How to Include the Mouse Cursor in a Windows 10 Screenshot

How to include the mouse cursor in a Windows 10 screenshot
(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Microsoft provides two distinct options to capture the screen using bundled tools. The first, and oldest, is the PrtScr button on the keyboard, a tool that requires copying an image and pasting it into Paint to edit. It’s not ideal, and lacks the features of the newer version: Snipping Tool.

While a giant leap forward for screenshots on Windows devices, even Snipping Tool falls short in one key area that I’d never knew I needed, until I actually needed it; I couldn’t capture the mouse cursor. Here’s the roundabout fix I came up with so that I can get that pesky mouse cursor in the image, when required. Of course, you can also use third-party tools to do the same thing -- or record the screen, cursor included -- but for me, this isn’t something I’ll need that often.

How to include the mouse cursor in a Windows 10 screenshot

1) Type "Steps recorder" in the Search box in the Taskbar. 

2) Select "Steps Recorder" from the search options. 

Select steps recorder

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

3) In the recording menu bar, click "Start Record." Step recorder will capture all user actions after this point. 

Click "start record"

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

4) Click "Stop Record." A page with all recorded steps will appear. 

5) Scroll down to find the screenshot you need. 

6) Right-click on the screenshot to open the context menu. 

7) Click "Save picture as" to save the screenshot. 

Save picture as

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

8) Type a file name in the File name field. 

9) Click "save." 

Saving the file name

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

10) Click X in the upper right corner to close the Steps Recorder. 

That's it, the saved screenshot will include your mouse cursor.