How can I take screenshots of the Windows 10 Login Screen?

Question

How can I take a screenshot of the Windows 10 Login Screen?

I have read How can I take a screenshot of my logon screen in Windows 7?. Unfortunately, the posted answers reportedly only work for either Windows XP or 7.

I've considered using VirtualBox or VMWare as suggested in How can I take screenshots of the PC before it boots up?, but this wont allow me to capture a computer-specific login issue*. The aforementioned question also specifically asked for solutions before the PC boots into Windows.

^{*The "Shut Down" button disappeared from my desktop's login screen, but that's an issue for a future question.}

Answer 1

Add the Snipping Tool as the Ease of Access button to do the job.

Open Registry Editor and navigate to the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options

Create a new Key called utilman.exe on the left panel and a new String value called Debugger at the right panel. Then set the path of the snipping tool (see below) as the value of the string.

C:\Windows\System32\SnippingTool.exe

At the Login Screen, Click the Ease of Access button, the one next to the Power button at the bottom right corner of the screen. The snipping tool pops up. Take the screenshot of the Login Screen and click Copy button to copy it to the clipboard. You won’t be able to save the screenshot you just took, but you can still use Clipboard as your middle man to transfer the content.

Log back to your desktop, launch Paint app or any other photo editing or screenshot app you use and paste it.

Source: https://www.nextofwindows.com/windows-10-tip-how-to-take-screenshot-of-lock-screen-and-login-screen

Answer 2

The word "camera" leaps to mind. :-)

If you've got a mobile phone there's a good chance you've a camera in it as well, so that's usually an easy option.

You can easily transfer the photo to whatever you want after that.

There's a tendency with issues like this to only look at solutions within the problem domain - i.e. you're looking at a way to get the computer to take a screenshot, not looking for a way to get a shot of the screen.

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wasted ages myself trying to get the computer to do something that just grabbing my camera and taking a quick snap shot wouldn't have done way faster. People get tunnel vision on problems and don't look for alternatives.

Answer 3

Alternatively, Lee Whittington made a freeware tool to achieve that:

Ease Of Access Replacer

The freeware replaces the button with the following useful tools:

1. Logon Screen Screenshot : Take a screenshot of the Logon Screen. Logon Screenshots are saved to C:\Screenshots.

2. Lock Screen Screenshot : Take a screenshot of the Lock Screen. Lock Screen Screenshots are saved to C:\Screenshots. (Among other tools as well)

It should work on Windows 10 as well (used it)

Answer 4

Connect to your Windows 10 PC from another computer using remote desktop and then use fast user switching to get to the login prompt so you can grab a screen shot.

Answer 5

You can also use an external video capture box, but this suggestion may be way too expensive and complicated for what you're trying to do.

Answer 6

Just press the Print button without Ctrl or Alt and paste it (Ctrl + V) in Paint/PhotoShop or any other graphics program.

I tested it on Windows 10 Pro (Version 1703).