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How to Take Screenshots in Your VPS via Remote Desktop

Updated over 2 weeks ago

Taking screenshots inside a Virtual Private Server (VPS) while connected through Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) can sometimes be tricky — especially if your Print Screen button seems to capture your local PC instead of the VPS.

This guide walks you through how to properly configure both your RDP client and Windows Server settings so that screenshot functionality works inside your VPS environment.

Step 1: Adjust Remote Desktop Keyboard Settings

Before connecting to your VPS:

  1. Open the Remote Desktop Connection app (Search: mstsc)

  2. Click Show Options

  3. Go to the Local Resources tab

  4. Under Keyboard, set:

    ✅ Apply Windows key combinations → On the remote computer

  5. Also make sure Clipboard is checked

  6. Connect to your VPS as usual

This ensures that keyboard shortcuts like Print Screen are passed directly to the VPS instead of triggering on your local machine.

Step 2: Enable the PrtScn Shortcut Inside Windows Server

Once inside your VPS:

  1. Open Settings

  2. Navigate to:

    Accessibility (or Ease of Access) → Keyboard

  3. Scroll down to the Print Screen shortcut section

  4. Toggle Use the PrtScn button to open screen snipping to On

This step ensures the VPS recognizes your Print Screen key as a screenshot trigger.

Step 3: Use the Correct Screenshot Shortcut

Now that everything is configured, you can take screenshots directly inside your VPS using the following shortcuts:

  • Windows key + PrtSc

    → Captures the entire screen and saves it to:

    Pictures → Screenshots (inside the VPS)

  • Alt + PrtSc

    → Captures only the currently active window. Paste it using Ctrl + V into Paint, Word, or any image editor.

  • Shift + Windows key + S

    → Opens the Snipping Tool. You can select a region and save using Snip & Sketch.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • If the screenshot captures your local desktop instead of the VPS, double-check that:

    • You’re running RDP in fullscreen mode

    • Keyboard redirection is set to “On the remote computer” as described in Step 1

  • Some VPS environments may have group policy restrictions that affect screen capture tools. If you’ve followed all steps and it still doesn’t work, contact QuantVPS Support for help.

🤝 Need Assistance?

If any part of the setup feels unclear, the QuantVPS team is happy to help. If you’d like us to verify your environment from our side, feel free to open a support ticket and get connected with the team: https://www.quantvps.com/

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