How does one do a screen capture from a MS Surface Tablet?

To take a screenshot with your Surface: Hold the Windows-button pressed and while keeping it pressed; press the volume-down button.

Hey Mark, 

You can create a Screen Capture by pressing the Windows button on the Surface (the Windows Logo found on the front of the device just below the viewscreen) and the volume down button, found on the upper right side of the Surface.

Thanks so much. Worked like a "charm".  Appreciate you knowledge; and, willingness to share it. Have a great day.

You don't use a keyboard for Print Screen.  It is done by pressing down on the Windows Logo on the faceplate followed by "clicking" the Volume Down like you would do with a camera shutter.  The screen will fade as an indicator of the screenshot and the picture is stored in a folder "Screenshots" within "Pictures".

You have to practice to get the timing right for it to work.  Each tablet is a little different.

No keyboard is used.  If you are desperate for a screenshot, you can plug in a regular USB keyboard and use the PrinScn key on it.

Remember to keep pressing down on the Windows Logo when you "click" the Volume Down.

I am trying and trying but the windows button on the screen and the volume down button to make a screen shot does not work on my RT.  Any suggestions besides snipping tool because I can't figure how to select snipping tool and then switch over to Internet Explorer to make that work either.

Get a real keyboard and then you can press Win-PrtScrn.   <eg>

However, in case you have a second screen hooked up you could alternatively use the On-Screen Keyboard to do that too.  In fact, it also worked by using the Win- key from the Surface cover and then tapping the OSK PrtScrn key with my pen.  So I suppose in an single screen scenario we could also move the OSK so that only the corner of the keyboard which shows the PrtScrn key would be on screen and then "snap" the rest of the screen?  Oh.  Perhaps we can even simultaneously invoke the Fade feature too?  Ha!  Dreaming.   So, I think a problem with the idea of moving it up beyond the top of the screen means that I can't tap on the key accurately.  Instead let's at least test the Fade idea when it is in a position which will not be interpreted as one which is still in a Move state...  So that means the OSK Title bar has to be still showing after the move but the PrtScrn button can be under the bezel.  I'm going to use my mouse pointer there because that ridiculous fat-tipped capacitive pen "nib" is too inaccurate...  (Also, when we use a real pointing device we can then reduce the size of the OSK even more to make it as inconspicuous as possible.)  Win-PrintScrn works that way but not with Fade.   YMMV.

Heh.  While trying to figure out what the "volume down button" meant I have stumbled over a  possible alternative.  Win-H.  (Share charm)   It didn't work for OneNote for me but it did work for Fresh Paint.  It turns out that F6 key that looks like a circle with 3 balls on it is the same thing.  Oh.  F6.  There is an F6 in the OSK Nav bar.  Does it do the same thing?...  Nope.  (I hope some day I will get a good clue for why F6 is there.)  In fact, this looks like a dead end too.  Fresh Paint acted as if it had snapped a screen shot but I can't find any sign of where it might have gone.  Someone who has a real Win8.1 may be able to use ProcMon to figure out what is going on.

FYI

Robert Aldwinckle

you will know if took a screenshot if when you hold down the windows button and press the volume down button the screen gets momentarily dark then you can go into gallery and see it in the folder screenshots then once you are viewing it you go into  the charms then hit Devices➡ print➡ then select the printer you want

if this does not work I am sorry I hope this was helpful though

It is the exact same procedure. Plug in a keyboard and press the print screen key. Or even winkey+printscreen to save the screenshot to file. If the keyboard doesn't have the key, hold the windows touch button in front of the surface and then tap the volume down button.

You actually have MORE options on a surface than you would on a traditional computer.

But you rather be smug and try to be funny.

Yours

Not so funny.

Greetings James,

We do appreciate the feedback and understand the need for a Print Screen key. We'll pass the request on.

Greetings,

I would suggest trying a Refreshon the Surface to see if that will restore the functionality. I've seen this occur in the past, where pressing the Windows button + Volume Down would show that it took a screenshot, but would not post the picture to the library. The solution that resolved the issue was to do a Refresh.

Well, keep the windows button pressed and then tap the volume down button. then safely release both :)

Hi,

I didn’t get the chance to refresh. The screen shot function returned the next day after I restarted my device twice.

Thank you.

Ivan Leong

Thanks that works,

Hold the windows logo beneath the screen (you'll feel the 'thump') and press the volume down button. The screen should dim momentarily and your screenshot will be stored in the Screenshots folder in the pictures library.

My Surface can be finicky about how I hold the logo. A light touch works best.

Press and hold the Windows logo on the screen and press volume down. No need for a keyboard to achieve print screen.

Hold down the Start Key (Windows logo on front of the device) and then press the volume down button on the left side of the device.  You'll see the screen dim and that's your confirmation it took the shot.

Screenshots will be stored in your Pictures library in a folder called "Screenshots".