Windows · Copy only the active window
Screenshot
Windows · Linux
Alt+PrtScMac
Not on this systemCopies only the window in front to the clipboard, not the whole screen, so nothing behind it ends up in the picture.
- Group
- Screenshot
- Keys held
- 2
Win-key combinations are captured before any program sees them — nothing can clash with them, and nothing can override them either.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Copy only the active window in Windows?
Copies only the window in front to the clipboard, not the whole screen, so nothing behind it ends up in the picture. It is Alt+PrtSc on Windows and — on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Alt+PrtSc on Windows, — on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
2 pressed together. The combination sits under Screenshot in Windows.