Extreme screenshot lag (F12)

[7531Leonidas]

It takes 3+ seconds to make a screenshot after I press the F12 key.  I have just updated my driver to the latest Radeon 24.3.1 in W10.  I don't want to try a rollback just yet, anyone have an idea on what might be jamming it up?  Thanks!

[scorrp10]

I think F12 is for Steam screenshots.    Did you try game's own screenshots (PrtScr) which drops .png files into SSE directory?

[AaronOfMpls]

Did this just start with the driver update, or was it doing it before?

EDIT: And do you have the screenshot "camera sound" enabled or disabled?  (I know I had a problem for a while where that sound would lag, so I disabled it in my Steam settings > In Game > Screenshots section.  No idea if it's still a problem for me, since I've left that sound off.)

 

== If it's a longer-running problem from before, and didn't just start with the driver update... ==

(Spoilered in case it doesn't apply.)

Spoiler

Do you have a lot of Steam screenshots?  Maybe move them into subfolders* if your computer is taking a long time to "read" a directory with thousands of files in it. 

Or if you've moved a lot of screenshots out of your game's main Steam screenshots folder, then maybe delete your screenshots.vdf file (at .../Steam/userdata/<a-long-number>/760/screenshots.vdf) and let Steam recreate it when you browse your games in the Steam client screenshot viewer.

 

* I move mine into subfolders based on year and month number -- e.g., .../screenshots/2024/04/.  Keeps them tider

Edited April 2, 2024 by AaronOfMpls

[7531Leonidas]

I am not yet certain it is the driver, since I probably last played Skyrim somewhere around Christmas.  That's three plus months of MS updates, and this driver update on top of it...

I routinely move screenshots into a different folder, and pack them w/that character's saves, and use the deletion tool in Steam to clean up the thumbnails.  I am pretty sure that it gets the .vdf file at the same time, since my current .vdf file is only 107 kb.  Will have to check next time that I do a move/delete routine.

I had about 300 screenies to move, so I went ahead and did so, using the deletion tool in Steam afterwords.  The .vdf file is now only 1kb.

I also disabled the sound for the screenshot, but no change on the lag.  I guess that I will try to roll back the driver in the next day or two, after all.  Unless someone comes up with a better idea...

[7531Leonidas]

Used a restore point to roll back the driver, BUT, the driver did not restore.  Installed and uninstalled driver, used cleanup utility, installed the driver I thought I had.  No change, nor was there any change for the last two drivers for 2023.  I have no idea what might have changed...

I also reinstalled the WU from last week, still no change.

[scorrp10]

There are 3 methods to take screenshots in Skyrim.

First is via Steam overlay - the F12 method.    I think depending on your settings it also might upload your screenshots to the cloud.   I never use this method, so not too familiar with it.

Second is via 'PrintScreen'  (PrcSc) button, which dumps a .png screenshot into your SSE directory.

Third, if you use ENB.    In SSE directory   enblocal.ini  file has INPUT section defining hotkeys.   I set its screenshot to Scroll Lock  key (145)

The file also has ScreenshotFormat setting in its FILE secton.   0 for bmp, 1 for png, 2 for jpg.     It puts screenshots into 'screenshots' folder in your SSE directory.

 

[7531Leonidas]

I have used the Steam Overlay method pretty much exclusively, do not upload to the cloud.  I was taking 'bursts' of screenshots before I paused in playing, but now there is only single, lagged shots.  I have no idea what might have brought this on, aside from the Adrenaline update.  Ugh.