenshot on Mac, it may be stored on the clipboard or the local disk for further use. It is important to keep the screenshots properly to avoid wasting time and effort. In case you lose or delete screenshots on Mac, don't hesitate to use Jihosoft Photo Recovery to get them back. It also works for recovering photos from digital camera.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we have learnt how to fix screenshot not working on Mac problem. Hopefully, the issue on your MacBook or iMac has been resolved. Even if there is physical damage on the keyboard or problems that cannot be fixed temporarily, you can also take screenshots on Mac with the other two methods mentioned above. Feel free to share us your opinions or questions in the comment.
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Taking screenshot is one of the most common things we do on our computers. It is known to all that 'PrtSc', 'Win + PrtSc' or 'Fn + PrtSc' are the keys to screenshot in Windows and 'Command + Shift + 3/4' are the keys to capture screen on Mac. But do you know how to print screen on Mac running Windows since there is no 'PrtSc' key on the Mac keyboard? If not, you can read this article to learn this trick.
How to Print Screen Windows on Mac with BootCamp
Use Keyboard Shortcuts
In fact, it is very easy to make a screenshot on Mac in Boot Camp. If you are using an Apple keyboard with numeric keypad or Apple Pro keyboard, you can press 'F14' to take a screenshot of the full screen and 'Option + F14' to capture an active window. If you are using an Apple USB & Wireless keyboard or MacBook Pro keyboard, you need to press 'Fn + Shift + F11' to capture full screen and 'Fn + Shift + Option + F11' to snapshot an active window. The screenshot is copied to the clipboard. You can go to Paint, paste the screenshot on the blank board and save it as an image file. This is the default way to print screen on Mac running Windows.
Pros: No need to install additional programs.
Cons: It's awkward to press so many keys at the same time.
Utilize Screenshot Tools
Since you are running Windows OS, you can use third-party screenshot tools for Windows to screenshot on your Mac. Free Screenshot Capture is a wise choice. Logitech capture mac. It is a light-weight online screenshot application. With this tool, you are able to capture full screen, active window and any specific region on the screen. In addition to taking screenshot, it also allows you to annotate the screenshot instantly, share the screenshot to social networks directly or upload it to the free Cloud space provided by the developer.
Here are the detailed steps for you to print screen Windows on Mac with this tool.
- Navigate to screenshot.net, and click on the orange 'Take Screenshot' button. Run Java applet to load this application.
- When the application pops up, hit on the camera icon or press the hotkey 'Ctrl + Q'. Then your cursor will turn into a crosshair. Click, hold and drag your mouse to capture an area. And release your mouse to confirm the screenshot.
- You can annotate the screenshot with lines, arrows, text and so on. After that, click the diskette button to save it to your local file. Alternatively, you can also upload it to the Cloud so that you can get links to embed the screenshot in forums and blogs.
It's worth mentioning that this application also has a pro version which has 10 screenshot modes, including scrolling window screenshot, menu screenshot, polygon screenshot, etc. Aside from that, this pro version also comes with a robust image editor, a screen recorder and a task scheduler which allows you to take automatic screenshots. You can download this version to enjoy all those benefits now.
Pros Descargar explorer mac. : You can take, annotate, save/share/upload the screenshot within one interface.
Cons: The online version needs network.
Make Use of Windows Built-in Screenshot Utility
How to enter product key for microsoft office 2016 mac. Snipping Tool is another way to screenshot Windows on Mac. To access this utility, just go to 'Start > Accessories > Snipping Tool'. It has four screenshot modes for you to choose: Free-form Snip, Rectangular Snip, Window Snip and Full-screen Snip. Apart from taking screenshot, this tool provides simple annotations as well.
Pros: You don't need to install any programs on your Mac.
Cons: Editing options are limited.
Summary
This post gives you some feasible ways to print screen Windows on Mac. It is advisable that you adopt the second method of using Free Screenshot Capture. Because, other than taking screenshot, this program also provides many other useful functions like rich editing, direct sharing as well as uploading to free Cloud space.
Cannot Screenshot On Mac Shortcut
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