Record Screen in Microsoft Windows 7
Recording your screen can be very useful, whether you’re getting technical support or just showing off something cool to your friends and family. Ths wikiHow will teach you several different ways of recording your screen.
Contents
10 Second Summary
1. Download and install ScreenRecorder from Microsoft.
2. Open ScreenRecorder.
3. Select the element you want to record.
4. Choose if you want to record your voice.
5. Decide if you want the window's border to flash.
6. Specify the file location.
7. Click the green Start button to start recording.
Steps
Using ScreenRecorder
- Download the Screen Recorder utility from Microsoft. This program is available as a free download from the TechNet magazine website. Once on the Utility Spotlight page, find and click the link following Code download available at: and save the file to disk.
- Install ScreenRecorder. Double-click the downloaded "UtilityOnlineMarch092009_03.exe" file to unpack the installation files. You will be asked for a destination that you want to place the files. Designate somewhere that you can access easily. You can delete these files once installation is complete.
- Navigate to the location where you unpacked the files. You will see two folders: 32-bit and 64-bit. Open the one that corresponds with your operating system.
- Run the ScreenRecorder program. This will prompt you to install Windows Media Encoder 9. Follow the prompts to install Media Encoder 9.
- Run the ScreenRecorder program again. This time, the ScreenRecorder installation will begin. Follow the prompts to install ScreenRecorder in its default location.
- Open ScreenRecorder. After installation is complete, a shortcut for ScreenRecorder will appear on your desktop. Double-click it to start the program. The ScreenRecorder control panel will appear, as well as a screen with a few tips.
- Select what element you want to record. In the dropdown menu, you can select to either record FULL SCREEN, or you can choose a specific window that you want to record. All of your active windows will appear in the dropdown menu. If you are trying to record Google Chrome and Chrome is not in the list, and you have Google Hangouts open, close Hangouts as it hides the Chrome window from the list. Then restart Screen Recorder.
- Choose whether you want to record your voice. If you have a microphone plugged in, you can check the Audio box to enable audio recording along with the video capture. This will allow you to narrate what you are doing in the video.
- ScreenRecorder uses your default Windows settings for audio input. That means that if you need to change levels, you can adjust it through the Volume button in the System Tray.
- Decide if you want the border of your window to flash. This is a tool to help you see which window you are recording. The flashing border will not appear in the recorded video, but is simply a tool to help you keep focus.
- Specify the file location. Once you have your recorder configured, click OK to open the recording tool. Before you can begin recording, you will need to specify where you want to save the video and what it should be called. Click the button at the top of the tool to set the location and name.
- ScreenRecorder records in the .WMV format. Remember that the resulting recording will be low quality.
- Start recording. You can click the green Start button to begin recording, the yellow Pause button to pause recording, and the red Stop button to complete recording and output it to the file that you specified.
Using Third-Party Programs
- Decide on which program you’d like to use. There are a variety of free and paid programs available that can capture your screen. Many of them offer extra features, such as highlighting your cursor or add effects to the video. Some of the more popular programs include:
- Camtasia Studio – Paid software that specializes in professional video creation and editing.
- Fraps – Paid software with a free trial that is specifically designed to capture video game footage.
- Install and run the program. Most users can install with programs with the default settings. None of the above programs will attempt to install adware during the installation process.
- Prepare to record. While the interface for the programs will be different, they will share many of the same options. You will be able to set what area of the screen you want to record, what effects you would like to use, and your audio recording preferences.
- Fraps operates significantly differently since it is designed for 3D games. Check out this guide on using Fraps for a more detailed explanation on that program.
- Set your video options. In the Video Options menu, select the compressor that you want to use; note that this will change the video. Some formats are more universally compatible than others. Then adjust the final quality of your video using the Quality slider bar.
- The Xvid MP4 codec is the most universally playable format.
- Record your video. Once your settings are configured, click the Record button to begin recording your screen. After you are finished capturing what you need to, click the Stop button. When you stop recording, you will be asked to name and save the file
Sharing the Video
- Edit the video. Once you have finished recording the video, you can share it exactly how it is, or you can edit it in your favorite video editing program. This will allow you to splice it up, add music, or stick in other clips.
- Upload the video to YouTube. Screen captures are a fantastic tutorial tool, and are a popular way to learn computer programs on YouTube. Upload the video and YouTube will do all the conversion work for you.
- Send it in an email. If you are doing some one-on-one technical support, you can send the video to someone else through email. This will only work for shorter videos because of email’s small file size limit, but is a great way to show a technical support person the problems you are running into.
Sample Video Captured Using This Method
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