How to screenshot on an HP laptop
HP calls its function-row setting Action Keys Mode, and it's the reason Print Screen changes your brightness instead of capturing anything.
The short answer
- Win + Shift + SWorks on every HP, no PrtSc needed
- Fn + PrtScIf tapping PrtSc alone does nothing
- Win + PrtScSaves to Pictures › Screenshots
HP laptops run Windows, so the methods are Windows methods — full list here. What's specific to HP is the keyboard and the firmware setting behind it.
Where HP puts the key#
Pavilion and Envy. Top row, right-hand end, usually the last or second-to-last key. Labelled prt sc in lower case, which HP has used consistently for years.
Spectre. Same position, but the row is shallower and the labels are printed small. On some Spectre x360 models the key shares its cap with insert, with prt sc as the primary label.
Omen and Victus. Present in the top row, but these keyboards often ship with the function row in media mode and an overlay app installed that claims the key. More on that below.
EliteBook and ProBook. Top row, and on many business models the function keys default to traditional behaviour already, so the key works with a single press.
Action Keys Mode, HP's name for the Fn behaviour#
With Action Keys Mode on, a single press triggers the printed icon — brightness, volume, aeroplane mode — and the traditional label needs Fn held down. That's why PrtSc alone appears dead.
To turn it off permanently:
- Shut down, then press the power button and immediately tap F10 repeatedly to enter BIOS Setup. (On some HP models it's Esc first, then F10 from the startup menu.)
- Open the System Configuration tab.
- Set Action Keys Mode to Disabled.
- Press F10 to save and exit.
Print Screen then works on a single press, and the media functions move to the Fn layer.
The Omen Gaming Hub complication#
Gaming HP laptops ship with Omen Gaming Hub, and gaming machines in general often have GeForce Experience or the AMD equivalent installed. All of these can bind Print Screen to their own capture feature.
The symptom is distinctive: the key seems to work — you may hear a sound or see a brief overlay — but nothing appears in Pictures › Screenshots, because the capture went to that app's own gallery. Check the Hub's capture settings, or disable its screenshot hotkey. Full diagnostic
The reliable route on any HP#
Win+Shift+S bypasses all of the above. No Print Screen key, no Fn layer, no firmware setting, no overlay app in the way. If you only want one method that always works on an HP, it's this one. What the shortcut actually does
Questions people actually ask
Does HP include its own screenshot app?
No. HP ships support and tuning utilities — HP Support Assistant, Omen Gaming Hub on gaming models — but screenshots are handled entirely by Windows. There's no HP-specific capture tool to learn, which means any Windows guide applies to your machine.
Where do HP screenshots save?
Wherever Windows puts them: Win+PrtSc writes to Pictures › Screenshots, everything else goes to the clipboard. HP doesn't change this. Full folder list.
What if my HP has no prt sc key at all?
Some compact HP models and a few Omen keyboards drop it. Nothing is lost — Win+Shift+S and the Snipping Tool cover everything. Methods with no PrtSc key.
How do I screenshot on an HP with a touchscreen?
On HP 2-in-1 models folded into tablet mode, hold the power button and press volume down. On models with no Windows logo button this is the only hardware combination available.