Recording your PC screen can come in handy in many situations. Meanwhile, it makes troubleshooting easier because you can resume an incident as it occurs. Plus, you can use it to prepare easy-to-follow instructions. Finally, if you like video games, you can record the dynamics of a game and capture the best moments or share them online with users from all over the world.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Windows
Step 1. Download the free "Screen Recorder" program
Windows does not have a built-in function for recording. However, you can download Screen Recorder. This is a free utility released by TechNet, Microsoft's official portal for software development. You can download it from here.
If you need a more robust and free recorder for game streaming or any other use, go to the appropriate section of this article for instructions on how to use Open Broadcast Software
Step 2. Double click on the downloaded file to extract the installation files
These will by default be extracted to C: / UtilityOnlineMarch09 \. You can edit this path before extracting them.
Step 3. Open the folder where the files are located and then select folder from
32-bit or 64-bit. If you are unsure which operating system you are using, choose 32-bit. To find out the version of Windows installed on your PC, read this article.
Step 4. Double click on the ScreenRecorder program
Download Windows Media Encoder when prompted. This software will be installed on the PC and then the installation program will be closed.
Step 5. Double click on ScreenRecorder again
After installing Windows Media Encoder start the ScreenRecorder installation. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the operation.
Step 6. Launch the program
Once the installation is complete, ScreenRecorder will be in the programs section of the Start menu or on the desktop. A small window will appear on the screen allowing you to set the recording options.
Step 7. Select what you want to record
By default, ScreenRecorder records the full screen. Click on the "FULL SCREEN" drop-down menu to select a specific window if you wish to register a single application.
If you are recording full screen to share with others, make sure there is no personal information displayed
Step 8. Check the "Audio" box to record with the microphone while capturing the screen
Even though ScreenRecorder doesn't record computer audio, you can use a microphone or webcam to record your voice.
Read this article for instructions on how to connect a microphone to your PC
Step 9. Click OK when done with the settings
Registration will not start yet.
Step 10. Click the box at the top of the window to name the file
From here you can also choose where to save the video.
Step 11. Click "Start" to start video recording
If you record a specific window, the border of that window will start blinking. When recording full screen minimize the ScreenRecorder window to keep it hidden while you record.
If you have checked the "Audio" box, you can start speaking into the microphone to record the audio that will accompany the video
Step 12. Pause the recording
If you need to pause, you can click the "Pause" button. You can click on "Resume" to restart the registration.
Step 13. Click on "Stop" to end the recording
Once finished, the file will be created in the specified path.
- You can edit the movie when you're done, just like you would any other clip.
- The file will be in.wmv format which can be played with most media players and easily uploaded to YouTube.
Method 2 of 4: Mac OS X
Step 1. Open QuickTime
OS X has a built-in QuickTime feature that allows you to perform basic screen recording. To access it you need to start QuickTime first.
- You can quickly start QuickTime by simultaneously pressing Cmd + Space and typing "QuickTime".
- If you need a more robust and free recorder for game streaming or any other use, go to the appropriate section of this article for instructions on how to use Open Broadcast Software.
Step 2. Click on "File" → "New Screen Recording"
The screen recording window will open.
Step 3. Click "∨" button to select audio recording as well
If you want to comment on the video, you can select the microphone from this menu.
Read this article for instructions on how to connect a microphone to your PC
Step 4. Click on the Rec button (the red dot) to start recording the screenshot
You can see how much space the video takes up as you record.
Step 5. Click on the "Stop" button when you have finished recording
You will be able to preview the screencast and then select where to save it.
Step 6. Edit the file with QuickTime
QuickTime allows you to do some basic edits on the video file without having to install additional software. Read this article to read how.
Method 3 of 4: Linux
Step 1. Open the installed software package manager
Many screen recording programs are available on Linux and may differ depending on the operating system distribution. You can download new Linux programs using the package manager.
