How to fix screenshots appear black on Windows 10

On Windows, the PrintScrn key can capture whatever is on your screen and copy it to the clipboard. The image must then be saved by pasting it into an image editor such as Paint. Windows 10 is the first version of the Windows operating system to include a smarter, easier-to-use screenshot tool. When you press the Win+PrintScrn keyboard shortcut, a screenshot is taken and saved in the Picture library’s Screenshots folder.

The screenshot tool is simple, but it does the job. Here are a few things you can do if you’re trying to capture screenshots on your system but they all appear black, i.e. nothing is captured.

Screenshots appear black on Windows 10 (FIX)

To make screenshots appear black on Windows 10, try the steps below.

1. Third-party screenshot tools

The screenshot tool in Windows 10 is basic, and the Snipping tool is only marginally better; however, there are numerous third-party screenshot tools that can be used instead of the native solutions. Use Greenshot or IrfanView instead.

2. Check for DRM protected content

On Windows, apps can choose to be excluded from the screenshot tool by marking themselves as such. Apps like Netflix, for example, prohibit screenshots and screen recording entirely to prevent piracy, among other things.

Open Notepad and use the Win+PrntScrn keyboard to capture it.
Open your user folder, go to Pictures>Screenshots folder.
Check if Notepad was captured in a fullscreen screenshot.
If Notepad is being captured, but a particular app is consistently appearing black in screenshots then it is highly likely that is blocking them. You can still capture it by running the app in a Sandbox.

3. Check for screenshot blockers

Apps have the ability to prevent screenshotting not only for themselves, but also for other apps. This is something that an antivirus or security app might do. If you suspect an app on your system is preventing you from taking screenshots, you should close it or uninstall it.

To uninstall an app that is blocking screenshots, open the Control Panel.
Go to Programs>Uninstall a program.
Select the app that is blocking screenshots, and click Uninstall at the top.

4. Screenshot games

Although some games prohibit the use of external screenshot tools, they frequently include built-in tools for capturing game play. Follow the steps below if you’re trying to screenshot in a Steam game.

Open Steam.
Go to Library and make sure the game you’re playing appears there. Click Play.
Once the game has loaded and you can play it, tap the F12 key to capture a screenshot.
You can access the screenshot from inside the Steam folder. Look for the following folder.

D:\Steam\userdata\UserID\760\remote\AppID\screenshots

5. Fix from Registry

It’s possible that screenshots aren’t being taken because of a registry problem.

Tap the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the Run box.
In the Run box, type ‘regedit’, and tap Enter.
In the registry editor, navigate to the following key.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\DCI

Double-click TimeOut in the right pane and set its value to 0.
Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.
Go to the Processes tab and select Windows Explorer.
Click Restart at the bottom right.

You will now be able to take screenshots.

Conclusion

Taking screenshots in Windows 10 is simple, but for more advanced needs, you’ll need a third-party tool. Because Windows 10 doesn’t actively prevent these tools from working, if you’re having trouble taking screenshots, it’s almost certainly due to the app or tool you’re using.