file-systems

Windows Screenshots▌

by rubinsh

Easily access and manage Windows Screenshots from WSL2. List and retrieve screenshots with metadata, paths, or base64 co

Provides access to Windows screenshots from WSL2 environments by automatically detecting screenshot directories and offering tools to list recent screenshots with metadata, retrieve specific files as paths or base64 content, and display configured directories.

github stars

★ 7

GitHub npm

Zero configuration setupAuto-detects screenshot paths from Windows registry

best for

/ WSL2 users sharing screenshots with Claude
/ Developers using Claude Code CLI in terminal environments
/ Automating screenshot analysis workflows

capabilities

/ List recent Windows screenshots with metadata
/ Retrieve screenshot files as base64 content
/ Auto-detect Windows screenshot directory locations
/ Display configured screenshot directories
/ Access screenshots across WSL2 and native Windows

what it does

Enables Claude to access Windows screenshots directly from WSL2 environments by automatically detecting screenshot directories and providing tools to list and retrieve screenshot files.

about

Windows Screenshots is a community-built MCP server published by rubinsh that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Easily access and manage Windows Screenshots from WSL2. List and retrieve screenshots with metadata, paths, or base64 co It is categorized under file systems.

how to install

You can install Windows Screenshots in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.

license

MIT

Windows Screenshots is released under the MIT license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.

readme

MCP Windows Screenshots

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables Claude to access Windows screenshots from WSL2. Perfect for seamlessly sharing screenshots with Claude Code without manual file navigation.

Why This Tool?

When using Claude Code cli in WSL2 or in Cursor/VSCode, sharing Windows screenshots requires navigating complex file paths like /mnt/c/Users/... or dragging the image to the terminal. Also, what if want to share the last 4 screenshots with Claude? this can become very cubersome. This tool simplifies the process to just:

Take a screenshot on Windows (Win+Shift+S)
Ask Claude to show your latest screenshot/s
Claude instantly accesses and displays it

No more copy-pasting paths or navigating directories!

Key Features

Auto-detection: Automatically detects your Windows Screenshots folder location from the registry
Cross-platform: Works in both WSL2 and native Windows environments
Smart defaults: Falls back to common screenshot locations if custom paths aren't found
Zero configuration: Works out of the box for most users

Prerequisites

Windows 10/11 (with or without WSL2)
Node.js 18+
Claude Code CLI installed

Installation

Run this single command in your terminal (works in WSL2, Windows Terminal, PowerShell, or Command Prompt):

claude mcp add windows-screenshots -s user -- npx mcp-windows-screenshots@latest

That's it! Restart Claude Code and you're ready to go.

The tool will automatically:

Detect your environment (WSL2 or Windows)
Find your Windows Screenshots folder from the registry
Configure the appropriate paths

Usage

Once installed, Claude can use these tools:

View a Screenshot

Ask Claude: "Look at the latest screenshot"

Claude will automatically find it and look at the image.

List Recent Screenshots

Ask Claude: "Show me my latest screenshots"

Claude will display your recent screenshots with timestamps and sizes.

Check Screenshot Directories

Ask Claude: "Which directories are you checking for screenshots?"

Claude will show all configured paths.

How It Works

The tool automatically:

Detects your environment (WSL2 vs native Windows)
Queries Windows registry for your actual Screenshots folder location
Searches common locations as fallback:
- Your configured Screenshots folder (from Windows settings)
- Pictures/Screenshots
- OneDrive Pictures/Screenshots
- Desktop
- Documents/Screenshots
- Temp folders

Troubleshooting

No screenshots found

Ask Claude to "list screenshot directories" to see which paths are being searched
Ensure your screenshots are saved in one of the searched directories
If your screenshots are in a custom location, see Advanced Configuration below

Tool not available

Restart Claude Code after installation
Run claude mcp list to verify the server is installed
Ensure you used -s user when adding the server

Advanced Configuration

Custom Screenshot Directories

If your screenshots are saved in a non-standard location, you can specify custom directories:

WSL2 with custom paths:

claude mcp add windows-screenshots -s user \
  -e "MCP_SCREENSHOT_DIRS=/mnt/c/Users/john/CustomFolder;/mnt/c/Users/john/Desktop" \
  -- npx mcp-windows-screenshots@latest

Windows with custom paths:

claude mcp add windows-screenshots -s user -e "MCP_SCREENSHOT_DIRS=C:\Users\john\CustomFolder;C:\Users\john\Desktop" -- npx mcp-windows-screenshots@latest

Environment Variables

WINDOWS_USERNAME: Override the auto-detected Windows username
MCP_SCREENSHOT_DIRS: Specify custom screenshot directories (semicolon-separated for multiple paths)

Manual Username Configuration

If the auto-detection doesn't find the correct username:

WSL2:

claude mcp add windows-screenshots -s user \
  -e "WINDOWS_USERNAME=YourWindowsUsername" \
  -- npx mcp-windows-screenshots@latest

Windows:

claude mcp add windows-screenshots -s user -e "WINDOWS_USERNAME=YourWindowsUsername" -- npx mcp-windows-screenshots@latest

Development

To contribute or modify this tool:

git clone https://github.com/rubinsh/mcp-windows-screenshots.git
cd mcp-windows-screenshots
npm install
npm run build