How to Take a Screenshot on Internet Explorer

Short answer: On Windows, press Windows+Shift+S to open Snipping Tool, choose a capture mode, and select the Internet Explorer page or window. Use Alt+PrtScn to copy only the active Internet Explorer window, or Windows+PrtScn to save the entire screen to Pictures > Screenshots when your keyboard supports that shortcut.

1. Choose the right capture method

What you need	Shortcut or method	Result
A selected area	`Windows`+`Shift`+`S`	Select a rectangle, freeform shape, window, or full screen in Snipping Tool.
The active Internet Explorer window	`Alt`+`PrtScn`	Copies the active window to the clipboard.
The entire screen saved automatically	`Windows`+`PrtScn`	Saves an image in Pictures > Screenshots on supported Windows hardware.
A long, scrolling webpage	Use a webpage capture tool or capture sections manually	Windows screen shortcuts capture what is displayed; they do not establish a built-in scrolling webpage capture for Internet Explorer.

2. Capture a selected area with Snipping Tool

Bring the Internet Explorer page to the foreground. Scroll and resize the window until the visible content is arranged correctly.
Press Windows+Shift+S. Windows opens the Snipping Tool capture overlay.
Choose Rectangular, Window, Full-screen, or Freeform mode.
For a section of the page, drag around the area you want. For the browser window, choose window mode and select Internet Explorer.
Open the resulting snip in Snipping Tool to mark it up, copy it, save it, or share it.

The shortcut is a Windows feature rather than an Internet Explorer command, so it works independently of the webpage’s scripts and browser version. Microsoft documents these Snipping Tool modes and editing actions in its official support guidance.

3. Capture only the active Internet Explorer window

Click the Internet Explorer title bar so it is the active window.
Press Alt+PrtScn.
Open Paint, Snipping Tool, or another image-capable application.
Press Ctrl+V to paste the clipboard image, then save it in PNG, JPEG, or another format.

This captures the active window, including its visible browser frame. It does not capture windows behind Internet Explorer or content below the current viewport.

4. Save a full-screen screenshot directly

Press Windows+PrtScn.
Open File Explorer and go to Pictures > Screenshots.
Rename, move, or edit the saved image as needed.

Some keyboards do not have a dedicated Print Screen key. Microsoft documents Fn+Windows+Space as an alternative on supported devices. Laptop firmware, keyboard layouts, and Windows settings can change how these keys behave.

Save: In Snipping Tool, choose the save command and select a folder and image format.
Copy: Use the copy button or Ctrl+C, then paste into email, documents, or an issue tracker.
Annotate: Use Snipping Tool’s pen, highlighter, crop, or ruler features when available.
Share: Use Snipping Tool’s share action or attach the saved file.

For evidence or bug reports, include the page URL and capture time separately. A screen image alone does not preserve the webpage’s HTML, network response, or interactive state.

6. Visible screen versus full webpage

A Windows screenshot records pixels currently displayed. A full-screen capture includes the screen’s current viewport, not every paragraph on a long page. The official Windows instructions cited for Snipping Tool and Print Screen do not document an Internet Explorer-specific scrolling capture mode.

For a long page, you can:

Capture several overlapping sections and combine them in an image editor.
Use a tool that explicitly supports full-page webpage capture.
Capture a specific element when only one table, chart, or panel matters.

Do not label a viewport image as a full-page capture. That distinction matters when screenshots are used for visual regression, audits, or archival records.

7. Troubleshooting shortcuts

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
`Windows`+`Shift`+`S` does nothing	Snipping Tool is unavailable, disabled, or the keyboard intercepted the shortcut.	Search Start for Snipping Tool and open it directly. Then choose a capture mode.
`Alt`+`PrtScn` pastes the wrong window	Internet Explorer was not the active window when the keys were pressed.	Click the Internet Explorer title bar, wait for it to become active, and press the shortcut again.
No image appears after `Alt`+`PrtScn`	The image is on the clipboard; the shortcut does not automatically create a file.	Paste into Paint, Snipping Tool, or another image editor, then save.
`Windows`+`PrtScn` does not save a file	The keyboard may require an `Fn` key, or Print Screen behavior may be changed in Windows settings.	Try the documented hardware alternative, check keyboard settings, or use Snipping Tool directly.
The screenshot cuts off the page	Only the visible viewport or selected region was captured.	Scroll and capture additional sections, or use a full-page webpage capture service.
Menus disappear before capture	The capture shortcut changed focus or the menu timed out.	Use delayed capture in Snipping Tool when available, or capture the active window after opening the menu.
Text looks blurry	The screenshot was captured at the display’s current scale or later enlarged.	Capture at the monitor’s native resolution and avoid enlarging a compressed JPEG.

8. Automate Internet Explorer-era webpage captures

If you need repeatable images for many URLs, scheduled checks, or a page that is no longer convenient to open interactively, use a browser-capable capture service instead of desktop key presses. Automation can request full-page output, a CSS-selected element, a chosen viewport or device preset, dark mode, custom CSS and JavaScript, waits for selectors or network idle, cookies and headers, geolocation, and other capture controls. Check the service documentation for the exact option names before adding them to production code.

9. Or skip the browser setup

ScreenshotNeo returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF from one GET request. Its capture process accepts cookie and consent banners like a visitor, then removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and the response identifies the page verdict and billing result in X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options and response handling.

cURL

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

Python

import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js

const fs = require('node:fs/promises');
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
await fs.writeFile('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));

ScreenshotNeo also provides an MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. It supports async jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, signed links for public image tags, caching with a chosen TTL, usage reporting, and an OpenAPI specification. Its parameter names are compatible with those used by other screenshot APIs, which can simplify migration.

Free accounts include 1,000 screenshots per month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots; yearly billing gives two months free, and every feature is available on every plan. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.

10. Reliability, performance, and cost considerations

Reliability: For desktop shortcuts, reliability depends on keyboard hardware, Windows settings, focus, and whether the content is visible. For automation, set an explicit timeout, inspect HTTP status and verdict headers, and retry only transient failures.
Performance: A viewport screenshot is usually faster than loading a full page with lazy images. Waiting for a selector, JavaScript, network idle, fonts, or lazy-loaded images increases capture time but improves completeness.
Consistency: Fix the viewport, device preset, device scale, timezone, geolocation, user agent, cookies, and color scheme when comparing captures.
Caching: Use a cache TTL when repeated captures can reuse an unchanged result. With ScreenshotNeo, cache hits are not billed.
Cost control: Avoid capturing the same URL unnecessarily, use element captures for small regions, and use bulk capture for batches. ScreenshotNeo bills only clean shots; bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed.

11. Frequently asked questions

Does Internet Explorer have its own screenshot shortcut?

No special Internet Explorer command is required for ordinary screen captures. The documented shortcuts are Windows features.

Where does Windows save screenshots?

Windows+PrtScn saves supported captures under Pictures > Screenshots. Alt+PrtScn places the image on the clipboard instead.

Can these shortcuts capture an entire scrolling webpage?

They capture the screen, window, or selected region that is visible. Use a tool with explicit full-page webpage support for a scrolling capture.

The item may have closed when focus changed or before the capture completed. Use a delayed capture, keep the window active, and capture again.

Can I automate captures without opening Internet Explorer?

Yes. A browser capture API such as ScreenshotNeo can load the URL and return an image or PDF from a request, with controls for waits, viewport, page scope, and page cleanup.