Get more out of Windows' Snipping Tool

For many Windows users, the only screen-capture tools they'll ever need are the Print Screen key (in conjunction with the Alt key when they want to capture only the active window) and Windows' own Paint utility.

Others need the industrial-strength features of a commercial screen-grab utility such as TechSmith's $50 SnagIt (30-day free trial available).

The rest of us can make do just fine with the Snipping Tool that comes with Vista and is available in XP via the Microsoft Experience Pack for Tablet PC. (Note that the program runs on all versions of XP, not just tablets.)

In Vista, you can open the utility by pressing the Windows key, typing snipping tool, and pressing Enter. There's also a Snipping Tool shortcut under Accessories on the Start > All Programs menu.

If you can't find the program, press the Windows key, type programs and features, and press Enter to open the Programs and Features Control Panel applet. Click "Turn Windows features on or off" in the left pane and click through the User Account Control dialog box, if necessary. Check Tablet PC Optional Components, click OK, and close the Programs and Features applet.

Check Tablet PC Optional Components to install Vista's Snipping Tool screen-capture utility.

(Credit: Microsoft)

When you open the Snipping Tool, you're asked if you want to put a shortcut to the program on your Quick Launch toolbar. This is a convenient place to activate it, but you can also right-click any shortcut to the program, choose Properties, click in the "Shortcut key" text box under the Shortcut tab, enter your chosen key combination (Ctrl-Alt-P is popular), and click OK.

The miniature Snipping Tool window lets you choose one of four capture methods (hand-drawn, rectangle, active window, or full screen). After you make your choice and grab your screen, the resulting capture is shown in a pop-up window.

Windows' Snipping Tool offers basic annotation capabilities.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Snipping Tool Trick #1: To capture a drop-down menu or other item that disappears when the window loses focus, press the Esc key before you start your screen grab, open the menu or other on-screen element, press Ctrl-Print Screen, choose your snip type, and make the selection.

You can save the capture as a GIF, bitmap, jpeg, or .mht (single-copy HTML) file. You can also copy it to the clipboard, send it via e-mail (in the body of a message or as an attachment), and annotate it using either a "pen" or a highlighter. There's also an eraser if you go a little nuts on your notes.

Snipping Tool Trick #2: It can be tough to see through the white overlay that the program places over the screen as you make your selection. To get rid of it, click Options when the tool first opens, uncheck "Show screen overlay when Snipping Tool is active," and click OK.

[TechProof]

Just a note...it would not let me install on my Windows XP Pro SP3 machine...said I had to have Tablet Edition 2005.

[doreilly]

According to Microsoft's own support site, it works with all versions of XP with these stipulations (copied from a Microsoft support forum):

Sinpping tool is included in Experience Pack which can be downloaded from

<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=33790048-269B-4838-AB9E-74B64626A494&displaylang=en#Overview>

Microsoft Experience Pack for Tablet PC can work with Windows XP. However, please pay attention that there are some sepecial reqestments for Windows XP as below:

? Windows XP Service Pack 2
? Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1
? Windows Media Player 10 (required for Media Transfer)
? At least 50 MB of available free space on your hard disk

More information:

==============

Experience Pack for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tabletpc/experiencepack/overview.mspx

I hope this helps.

Best wishes
-------------
Morgan Che
Microsoft Online Community Support

I'll research this further and correct the post if this is in error.

Thanks,
Dennis

[hsweet]

I was unable to install the MS Experience Pack on my computer which is running XP SP3. The diag stated that I had to be running XP Tablet PC 2005.

[malmedia]

Yes, please save people the hassle by removing any reference to this working on any version of XP since that does not appear to be true.

[doreilly]

This is according to Microsoft's own support staff:

Sinpping tool is included in Experience Pack which can be downloaded from



<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=33790048-269B-4838-AB9E-74B64626A494&displaylang=en#Overview>



Microsoft Experience Pack for Tablet PC can work with Windows XP. However, please pay attention that there are some sepecial reqestments for Windows XP as below:



? Windows XP Service Pack 2

? Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1

? Windows Media Player 10 (required for Media Transfer)

? At least 50 MB of available free space on your hard disk



More information:

==============



Experience Pack for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005



http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tabletpc/experiencepack/overview.mspx



I hope this helps.



Best wishes

--------------
Morgan Che

Microsoft Online Community Support

I will research this further and correct the post if the above proves not to be the case.

Thanks,
Dennis

[doreilly]

As I stated above, according to Microsoft's own support site, it works with all versions of XP with these stipulations (copied from a Microsoft support forum):

Sinpping tool is included in Experience Pack which can be downloaded from

<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=33790048-269B-4838-AB9E-74B64626A494&displaylang=en#Overview>

Microsoft Experience Pack for Tablet PC can work with Windows XP. However, please pay attention that there are some sepecial reqestments for Windows XP as below:

? Windows XP Service Pack 2
? Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1
? Windows Media Player 10 (required for Media Transfer)
? At least 50 MB of available free space on your hard disk

More information:

==============

Experience Pack for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tabletpc/experiencepack/overview.mspx

I hope this helps.

Best wishes
-------------
Morgan Che
Microsoft Online Community Support

I'll research this further and correct the post if this is in error.

Thanks,
Dennis

[Dalkorian]

Dennis, you keep replying to people and posting the same M$ support site quote but apparently haven't noticed that:
- The quote specifies XP2 is required AND
- People having problems claim to be running XP3.

I just wanted to point that out, it might be the source of confusion here.

[RonC32-ASA]

Running Vista Home Premium and have installed Zone Alarm Force Field. When Force Field is open the Snipping Tool will not work. Anyone else seem this problem and/or have a fix for it?

[ossavir]

I would encourage anyone looking for a "snipping tool" for Windows XP or Mac to take a look at Jing (www.jingproject.com). This free tool allows for easy screen capturing as well as video screen capturing with up to 2 GB of free video storage at Screencast.com. It's made by the same company that makes SnagIt, so you know it's a quality product. I had been using SnagIt at work, but lately I've been using Jing because of it's video features with seamless upload to the internet. Try it out! (FYI, you'll need to have the .NET framework 3.0 installed if you're a PC user).

[RoutinelyCalled]

Doesn't install on XP SP2 either, so it's not an SP2 vs SP3 issue with XP. The message is you need the XP Tablet Edition 2005

[bunnykins 65]

In the article on Snipping Tool by Dennis O'Reily he says: (Note that the program runs on all versions of XP, not just tablets). I have tried repeatedly to download this program onto my PC which has W XP and I get just so far when a message comes up saying that this download is only for Tablet PC 2005. What gives? Any way around this?

[Ex_Brit]

I get the same reaction in XP SP3....must have tablet edition in order to install. Shame. The Snipping Tools is ideal.
I will keep researching. I use it in Vista and now Windows 7 beta a great deal.

[po8crg]

If you look on the download page, the requirements now are:

System Requirements
Supported Operating Systems: TabletPC

It's possible to use Orca to remove the requirement from the MSI file that you download, but the MSI extracts an InstallShield installer which also does an OS version check for Tablet PC.

I'm told this can be fixed by fiddling with the setup.inx file, but the setup.inx file is obfuscated: XOR with 0xF1 and you get a text file, you should be able to change that, XOR it back again and then install.

This is almost certainly a breach of the terms of use

[Gombalez]

If you want original Snipping Tool on XP like Vista or Windows 7, just please check this out:
http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19718-original-vista-snipping-tool-sticky-notes-inkball-games-for-xp/