{"id":74,"date":"2005-03-09T19:54:00","date_gmt":"2005-03-09T14:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/09\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T07:07:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T01:37:42","slug":"capture-images-from-windows-media-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Capture Screenshots from Windows Media Player (Fix Black Screen)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Want to capture screenshots from Windows Media Player but got a black or blank image? That&#8217;s a common problem: the video is drawn using hardware acceleration (video overlays), so the Print Screen key often can&#8217;t see it. I ran into this back in 2005 with Windows Media Player 10, and the same fix still works in the classic player today. Here&#8217;s how to capture screenshots from Windows Media Player and the new Windows 11 Media Player, plus easier free alternatives.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30207\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/wmp-video-acceleration-settings.png\" alt=\"capture screenshots from Windows Media Player video acceleration settings\" width=\"436\" height=\"429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/wmp-video-acceleration-settings.png 436w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/wmp-video-acceleration-settings-150x147.png 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/wmp-video-acceleration-settings-300x295.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 436px) 100vw, 436px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Pause the video and press <strong>Windows + Shift + S<\/strong> to snip it with the Snipping Tool. If you get a black image in classic Windows Media Player, go to <strong>Tools \u2192 Options \u2192 Performance \u2192 Advanced<\/strong> and uncheck <strong>Use overlays<\/strong>. Or open the video in VLC and use <strong>Video \u2192 Take Snapshot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6adb4e6e00b59\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6adb4e6e00b59\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/#1_Capture_screenshots_in_Windows_11_Media_Player\" >1. Capture screenshots in Windows 11 Media Player<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/#2_Capture_screenshots_from_Windows_Media_Player_classic_without_a_black_screen\" >2. Capture screenshots from Windows Media Player (classic) without a black screen<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/#3_Take_a_snapshot_in_VLC_easiest_free_option\" >3. Take a snapshot in VLC (easiest free option)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/#4_Save_frames_with_MPC-HC\" >4. Save frames with MPC-HC<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/#Why_do_video_screenshots_turn_black\" >Why do video screenshots turn black?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/#Frequently_asked_questions\" >Frequently asked questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/#Does_Windows_Media_Player_have_a_screenshot_button\" >Does Windows Media Player have a screenshot button?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/#How_do_I_capture_a_video_frame_at_full_resolution\" >How do I capture a video frame at full resolution?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-images-from-windows-media-player\/#Where_does_the_Snipping_Tool_save_screenshots\" >Where does the Snipping Tool save screenshots?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Capture_screenshots_in_Windows_11_Media_Player\"><\/span>1. Capture screenshots in Windows 11 Media Player<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Windows 11 includes the new <strong>Media Player<\/strong> app, which replaced Groove Music and plays most video formats.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Play the video and pause it on the frame you want.<\/li>\n<li>Press <strong>Windows + Shift + S<\/strong>, or press the <strong>Print Screen<\/strong> key (on Windows 11 it opens the Snipping Tool by default).<\/li>\n<li>Drag to select the video area. The screenshot is copied to the clipboard and saved in <strong>Pictures \u2192 Screenshots<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.microsoft.com\/detail\/9mz95kl8mr0l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Snipping Tool<\/a> can also record short video clips of your screen. More options are in our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/03\/capture-desktop-images-screenshots-in-one-click\/\">capture desktop screenshots in one click<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Capture_screenshots_from_Windows_Media_Player_classic_without_a_black_screen\"><\/span>2. Capture screenshots from Windows Media Player (classic) without a black screen<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The legacy Windows Media Player (Windows Media Player Legacy) is still included in Windows 10 and 11. If screenshots come out black or blank:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open Windows Media Player and press <strong>Alt<\/strong> to show the menu bar.<\/li>\n<li>Go to <strong>Tools \u2192 Options<\/strong> and open the <strong>Performance<\/strong> tab.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Advanced<\/strong> under Video acceleration.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Uncheck &#8220;Use overlays&#8221;<\/strong> and click <strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>If it still fails, move the <strong>Video acceleration<\/strong> slider to <strong>None<\/strong> on the Performance tab.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Now play the video at any size, pause it and use Print Screen or the Snipping Tool. Turn acceleration back on afterwards for smoother playback.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Take_a_snapshot_in_VLC_easiest_free_option\"><\/span>3. Take a snapshot in VLC (easiest free option)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.videolan.org\/vlc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VLC Media Player<\/a> is free and has a built-in frame capture that saves the full-resolution image, not just what&#8217;s on screen.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pause the video on the frame you want.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Video \u2192 Take Snapshot<\/strong>, or press <strong>Shift + S<\/strong> on Windows (<strong>Cmd + Alt + S<\/strong> on Mac).<\/li>\n<li>VLC saves a PNG to your <strong>Pictures<\/strong> folder. Change the folder and format in <strong>Tools \u2192 Preferences \u2192 Video<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Save_frames_with_MPC-HC\"><\/span>4. Save frames with MPC-HC<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/clsid2\/mpc-hc\/releases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MPC-HC<\/a> (Media Player Classic Home Cinema) is a lightweight free player that&#8217;s still updated. Pause the video and use <strong>File \u2192 Save Image<\/strong> (<strong>Alt + I<\/strong>) to save the current frame as JPG or PNG. Use the arrow keys or <strong>Ctrl + \u2192<\/strong> to step frame by frame and find the exact shot.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_video_screenshots_turn_black\"><\/span>Why do video screenshots turn black?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hardware acceleration:<\/strong> the video is drawn directly by the graphics card, outside the normal screen image.<\/li>\n<li><strong>DRM-protected video:<\/strong> movies from streaming apps and some purchased videos are deliberately blocked from screenshots. These tips won&#8217;t capture protected content, and you should respect copyright when sharing frames.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_asked_questions\"><\/span>Frequently asked questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_Windows_Media_Player_have_a_screenshot_button\"><\/span>Does Windows Media Player have a screenshot button?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Neither the classic nor the new Media Player has a built-in snapshot feature. Use the Snipping Tool, or VLC&#8217;s Take Snapshot.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_capture_a_video_frame_at_full_resolution\"><\/span>How do I capture a video frame at full resolution?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Use VLC or MPC-HC, which save the actual video frame at its original resolution rather than a screen capture.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_does_the_Snipping_Tool_save_screenshots\"><\/span>Where does the Snipping Tool save screenshots?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In Windows 11, screenshots are saved automatically to <strong>Pictures \u2192 Screenshots<\/strong> and also copied to the clipboard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to capture screenshots from Windows Media Player but got a black or blank image? That&#8217;s a common problem: the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":30207,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63372,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74\/revisions\/63372"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}