The package manager in Ubuntu is called "Software Center"
Step 2. Search and download "recordMyDesktop"
It is one of the simplest and most popular screen recording programs and is available in Ubuntu and other distributions.
Step 3. Use the "Video Quality" and "Sound Quality" sliders to change the recording quality
Lowering the quality will result in a blurrier image and a smaller file size. This is useful if you are recording a long video and don't want to waste time encoding later.
Step 4. Click on the "Advanced" button to change the other settings
Most users can ignore them if they are simply shooting the desktop, but if there is a need to change the recording modes of a video game (FPS or First Person Shooter) or to disable certain aspects of the Linux interface while recording, you can do it from this menu.
Step 5. Click and drag a box on the preview image to select the recording area
You can also click the "Select Window" button to select a specific window to register.
Step 6. Click on "Record" to start recording
When you are done click on the "Stop" button.
During registration you can control recordMyDesktop from the system menu bar. Click on the red circle to open the controls of recordMyDesktop
Step 7. Click on "Save as" to name the screencast and to save
Then you can edit the movie using a specific video editing program or upload it to YouTube.
Method 4 of 4: Open Broadcast Software (Windows and Mac)
Step 1. Download the Open Broadcast Software (OBS) installer
OBS is free recording and screencast software currently available on Windows and OS X. A version for Linux is under development. You can get OBS from obsproject.com/index.
- Once on the site, Windows users can click on the "Windows 7/8" button. This also works with Windows Vista if it is up to date, but Windows XP is not supported.
- Mac users will need to click on the "OS X 10.8+" button under "OBS Studio" (Formerly OBS Multiplatform).
Step 2. Add the source
When starting OBS for the first time, you need to specify the "source". This is the video source information that will be used by OBS for filming.
- Click with the right mouse button in the "Sources" window.
- Select "Add" and then the source you want to record from. You can select full screen (Screen capture) or specific windows (Window capture). There are other options too; if you want to record a video game, select "Capture Game".
- Choose which window or application you want to capture (if appropriate). If you have selected Window Capture or Game Capture, you can use the drop-down menu at the top of the settings page to choose which window or application you want to capture. Also you can decide to use a hotkey to start and stop recording.
- Accept the default settings. For now, confirm the basic settings for the selected source. You can make changes later to meet your needs as you become more familiar with the program.
Step 3. Click the Preview Stream button to check the settings
If you have selected "Screen Capture", you should see a live preview of the entire screen.
Step 4. Open the Settings menu
Some settings can be changed before starting recording. You can press the Settings button to log in.
- The "Encoding" tab allows you to change the encoding settings for audio and video. Most users can leave the default parameters as they are, but you can change them to adjust the quality and file size.
- The "Broadcast Parameters" tab allows you to access information about the streaming service and connect OBS to Twitch, Ustream and many other live streaming services. You can also use this tab to change the path for storing recordings, which are saved in the default Videos folder in the user's folder.
- The "Video Parameters" tab allows you to select the video card, and to adjust the recording resolution. Windows Vista and Windows 7 users should check the "Disable Aero" box to improve performance.
- The "Audio" tab allows you to choose the default microphone for recording, as well as the audio output from the computer you wish to record.
- The "Hot Keys" tab allows you to set which keys you can use to start and stop recording and streaming. These are very useful for checking the recording without opening the OBS window and making it visible. Also you can set the "Press to Talk" keys which will activate the microphone only when you hold them down.
Step 5. Start recording
After changing the settings to your liking, you can start recording by clicking Start Recording or by pressing the "Record" hotkey.
Step 6. Find the video
After completing the recording, you can find the video file in the specified path. If you haven't changed the default settings, you will be able to find it in the Video Folder in the user's folder.
Step 7. Convert the video (if necessary)
OBS will record in FLV format. This format is fine for uploading files to YouTube, but it is not compatible with all multimedia devices. Read this article for instructions on how to convert a video to a format that can be used on any device.
