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

# How to screenshot on an MSI laptop

*MSI builds gaming laptops, and gaming laptops have the most crowded keyboards. Print Screen is usually on the Fn layer, and there are often two apps competing for it.*

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

## The short answer

- `Fn` + `PrtSc` — The usual MSI combination
- `Win` + `Shift` + `S` — Bypasses every overlay
- Check Videos › Captures — Where intercepted captures often land

MSI laptops run Windows, so [the Windows methods](https://screenshot-laptop.com/windows/) apply. Two things make MSI different in practice: the keyboard, and the software stack.

## Print Screen is usually on the Fn layer

MSI's function row is dense — fan boost, keyboard lighting, display switching, camera toggle, and on many models a dedicated performance key. Print Screen frequently ends up as a **secondary label**, reachable only with `Fn` held.

Look at the key's printing. If the Print Screen label is in the same colour as the `Fn` key itself, it's on the Fn layer and always needs `Fn`.

Some MSI models support `Fn`+`Esc` as a Fn Lock, others don't. Check for a padlock icon on `Esc`.

To set it in firmware: restart, tap `Delete` during the MSI logo (MSI uses `Delete` where most brands use `F2`), and look for a function-key behaviour setting under Advanced or Settings. MSI's BIOS varies considerably across generations, and on some gaming models the option isn't exposed at all — in which case `Fn` is permanent and `Win`+`Shift`+`S` is the better habit.

## Two or three apps want your Print Screen key

That competition is the defining MSI problem. A typical MSI gaming laptop ships with:

- **MSI Center** (or Dragon Center on older models) — performance and lighting, with a capture feature
- **GeForce Experience** or the AMD equivalent — has capture and instant replay bound to hotkeys by default
- **SteelSeries GG** on models with SteelSeries keyboards — can remap keys entirely

Any of these can claim Print Screen. The result is a capture that definitely happened — you saw a flash, you heard a sound — but Pictures › Screenshots is empty.

Where to look:

|App|Default folder|
|---|---|
|GeForce Experience|Videos › Captures, in a per-game subfolder|
|MSI Center|Its own gallery, path set in the app|
|Xbox Game Bar|Videos › Captures|

Fix it properly by opening each app's hotkey settings and either unbinding Print Screen or changing its binding to something you won't press by accident. [Full diagnostic procedure](https://screenshot-laptop.com/fix/print-screen-not-working/)

## SteelSeries keyboards can be remapped

If your MSI has a SteelSeries keyboard, SteelSeries GG lets you map any key to any function. That's the cleanest solution when Print Screen is buried on the Fn layer: pick a key you never use — Scroll Lock, the right `Alt`, a macro key — and point it at Print Screen.

## The overlay-proof method

`Win`+`Shift`+`S` doesn't go through the Print Screen key at all, so no overlay can intercept it. On an MSI, this is less a fallback than the default recommendation. [Why it can't be hijacked](https://screenshot-laptop.com/windows/windows-shift-s/)

## Questions

**Where did my MSI screenshot go?**

Check Videos › Captures first — both Game Bar and GeForce Experience use it, and GeForce creates a subfolder named after the app or game you were in. [More places to check](https://screenshot-laptop.com/fix/screenshots-not-saving/).

**Should I use MSI Center's capture feature?**

For games it's fine. For everyday screenshots it's slower than `Win`+`Shift`+`S` and files things somewhere you have to go looking for. Windows' own tools are the better default.

**Why do I need Fn on my MSI but not on my old laptop?**

MSI's function row carries more model-specific controls, so traditional labels get pushed to the secondary layer. Check for a padlock on `Esc` — if there's one, `Fn`+`Esc` flips it permanently.