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Update: Wrath of the Lich King has a different folder where the screenshots are located. Click here to find out where.

We see many screenshots of the world sensation mmorpg World of Warcraft. In forums and PvP videos we get to see actual players doing some of the most insane things.

But there are many times when you yourself have killed a rare monster, trained in epic flying for the first time, or made it to the top of the charts in a battleground match. How do you take screenshots in World of Warcraft? There should be an easy way to record memories for old times sakes.

Many veterans of Star Wars Galaxies before its Combat Upgrade would agree that shots taken of the game in 2003-2004 can evoke tears. Guild mates can relate to this the most, especially if they still remain in contact with each other.

The answer is simple.

Step 1: The monitor is the camera. Whatever is on your screen is what is going to be in the screenshot.

Step 2: Click the Prnt Scrn button (Print Screen), which is located at the top right of most keyboards. This is the button you press when you want the screenshot taken. Think of it as the button on a camera.

If you want your interface to temporarily disappear so you can get maximum detail in your screenshot, press Alt + Z. This will immediately remove the interface (the hotkeys, bags, tabs). Then click Prnt Scrn to take the screenshot, without any interference.

Click Alt + Z again to bring back the interface, everything back to normal.

Flying Past a Waterfall Near Stormwind Keep

It takes practice to perfectly time the Prnt Scrn button to capture a moment. Here is a screenshot of my Night Elf Warrior on an NPC gryphon mount flying towards Stormwind. I knew the mount was going to make a close pass to the waterfall, which was a shot difficult to do on a personal aerial mount. I did what any person in their right mind would do; I took the shots.

Now the tricky part. If you want to send these pictures to friends or post them on your blog, you need to know where the screenshots are saved. The tutorial doesn’t quite inform the player of the location and figuring out the folder is difficult.

In Which Folder Are WoW Screenshots Saved?

The folder location is:

C:\Users\\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Screenshots

The 'Name' folder is simply the main folder your system is based on (ex. John, Mary, etc.). It is usually the name of the computer's owner. So for example, if your computer "User" name is "John," then that is the first folder you have to look into.

There we go. AppData is impossible to locate visually because it is a hidden folder. To do this the quick way, go to the start menu (on Vista) and search for “appdata” and it should show up in the search results – but slightly transparent. This means it is hidden.

Enter the folder and keep moving through the list till you get to the Screenshots folder. To create a shortcut, right click on the Screenshots folder and click on “Create Shortcut.” A shortcut file copy of the folder will be created. Click and drag this file out into your desktop or to any location you wish.

All gamers need to know how to record old school mmorpg memories with friends. It feels good knowing you can look back years from now, seeing the hilarity of influencing so many real people with a simple virtual avatar.

An aerial shot in Azeroth.

Memories are priceless. Learn how to take screenshots and tell your friends as well.