How to capture the screen shot using .NET

It's certainly possible to grab a screenshot using the .NET Framework. The simplest way is to create a new Bitmap object and draw into that using the http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.drawing.graphics.copyfromscreen.aspx. Sample code: using (Bitmap bmpScreenCapture = new Bitmap(Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.Width, Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.Height)) { using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(bmpScreenCapture)) { g.CopyFromScreen(Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.X, Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.Y, 0, 0, bmpScreenCapture.Size, CopyPixelOperation.SourceCopy); } } Caveat: This method doesn't work properly for layered windows. Hans Passant's answer http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3072349/capture-screenshot-including-semitransparent-windows-in-net/3072580#3072580 explains the more complicated method required to get those in your screen shots.

This one? http://jalpesh.blogspot.com/2007/06/how-to-take-screenshot-in-c.html

This code demonstrates how to get a screen shot of the entire desktop, or a particular window, using .NET (and a few API functions). The C# version is shown here, but the download includes a VB.NET version too. Using the class is simple - there are four methods * public Image CaptureScreen() Creates an Image object containing a screen shot of the entire desktop * public Image CaptureWindow(IntPtr handle) Creates an Image object containing a screen shot of a specific window * public void CaptureWindowToFile(IntPtr handle, string filename, ImageFormat format) Captures a screen shot of a specific window, and saves it to a file * public void CaptureScreenToFile(string filename, ImageFormat format) Captures a screen shot of the entire desktop, and saves it to a file A quick demonstration of how to use it... ScreenCapture sc = new ScreenCapture(); // capture entire screen, and save it to a file Image img = sc.CaptureScreen(); // display image in a Picture control named imageDisplay this.imageDisplay.Image = img; // capture this window, and save it sc.CaptureWindowToFile(this.Handle,"C:\\temp2.gif",ImageFormat.Gif); And here's the code to the class we're using using System; using System.Runtime.InteropServices; using System.Drawing; using System.Drawing.Imaging; namespace ScreenShotDemo { /// <summary> /// Provides functions to capture the entire screen, or a particular window, and save it to a file. /// </summary> public class ScreenCapture { /// <summary> /// Creates an Image object containing a screen shot of the entire desktop /// </summary> /// <returns></returns> public Image CaptureScreen() { return CaptureWindow( User32.GetDesktopWindow() ); } /// <summary> /// Creates an Image object containing a screen shot of a specific window /// </summary> /// <param name="handle">The handle to the window. (In windows forms, this is obtained by the Handle property)</param> /// <returns></returns> public Image CaptureWindow(IntPtr handle) { // get te hDC of the target window IntPtr hdcSrc = User32.GetWindowDC(handle); // get the size User32.RECT windowRect = new User32.RECT(); User32.GetWindowRect(handle,ref windowRect); int width = windowRect.right - windowRect.left; int height = windowRect.bottom - windowRect.top; // create a device context we can copy to IntPtr hdcDest = GDI32.CreateCompatibleDC(hdcSrc); // create a bitmap we can copy it to, // using GetDeviceCaps to get the width/height IntPtr hBitmap = GDI32.CreateCompatibleBitmap(hdcSrc,width,height); // select the bitmap object IntPtr hOld = GDI32.SelectObject(hdcDest,hBitmap); // bitblt over GDI32.BitBlt(hdcDest,0,0,width,height,hdcSrc,0,0,GDI32.SRCCOPY); // restore selection GDI32.SelectObject(hdcDest,hOld); // clean up GDI32.DeleteDC(hdcDest); User32.ReleaseDC(handle,hdcSrc); // get a .NET image object for it Image img = Image.FromHbitmap(hBitmap); // free up the Bitmap object GDI32.DeleteObject(hBitmap); return img; } /// <summary> /// Captures a screen shot of a specific window, and saves it to a file /// </summary> /// <param name="handle"></param> /// <param name="filename"></param> /// <param name="format"></param> public void CaptureWindowToFile(IntPtr handle, string filename, ImageFormat format) { Image img = CaptureWindow(handle); img.Save(filename,format); } /// <summary> /// Captures a screen shot of the entire desktop, and saves it to a file /// </summary> /// <param name="filename"></param> /// <param name="format"></param> public void CaptureScreenToFile(string filename, ImageFormat format) { Image img = CaptureScreen(); img.Save(filename,format); } /// <summary> /// Helper class containing Gdi32 API functions /// </summary> private class GDI32 { public const int SRCCOPY = 0x00CC0020; // BitBlt dwRop parameter [DllImport("gdi32.dll")] public static extern bool BitBlt(IntPtr hObject,int nXDest,int nYDest, int nWidth,int nHeight,IntPtr hObjectSource, int nXSrc,int nYSrc,int dwRop); [DllImport("gdi32.dll")] public static extern IntPtr CreateCompatibleBitmap(IntPtr hDC,int nWidth, int nHeight); [DllImport("gdi32.dll")] public static extern IntPtr CreateCompatibleDC(IntPtr hDC); [DllImport("gdi32.dll")] public static extern bool DeleteDC(IntPtr hDC); [DllImport("gdi32.dll")] public static extern bool DeleteObject(IntPtr hObject); [DllImport("gdi32.dll")] public static extern IntPtr SelectObject(IntPtr hDC,IntPtr hObject); } /// <summary> /// Helper class containing User32 API functions /// </summary> private class User32 { [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)] public struct RECT { public int left; public int top; public int right; public int bottom; } [DllImport("user32.dll")] public static extern IntPtr GetDesktopWindow(); [DllImport("user32.dll")] public static extern IntPtr GetWindowDC(IntPtr hWnd); [DllImport("user32.dll")] public static extern IntPtr ReleaseDC(IntPtr hWnd,IntPtr hDC); [DllImport("user32.dll")] public static extern IntPtr GetWindowRect(IntPtr hWnd,ref RECT rect); } } }