How to Change Windows 11 Screenshots Folder Location

Before You Start Moving Files

Most users can do the basic steps on Windows 11 Home or Pro without administrator rights, because the folder lives in your own user profile. Some of the other steps, such as the PowerShell method, may need an administrator account. Before you move anything, copy any screenshots you can’t replace to a safe place, such as a USB drive or another folder.

If you plan to use an external drive, remember that screenshots can’t save while it is unplugged. Keep the drive connected, or pick an internal partition instead.

Method 1Use File Explorer to Move Your Screenshots

You don’t need any extra tools to move the screenshots folder. File Explorer 📁 has a built-in Location tab on the folder’s Properties window. It changes the default save path, so every new screen capture goes straight to the folder you choose.

1. Open File Explorer 📁. Press Win + E on your keyboard, or click the yellow folder icon on the taskbar 🖥️. A File Explorer 📁 window opens.
2. Go to your Pictures folder. Click Pictures in the left-hand sidebar. Look for the folder named Screenshots in the file list. If you don’t see it, take at least one screenshot with Win+PrtSc first, since Windows creates the folder on first use.
3. Open the folder properties. Right-click the Screenshots folder and select Properties. The Properties window opens.
4. Open the Location tab. Click the Location tab near the top of the window, then click Move…. A folder picker appears. If there is no Location tab, you are probably looking at a copy or a shortcut rather than the real Screenshots folder in your Pictures folder. If you use OneDrive folder backup, look inside your OneDrive Pictures folder instead.
5. Choose the new destination. Browse to the folder you want. It can be a dedicated folder on your D: drive, a folder inside OneDrive, or a network path. Create a new folder first if you need one, then click Select Folder. The new path now shows in the Location box.
6. Apply the change. Click Apply. Windows asks whether you want to move all your existing screenshots to the new location. Click Yes so your old pictures travel with the folder. Depending on how many files you have, the move can take a moment.
7. Confirm the new path. Click OK to close the window. Every future screenshot now lands in your new destination. Press Win+PrtSc once and check that a new file appears there.

Otherwise Windows can’t save new files there. A folder inside OneDrive will sync your screenshots to the cloud, so check your storage quota first.

Method 2Put Your Screenshots Back Where They Started

If you want your screenshots back in the normal spot, use the Restore Default button on the same Location tab. It sends the folder back to its original path on your C: drive.

1. Open the folder properties again. Open File Explorer 📁, find your screenshot folder wherever you moved it, right-click it, and choose Properties.
2. Go to the Location tab. Click the Location tab, as you did when you moved the folder. The current custom path is shown in the box.
3. Restore the original path. Click Restore Default. Windows fills the box with the original default folder path.
4. Finish the reset. Click Apply. If Windows asks whether to move your existing screenshots back to the original folder, click Yes, then click OK. Press Win+PrtSc once to confirm new screenshots appear in the default folder.

If you click No at the move prompt, your old screenshots stay in the custom folder. You can copy them over by hand later.

Method 3Fix Broken Paths Using the Registry Editor

If File Explorer 📁 stops working or the Location tab is missing, you can set the path directly in the Registry Editor, a database of Windows settings ⚙️. It is available on both Home and Pro. You find the screenshot entry in your user profile settings and change its text value to the exact folder path you want.

Back up your registry before changing anything. In the Registry Editor, you can use File › Export to save a copy.

1. Open the Run box. Press Win + R together. The Run window appears in the lower-left corner of the screen.
2. Launch the Registry Editor. Type regedit into the box and press Enter. If the User Account Control prompt asks for permission, click Yes. The Registry Editor opens.
3. Go to the correct key. Copy and paste this address into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor, then press Enter: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders. The right-hand pane now lists the values for that key.
4. Find the screenshot identifier. In the right-hand list, look for a long code called a GUID (Global Unique Identifier) that looks like this: {B7BEDE81-DF94-4682-A7D8-57A52620B86F}. Double-click it. An edit window opens showing its current value.
5. Change the path. In the Value data box, delete what is there and type your custom folder path, for example D:\Screenshots. Click OK. Make sure the folder exists and the path is spelled exactly right.
6. Restart Windows Explorer 📁. If the change doesn’t take effect right away, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager 📊. Find Windows Explorer 📁 in the list, right-click it, and select Restart. The taskbar 🖥️ flickers briefly and then comes back. If the old path still shows, sign out and back in, or restart your 🔄 PC.

To undo the change, put the original value back, or use the Restore Default button in the folder properties as described above.

Method 4Automate the Process Using PowerShell

If you'd rather not click through menus, you can update the save path with a few commands in PowerShell, a command-line tool for system tasks. You run them in order. They set your path, create the folder if needed, update the registry entry, and reload File Explorer. Changing the registry this way carries the same risks as editing it by hand, so check each path before you press Enter.

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator. Press Win + X on your keyboard, then select Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin) from the menu. Click Yes if the User Account Control prompt appears. A terminal window opens.
2. Set your custom path variable. Type the following command, replacing the drive path with your desired folder, and press Enter: $ScreenshotsPath = "D:\Screenshots". Nothing visible happens, and that's normal.
3. Create the folder if it is missing. Run this command to make sure the folder exists on your drive: New-Item -Path $ScreenshotsPath -ItemType Directory -Force. Make sure the drive is connected first.
4. Update the registry path. Run this command to point Windows to your new folder: Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders" -Name "{B7BEDE81-DF94-4682-A7D8-57A52620B86F}" -Value $ScreenshotsPath. If you see a red error message, stop and check the path for typos before going on.
5. Restart the interface. Force File Explorer to reload its settings by running this final command: Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force. The taskbar may flicker for a moment. If new screenshots still go to the old folder, restart your computer to apply the change fully.

Summary

Moving the default Windows 11 screenshots folder saves space on your main drive and keeps your images organized. The usual way is File Explorer's Location tab. You can undo it with Restore Default. If File Explorer fails, you can fix the path in the registry or with PowerShell. Whichever method you use, test it with one Win + PrtScn capture to confirm the file lands in the right place.