How To Record Your Screen In Windows 10 Or 11 - In Just A Few Clicks

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How to surface grounds successful Windows 10 aliases 11 pinch built-in tools
Lance Whitney / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

  • You tin grounds your surface successful Windows without other software.
  • Windows hides 2 easy devices for capturing thing connected screen.
  • Editing and sharing your recordings is simpler than you think.

I often person to grounds surface activity successful Windows for a tutorial, demonstration, aliases online class. If you're creating a presentation, devising a how-to video, aliases cooking up thing for YouTube, you mightiness want to grounds your surface activity successful Windows arsenic well.

A big of third-party devices tin grip that occupation -- immoderate free and immoderate paid. But alternatively than download and instal an outer program, you tin return advantage of a mates of features built straight into Windows.

Also: Microsoft said my PC couldn't tally Windows 11, but I upgraded successful 5 minutes anyhow - here's how

Available successful Windows 10 and 11, nan Game Bar video-capture instrumentality is designed to grounds gameplay connected your PC. But it's a versatile instrumentality that will seizure conscionable astir immoderate different type of surface activity.

With Game Bar, you tin easy grounds your screen, move connected nan microphone to drawback your sound aliases different audio, and prevention nan signaling to your PC. You're past capable to negociate each nan recorded clips wrong nan Game Bar interface and play immoderate recorded video. The video itself is saved arsenic an MP4 file, truthful you tin modify aliases pine it up utilizing immoderate video editor. I'll show you this process successful item below.

But there's different method, astatine slightest if you usage Windows 11. Once a elemental screen-capture utility, nan Snipping Tool tin grounds immoderate surface activity and prevention nan signaling arsenic an MP4 video file. Let's cheque retired some options.

How to grounds immoderate surface activity successful Windows pinch Game Bar

In Windows 10 aliases 11, spell to Settings, prime Gaming, and click Captures. Between some versions of Windows, nan screens look different and nan settings aren't successful nan aforesaid order. But nan basal options are each nan same.

Also: How to switch your Windows 11 Start paper pinch thing amended - effort my favourite aliases this free option

By default, your surface recordings are saved successful your personification files nether Videos\Captures, but you tin alteration nan location if you wish. To find retired really to do that, click nan nexus for "How to prevention to a different folder." The process requires you to unfastened File Explorer and move nan Captures files to nan caller location.

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Go to nan settings for Gaming
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

You tin opt to grounds activity that has already occurred. In Windows 10, move connected nan move for "Record successful nan inheritance while I'm playing a game." In Windows 11, move connected nan move for "Record what happened." You tin past find nan long for inheritance recording. Click nan dropdown paper for "Record nan last" to group nan clip to anyplace from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.

Next, cheque nan boxes for "Record moreover erstwhile my PC isn't plugged in" and "Record while wirelessly projecting my screen" to alteration some options.

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Set nan long for inheritance recording
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
Maximum signaling magnitude options
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Turn connected nan move for "Record audio erstwhile I grounds a game" successful Windows 10 and "Capture audio erstwhile signaling a game" successful Windows 11. Click nan dropdown paper and you're past capable to group nan value of nan audio, nan signaling measurement for your microphone, and nan signaling measurement for your PC.

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Enable and power audio seizure during surface recording
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

The recommended framework complaint is 30 frames per second. You tin bump that up to 60 fps, but 30 fps should suffice for astir recordings. The default video value is group to standard, though you tin alteration that to precocious if necessary. 

Also: Your Windows 11 PC has an emergency shutdown characteristic - here's wherever to find it

Finally, you tin move disconnected nan move for "Capture rodent cursor erstwhile signaling a game" if you don't typically grounds nan rodent cursor.

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Video value options
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Several keyboard shortcuts are disposable to power nan Game Bar. In Windows 10, you tin position and moreover alteration nan shortcuts successful nan Settings screen. For this, spell to Settings, prime Gaming, and click Game Bar.

In Windows 11, you person to unfastened nan Game Bar interface to position and modify nan shortcuts. The pursuing shortcuts are ones you'll want to support successful mind:

  • Windows key+G: Open Game Bar.
  • Windows key+Alt+R: Start aliases extremity recording.
  • Windows key+Alt+G: Record nan past 30 seconds of surface activity.
  • Windows key+Alt+PrtScn: Take a fixed screenshot of your surface activity.

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Xbox Game Bar shortcuts
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

How to tally nan Game Bar

1. Set up nan activity you want to grounds

Now let's show nan Game Bar and activate it to grounds your surface activity. Set up nan activity you wish to record. When ready, property Windows key+G. The apical toolbar and nan Capture pane for Game Bar should appear.

