Form_Keydown event is not working when PrintScreen is pressed

Question

I'm trying to detect the Print Screen key on my form, but keys like Prtsc and SysRq don't fire the KeyDown event..

    private void Form1_KeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
    {
        // Trying to detect if it fires KeyDown, but it doesn't
        MessageBox.Show(e.KeyValue.ToString());
    }

I can't figure it out, maybe I'm really dumb..

possible duplicate of [How do i capture the Print Screen key?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1191479/how-do-i-capture-the-print-screen-key) — user287107, Jul 26 '14 at 20:47

Ann L. · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-26T20:35:12.003

It can be done, but it's not straightforward. You can't do it with the KeyPress or KeyDown events: as you have discovered, it doesn't make them fire.

But you can still do it with c#: you just have to use the Windows APIs. Because the relevant code is lengthy, I'm posting the link:

Capturing the Print Screen Key

Incidentally, you're not dumb. :) Even though this seems like it should have an obvious, simple answer, it doesn't: this is genuinely complex to make happen. But it can be done.

Suji · Answer 2 · 2014-07-26T21:01:08.017

The Key handling events will work only when a key is pressed while the form has focus. The Form properties events and methods are described in http://www.tutorialspoint.com/vb.net/vb.net_forms.htm. the following code will display the pressed key name(vb.net) in message box

Private Sub Form1_KeyDown(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs) Handles Me.KeyDown
        MsgBox(e.KeyCode.ToString)
End Sub

You can trace out the Print screen key's press by using the following code:

Private Sub Form1_KeyDown(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs) Handles Me.KeyDown
    If e.KeyCode = Keys.PrintScreen Then
        MsgBox("Print screen key is pressed")
    End If
End Sub

Note :- This will not work in laptops in which the PrintScreen is achieved through function key.
For key code reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-in/library/aa243025(v=vs.60).aspx

I think their is no problem with your code the reason is that your form doesn't have focus while the key is pressed.
The tab index 0is assigned to any other control in the form so the initial focus will set to that control

Sorry am not so good in C#, you can refer http://converter.telerik.com/ for code conversion

What I'm actually trying to do is creating a `HotKey Control`, so there is focus on the form. — Joery, Jul 26 '14 at 21:11
@ joery : It is clearly mentioned that the keyDown event will work only when the form having focus. http://www.tutorialspoint.com/vb.net/vb.net_forms.htm (form events. 10) — Suji, Jul 26 '14 at 21:20

Form_Keydown event is not working when PrintScreen is pressed

2 Answers2