How can I take screen caps of tool tips, context menus, etc?

October 16, 2004 11:50 AM

When making software user instruction booklets for the Windows-based Compleat Idiot, in which you want to include screen captures of absolutely everything the user sees, is there a way to do screen caps of things like popup tool tips, right-click context menus and so forth that close automatically the instant you press a key? Can you do it without installing an additional screen-capture utility? If you have to have an additional utility, what's a good (= lightweight and cheap) one? I don't need any special features except one, what-I-see-goes-to-clipboard.
posted by jfuller to computers & internet (7 comments total)

If you get IrfanView you can take screen captures that include context menus and popups by setting a capture timer.
posted by cmonkey at 12:50 PM on October 16, 2004

Just use the printscreen key. It does exactly what you want. - copies an image of the screen to the clipboard. Every windows computer has one, but almost everyone has forgotten what it does.
posted by grahamwell at 1:47 PM on October 16, 2004

Alt + Print Screen captures only the activated screen/popup/document.
posted by rhapsodie at 2:15 PM on October 16, 2004

The best choice here is Snagit.

Trust me on this one. You may not need one with special features, which Snagit does have, but it works so well, it's worth it. You can try it for free in any case.
posted by jeremias at 2:48 PM on October 16, 2004

ScreenRip32. As good, if not better than SnagIt - and completely free.
posted by SlappyPeterson at 6:06 PM on October 16, 2004

Gadwin Print Screen it's free and you can pick exactly what part of the screen to grab and have it automatically go from the clipboard to what ever image program you use.
posted by mss at 7:31 AM on October 17, 2004

I used to use an early vesion of Snagit, then they fuxored it by turning it into manky bloatware. Now I use GadwinPrintScreen. I'll second mss. Lightweight, easy and does what you're asking for.
posted by normy at 7:46 AM on October 17, 2004