How to change screenshots to write to a folder rather then clipboard ?

That is odd. What is your screen resolution? I did not see your screen res in your specs. Is it there and I missed it?

edit: and what is your theme?

Resolution is 1280x1024 and theme is aero theme I also use a custom starorbz from this forum so maybe related ? bu I had a windows open when I took that screen capture and it didn't capture it

bummer - that app was so tiny and it had a clean uncluttered interface.

I'm sure that there are other tools out there that do the same thing, but it did not sound like you wanted to install a 3rd party app in the first place.

If you cannot find one that works for you, then I'll help you write one.

Or, if writing one interests you, then you might want to skip searching. We would be working in AutoIt3.

Let me know.

UsernameIssues said:

bummer - that app was so tiny and it had a clean uncluttered interface.

I'm sure that there are other tools out there that do the same thing, but it did not sound like you wanted to install a 3rd party app in the first place.

If you cannot find one that works for you, then I'll help you write one.

Or, if writing one interests you, then you might want to skip searching. We would be working in AutoIt3.

Let me know.

Hey sure but I've never coded or programed before.. Doe's Purrint work for you or doe's same as mine where it doe's not capture windows and taskbar ? :)

Purrint works really fast and captures everything:
taskbar (start orb and systray), open windows, context menus, alpha windows (tool tips and tray tips).


The nice thing about AutoIt3 is that it has been around for a long time and lots of people have written the code for you. You just put it together (which is why it is called scripting rather than programming). These two lines is all it takes to capture the desktop and put it into a file:

Code:

#include <ScreenCapture.au3>
_ScreenCapture_Capture(@MyDocumentsDir  & "\GDIPlus_Image1.jpg")

That "include line" is a file that comes with AutoIt3. Some nice person put lots of work into that and gave it to the world. You and I would add lines so that when you hit the print screen button - those two lines would run.

Ok, do I download AutoIt3 to compile it into an .exe ? maybe purrint will work after I format my computer system.. It's been long over due I just wanted to wait till I grew accustom to windows 7 and have my operating system running perfectly before creating a master image backup. I guess it's not a big deal having a 3rd party app more of a preference and would much prefer if I could change something in registry to make it work like Windows 8

Haven't heard back from T800 yet but I gathered since his applications focused on bringing functions that existed on previous versions of windows to latest operating system that he maybe able to take functions from present versions.. Windows 8 registry/core structure can't be that much different from windows 7 can it ?

I leave most of my scripts as a text file but you can compile it if you want.

Take a look at the second video in this post:
SysTray Icons of some programs don't re-appear after Explorer restart

Since I have to get some rest, I've tossed together the basic lines needed to make it do what you want. It might not write the file where you want it - but we can change that later.

Code:

Opt ("TrayIconDebug", 1)

$S_running = "~screen---cap~"
If WinExists($S_running) Then Exit
AutoItWinSetTitle($S_running)

#include <ScreenCapture.au3>

HotKeySet ("{PRINTSCREEN}", "_do_work")

While 1
    Sleep(1000)
WEnd

Func _do_work()
    Local $path_plus = @MyDocumentsDir  & "\" & @YEAR & "-" & @MON & "-" & @MDAY & "-" & @SEC & "-" & @MSEC & "-"
    _ScreenCapture_Capture($path_plus & "screen.jpg")
EndFunc

The first line puts the icon in the system tray into a debug mode that helps us a bit as we write. You can click on that icon to pause or exit the script.

Most programs have a window title - you just cannot see them if the window is hidden. The trio of lines, assigns a window title to a variable and then uses that variable to check of other windows with that title. If none are found, it assigns the title to the script's hidden window. If you tried to run a second copy of the script while the first one is running, the second copy would just exit.

The "include line" is where all of the hard work was done by someone else

The hotkey line sets what key we want to use to make things happen.

The While/Wend trio of lines makes the script hang around and sleep until you press print screen.

The function lines do the work of grabbing the screen and saving it.

I'll be back later on to answer you questions and to help you change things.

Swiftkidd said:

...Windows 8 registry/core structure can't be that much different from windows 7 can it ?

No, I don't think that is it different at all, but the registry is not where this type of thing is done. It is done by calling libraries out of Dynamic Link Library files (DLL files). Some program has to call those libraries, organize the data and write it to a file. All the registry would be good for is telling the program where to find the DLL file. There still has to be a program and a DLL file (well usually that is the combo). W7 does not have that program. W7 does have the GDI DLL files. Those have been around since XP.