---
title: "How to screenshot on a Dell laptop"
url: "https://screenshot-laptop.com/dell/"
platform: "Windows"
section: "By laptop brand"
updated: "2026-09-15"
license: "CC-BY-4.0"
attribution: "screenshot-laptop.com"
shortcuts:
  - "Fn + Esc"
  - "Win + Shift + S"
  - "Win + PrtSc"
---

# How to screenshot on a Dell laptop

*Dell puts a padlock on the Esc key. Pressing Fn + Esc flips your whole function row, which is the fastest fix for a Print Screen key that seems dead.*

URL: https://screenshot-laptop.com/dell/

## The short answer

- `Fn` + `Esc` — Toggle Fn Lock on most Dells
- `Win` + `Shift` + `S` — Works regardless of Fn state
- `Win` + `PrtSc` — Saves to Pictures › Screenshots

Dell laptops are Windows machines, so the [Windows methods](https://screenshot-laptop.com/windows/) all apply. What's worth knowing is Dell-specific keyboard behaviour.

## Fn Lock lives on the Esc key

Look at your `Esc` key. Most Dell laptops from the last decade have a small padlock icon printed on it, often with the letters Fn.

Press `Fn`+`Esc` and the entire function row swaps which layer is primary. Do it once and Print Screen responds to a single press. The setting survives restarts, and some models light an indicator on the `Fn` key to show the current state.

On a Dell, try this before anything else: one keypress, no restart.

## Where the key sits, by range

**XPS.** This is the range that catches people out. On most XPS laptops, Print Screen **shares its keycap with Insert**, in the top-right of the keyboard. Both labels are printed on the same key, and which one you get depends on Fn Lock. If you press it and a text cursor starts overwriting instead of inserting, you got Insert.

**Inspiron and Vostro.** A standalone key at the far right of the function row, printed **PrtScr**. The least fussy layout Dell makes.

**Latitude.** Top row, and business Latitudes often ship with traditional function keys already primary, so no Fn needed out of the box.

**G Series and Alienware.** Print Screen is present, but these ship with Alienware Command Center or Dell's gaming software, and often GeForce Experience too. Any of those can claim the key.

## Changing it in firmware instead

If you'd rather set it permanently and not rely on a toggle:

1. Restart and tap `F2` during the Dell logo to enter setup.
2. Find **POST Behavior › Fn Lock Options**, or on some models **Function Key Behavior** under Advanced.
3. Choose the option that makes F1–F12 the primary function.
4. Save and exit.

Dell's setup interface varies quite a bit between generations, so the exact menu path differs. The setting name always contains either *Fn Lock* or *Function Key*.

## Alienware and G Series overlays

On Dell's gaming lines, a key that appears to do nothing is often being intercepted. The tell is that the capture exists somewhere you didn't look — Alienware Command Center, GeForce Experience's gallery in Videos, or an Overwolf folder.

Check the overlay's own hotkey settings and either disable its capture binding or learn where it files things. [How to trace an intercepted key](https://screenshot-laptop.com/fix/print-screen-not-working/)

## Dell Display Manager and multi-monitor captures

Dell's own display utility doesn't affect screenshots, but Dell's larger monitors often use picture-by-picture modes that Windows sees as one very wide display. `Win`+`PrtSc` then produces an image several thousand pixels across, containing both inputs. Use `Win`+`Shift`+`S` to grab only the half you meant.

## Questions

**Why does my Dell's Print Screen key type characters instead?**

You're hitting Insert, which shares the keycap on XPS models. Press `Fn` with it, or flip Fn Lock with `Fn`+`Esc` so Print Screen becomes the primary label.

**Does Dell have its own screenshot tool?**

No. Dell ships SupportAssist and, on gaming models, Alienware Command Center — the latter has a capture feature, but it's a gaming overlay rather than a general screenshot tool. Windows' own tools are better for everyday use.

**Where is Print Screen on a Dell Latitude?**

At the right-hand end of the function row. Most Latitudes give it a keycap of its own rather than sharing with Insert, and business models often need no `Fn` at all.