Install Hotshot#
Open the latest release and choose one of these downloads:
| Your Windows PC | Recommended installer | Portable alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Intel or AMD processor, x64 | Hotshot-Core-win-x64-Setup.exe | Hotshot-Core-win-x64-Portable.zip |
| ARM processor, ARM64 | Hotshot-Core-win-arm64-Setup.exe | Hotshot-Core-win-arm64-Portable.zip |
Not sure which one you need? Check Windows Settings > System > About > System type.
Run the installer and launch Hotshot. Installation is for your Windows user and does not require administrator privileges. The first launch opens the editor and history, ready to capture. Closing it keeps Hotshot running in the tray.
Core or Full?#
Releases from 0.1.14 offer two editions. Core is the smaller download: capture, editing, recording, OCR, comparisons, OneDrive settings, and MCP tools are included; the cloud-AI runtime is optional. Core assets have Hotshot-Core- in their name. Full includes the Copilot runtime and keeps the existing Hotshot-win- asset names.
For Full, choose the x64 installer or ARM64 installer; Full portable ZIPs are also on the release page. The 0.1.14 x64 Core installer is about 151 MB, versus 206 MB for Full.
Choose one edition, not both. Both use the same native app and local data; each updates on its own architecture/edition channel. Existing Full installations remain Full and are not silently switched to Core.
In Core, open Screenshots > Optional Copilot component to explicitly install the verified component, or choose an SDK-compatible external runtime. Installing software is separate from enabling image uploads, signing in, or authorizing a coding agent.
For the portable version, extract the entire ZIP to a permanent, writable folder and run Hotshot.exe. Keep its files together. Moving it later may require updating the Start with Windows setting.
Note Release packages are currently unsigned, so Windows may display a SmartScreen warning. Download only from this repository's official releases. The
.nupkg, delta, JSON, andRELEASESassets are update-system files, not the downloads you need to start using Hotshot.
Your first screenshot#
- Start Hotshot. Look for its amber-and-coral lightning icon near the Windows clock; it may be under Show hidden icons.
- Press Print Screen. Drag to select a region, or click a window.
- Paste into another app with Ctrl+V. Screenshots also save to Pictures\Hotshot in OneDrive (work/school first, then personal), or local Pictures without OneDrive.
- Click the tray icon when you want to review or edit it. Choose its filename to load it into the editor.
No window appears after a screenshot. That is intentional. Capturing, copying, and saving happen without opening the editor or changing its selection.
No first-run tour or setup is required. Clipboard copying, file saving and window snapping are on; Copilot descriptions and assistant access stay off. Available OneDrive is used for settings automatically. New installs also prefer OneDrive for captures; existing folder choices are kept. An optional setup check is available under About Hotshot > Set up Hotshot.
If Print Screen opens Snipping Tool instead, see Troubleshooting.
Shortcuts and tray controls#
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Print Screen | Select a region or click a window. |
| Ctrl+Print Screen | Capture the monitor under the pointer. |
| Shift+Print Screen | Capture all monitors. |
| Ctrl+Shift+Print Screen | Start or stop a screen recording. |
| Space, in the capture overlay | Select/capture the monitor under the pointer. |
| Escape, in the capture overlay | Cancel without taking a screenshot. |
Change shortcuts under Settings > Keyboard shortcuts. Select a shortcut, press the new combination, then choose Apply or Clear. Hotshot reports invalid, duplicate, or unavailable shortcuts.
Click the tray icon to open or focus Editor and history. Right-click it for capture commands, recording controls, Settings, the captures folder, and Exit. Closing Settings or the editor does not quit the tray app.