Windows Your favorite screen capture software!

I need a good, basic, fast screen capture software that's free and allows you to edit (paint style) - any recommendations? SnagIt is one I used to use, but it wasn't free

 

Print screen button + paint

 

I'm making a walkthrough - step by step with many different graphic images is going to be painstaking using paint. I might as well do print screen + photoshop. Good tip for noobs, though.

 

ScreenshotCaptor http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/screenshotcaptor/index.html
Free and useful.
It's really powerful, just check out all the settings before you start using to make sure you know what you're doing.

 

I use the super old Jascs (Corel now) PaintShop Pro 7.
Works great under XP (with registry file association fix), and no issue under Vista 64-bit.

Starts as fast as Windows Image Viewer, has interesting capture feature (can select keyboard shortcut or mouse right click, show/hide mouse, multiple or single capture, window, client area, full screen or even object). Moreover, the pictures are being taken in high quality can edit/save/open png's, gif, bmp, jpg, and about 20 different formats and support (can also set) gif transparency. In addition, you can use your scanner with it, and you have all you need to edit VERY easily your pictures. It's not photoshop, but it's not paint. Imagine photoshop with reduced functionality (with added missing features of photoshop that should be there), and easy to use as Windows Paint. The only down side is it lacks of some flexibility in image editing, but for any quick jobs or screen capture it is perfect. And it doesn't support tiff and png transparency.

Since Corel acquired Jascs Software, PaintShop Pro take 2 time longer to start then Photoshop, crashes a lot, annoying pop-ups of alerts that you cannot disable, worst software activation ever made in this planet that begs apocalypse. I think you can install Windows faster then create an account (don't ask), and activate the software and cross your finger that you did not made a typo as you will need to uninstall the program, reboot, re-install, re-create an account...arrrrr!

If you can manage to get the old 7, I think it is exactly what you are looking for, but it's a shareware software...from a company that doesn't exists. So I don't know how you will legally acquire the software and pay for it.

 

How about ScreenShotCaptor? (link)

missed sam's post

 

won't you have to load the caps into paint or something anyways to crop out the useful parts for your guide?

 

I think that's why he wanted the integrated editor. However, I think ScreenShotCaptor allows such selective screen shots.

 

!Quick Screen Capture...

 

Been using both !Quick Screen Capture and Screenshot Captor for a couple hours each, but I think I like Screenshot Captor better - just has a smoother work flow, but both do pretty much the same things. Just a quick review

 

Alt+PrintScreen into Paint shop pro for single grabs
Paint Shop Pro for multiple timed captures (ie 1 grab every 3seconds)
CamStudio for capturing video to a codec of my choice (usually xvid), of the desktop/windows (this also freeware for non comercial use)
Fraps for gaming screenies and videos

You may be pleased to know there is also Paint Shop Pro 8 and 9 (the last version before it being butchered by corel), using version 9 at present, love it

EDIT: version 9 on sale on ebay for £19.99

 

Under Vista the problem is solved, so you can use the PrintScreen button, or paint shop Pro or wtv program you want.

 

HyperSnap DX is another good program... albeit it's not free.

 

Lookout for some of those PC Magazine DVDs. I got Ashampoo Magical Snap v1.20 as a freebie with (from memory) PC Pro magazine UK sometime last year. Simple and effective and great VFM.

 

My vote goes for camstudio, nice framerates.

 

Snaggit is great. Does video too.

 

you can try aca Capture Pro, it works great for me.

 

Alt+Printscreen for specific windows, and then paint.net to edit (all free then )

However, I use vista's inbuilt one, it's so much better than xp's.

 

I use Wisdom Screen Hunter (Free version)

Has a hot key, and can choose if you want active screen or not, and also naming of the file. I use this when making my walk through at work.

up to you, but give it a try