Also: Don't want to upgrade to Windows 11? You don't person to, but here's what you should know

The apical toolbar lets you show aliases hide nan different menus and panes for Game Bar, including Widget, Audio, Capture, Performance, Resources, and Xbox Social. At a minimum, you'll want to spot nan Capture pane truthful you tin start, control, and extremity nan capture.

The Game Bar interface
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

2. Start a signaling

Tap nan Record fastener successful nan Capture pane. Then execute nan surface activity you want to capture. A mini signaling sheet appears connected nan screen.

Starting a signaling for a video
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

3. Stop and position your signaling

When you've completed nan activity being captured, property nan extremity fastener connected nan mini sheet to extremity nan recording. A connection pops up telling you that nan crippled clip was recorded.

Click that connection aliases property Windows key+G to return to nan Game Bar interface. A Gallery model appears, displaying nan name, date, and clip of nan recording, and nan video disposable for playback. Tap nan Play fastener successful nan viewer.

Also: I activated a concealed Super God Mode successful Windows - and unlocked everything

From there, you tin region nan video and raise aliases little nan volume.

Playing a video
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

4. How to grounds without launching Game Bar

First, property Windows key+Alt+R. The mini signaling sheet appears connected nan screen. Click nan extremity fastener erstwhile vanished and past unfastened Game Bar. Your caller signaling now appears successful nan Gallery model for you to play. If you request to seizure nan past 30 seconds of surface activity, property Windows key+Alt+G.

Using keyboard shortcut to grounds video
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

5. How to activity pinch recorded video straight

Go to c:\users\[username]\Videos\Captures. You'll spot your videos saved arsenic MP4 files, which you tin unfastened successful a video editor aliases different exertion to play aliases modify them.

Using File Explorer to play aliases edit video
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

6. How to tweak Game Bar settings

Press Windows key+G. On nan apical toolbar, click nan Settings icon. 

Also: Windows 11 upgrade not working? Try my 4 favourite troubleshooting tricks

Here, you tin position and alteration immoderate of nan shortcut keys, modify nan ocular taxable of nan Game Bar interface and nan transparency of nan menus and panes, and power really and erstwhile audio is recorded arsenic you seizure your surface activity.

Xbox Game Bar settings
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

How to grounds your surface successful Windows 11 pinch nan Snipping Tool

1. Check your OS type

To grounds your surface successful Windows 11 pinch nan Snipping Tool, you'll request a definite type of nan operating system. To check, spell to Settings, prime System, and click About. In nan Windows specifications section, nan build should beryllium 22621.1344 aliases higher.

Also: This free instrumentality installs Windows 11 connected unsupported PCs - without immoderate bloatware

If you qualify, you're bully to go. If not, caput to Windows Update to snag nan latest updates for nan OS, and past to nan Microsoft Store and your room to drawback nan latest updates for your Store apps.

2. Set up nan model aliases app you want to grounds

Click nan Start button, prime All, and past click nan shortcut for Snipping Tool. Click nan Camera icon connected nan toolbar, and past prime nan New button.

Snipping Tool pinch frog displayed connected screen
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

3. Focus connected nan correct area

Select nan area you want to record, and past click Start connected nan Snipping Tool toolbar.

Clicking Start connected nan Snipping Tool toolbar
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

4. Perform nan activity

After nan signaling starts, execute nan surface activity you want to capture. Click nan Pause fastener connected nan toolbar to return a break, and past click nan Record fastener to restart. When done, click nan Stop button.

Also: 5 apps I ever instal connected each caller Windows PC - and why they're essential

Stopping nan recording
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

5. Edit, share, aliases prevention nan record

The signaling appears successful a Snipping Tool preview model wherever you tin play it. From there, click nan Edit successful Clipchamp icon to edit nan video. Click nan Save fastener to prevention nan signaling arsenic an MP4 video file. Click nan ellipsis icon and prime Share to stock nan record pinch a personification aliases app.

Editing nan video successful Clipchamp
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

6. Set your preferred audio signaling root

With nan latest update to nan Snipping Tool, you tin configure your audio settings earlier you commencement your surface recording. To do this successful nan tool, click nan ellipsis icon successful nan precocious correct and prime Settings. Scroll down nan surface to nan conception for Screen recording.

Also: Microsoft said these 400 readers couldn't upgrade to Windows 11. They did it anyway

To automatically commencement signaling audio done your microphone, move connected nan move for "Include microphone input by default erstwhile a surface signaling starts." To automatically commencement signaling your PC's strategy audio, move connected nan move for "Include strategy audio by default erstwhile a surface signaling starts."

During nan existent surface recording, you tin besides opt to shut up nan audio from nan microphone aliases from nan system.

Set your preferred audio signaling source
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

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