From an old post: "I'm not able to get screenshots to save to a file. I've tried both Cmd-Shift-3 and Cmd-Shift-4. They make the shutter-click sound but no file is created on my desktop."
Exactly the same thing is happening to me all of the sudden. I have been taking innumerable screenshots and from one to the next it would not save the file but only save the link to the clipboard. I have an old MacBook Pro from 2015, so no touch bar.
MacBook Pro
In High Sierra (10.13.0 - 10.13.6), launch Terminal from Dock : Launchpad : Other. At the Terminal command-line prompt, copy/paste the following, and end the command string with a return:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Desktop && killall SystemUIServer
This will now allow screen capture commands not expressly for placing items on the clipboard, to instead write the screen captures to the Desktop. Shift+cmd+3, and Shift+cmd+4 will now save captures to your Desktop.
The above is not documented in the screencapture man page, or -help listing.
In Mojave and later, you would press shift + command + 5 to open the Screen Shot utilities panel at the bottom of the screen just above the Dock, and choose its Options menu, where you can choose Desktop.
See the Screencapture man page here.
In High Sierra (10.13.0 - 10.13.6), launch Terminal from Dock : Launchpad : Other. At the Terminal command-line prompt, copy/paste the following, and end the command string with a return:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Desktop && killall SystemUIServer
This will now allow screen capture commands not expressly for placing items on the clipboard, to instead write the screen captures to the Desktop. Shift+cmd+3, and Shift+cmd+4 will now save captures to your Desktop.
The above is not documented in the screencapture man page, or -help listing.
In Mojave and later, you would press shift + command + 5 to open the Screen Shot utilities panel at the bottom of the screen just above the Dock, and choose its Options menu, where you can choose Desktop.
See the Screencapture man page here.
Also check Sys Prefs>Keyboard>Shortcuts>Screen Shots
You can save us asking dozens of questions by submitting a report from this App for us to look at…
EtreCheck is a FREE simple little diagnostic tool to display the important details of your system configuration and allow you to copy that information to the Clipboard. It is meant to be used with Apple Support Communities to help people help you with your Mac. It will not display any personal info.
Pastebin is a good place to paste the whole report if you capture the URL while there…
Whew, they've changed pastebin & made it harder, but after pasting in, click Create new paste button, then Embed button, then copy the URL...
<script src="https://pastebin.com/embed_js/KuvnghqA"></script>
The important part is...
https://pastebin.com/embed_js/KuvnghqA
Workable but harder for me to work with...the Note tool on the bottom of this editor's toolbar, as shown in the image, to copy and paste the output from EtreCheck. In a Reply before you click post, look for this to add longer texts...
Thanks, I figured out what the problem was, even though I have no idea of why it occurred. From one screenshot to the next it saved the files as Screen_Shot_Date rather than Screenschot_Date, which meant that I could not find it anymore. Why it did that, I have no idea.
But thanks for letting me know about EtreCheck and Pastebin. I did not know either and it will be very useful.
Does the Grab APP work for you?
Thank you for trying again. I do not seem to be able to get Grab (perhaps on a different App Store), but I downloaded Snappy. At first I could take screenshots, but now I do not succeed anymore (the same command has no effect). Also - and in this I am sure it is my ineptitude - I do not succeed in having the screenshot saved in Dropbox, although I link the app to it.
Cmd-Shift-3 seems to be doing what is supposed to. No control key is highlighted
Thank you, but the above command seems not to have had any effect. (I am using indeed High Sierra 10.13.6.)
Thanks. I checked and deactivated ^-Shift-Command-3 and ^-Shift-Command-4. Again, no change.
Good work, take care my friend! :)
Thank you! It was a real pleasure!
Open Keyboard Viewer & see if it thinks control key is highlighting also when you use Cmd-Shift-3.
Screenshots save to clipboard instead of a file
