How to Record Your Computer Screen: A Step-by-Step Guide with Practical Examples
Introduction
Are you looking for a way to record your computer screen for instructional or demonstrative purposes? Do you want to create video content for your personal or professional projects? Screen recording is an excellent way to do just that. This guide will give you step-by-step instructions on how to record your computer screen using different methods. Whether you're using Windows 10 or macOS, OBS Studio or Camtasia, Loom or Apowersoft, this guide has got you covered.
Method 1: Built-in Screen Recorder
Windows 10
- Opening the Game Bar
- Press the Windows key + G to launch the Game Bar.
- Starting and stopping the recording
- Click the "Record" button or press Windows key + Alt + R to start and stop the recording.
- Locating the saved video file
- Go to your "Videos" folder and look for the "Captures" folder.
macOS
- Opening the screen recording toolbar
- Press Shift + Command + 5 to launch the screen recording toolbar.
- Selecting recording options
- Choose whether to record the entire screen or a selected portion.
- Starting and stopping the recording
- Click the "Record" button or press Command + Shift + 5 to start and stop the recording.
- Accessing and saving the recorded video
- Find the recorded video on your desktop or in the "Movies" folder.
Method 2: Screen Recording Software
OBS Studio
- Downloading and installing OBS Studio
- Go to the OBS Studio website and download the appropriate version for your computer.
- Configuring settings and creating scenes
- Launch OBS Studio and select "Settings" to configure recording and audio settings. Create a scene to organize your recording.
- Adding sources and selecting the desired area
- Click the "+" icon under "Sources" and choose the desired source to be recorded. Select a specific area to record.
- Adjusting recording settings
- Go to "Output" settings to adjust the recording quality, format, and location.
- Starting and stopping the recording
- Click the "Start Recording" button or press the hotkey to start and stop the recording.
- Saving the recorded video file
- Locate the recorded video in the output folder you previously set in step 4.
Camtasia
- Downloading and installing Camtasia
- Go to the Camtasia website and download the software appropriate for your computer.
- Launching Camtasia and clicking "Record"
- Click "New Recording" and select the area of the screen to record.
- Selecting the screen area to record
- Choose which screen or area to record and adjust audio settings if necessary
- Configuring audio options
- Verify that the audio source is correct, adjust audio levels and quality settings as needed
- Starting and stopping the recording
- Click the "Record" button or press the hotkey to start and stop the recording.
- Editing the recorded video if desired
- Use the Camtasia editor to trim, split, or add effects to the recorded video.
- Saving the recorded video to a preferred location
- Share or export the video in the desired format to a specific folder on your computer.
Method 3: Online Screen Recorders
Loom
- Signing up for a Loom account
- Go to the Loom website and sign up for an account
- Installing Loom or using the web version
- Install the Loom extension or use the web version to access the recording tools.
- Launching Loom and selecting recording options
- Start a new recording by clicking on the Loom icon in your toolbar, select a screen or application to record.
- Configuring audio settings
- Verify audio sources such as mic or computer audio and audio output settings as needed
- Starting and stopping the recording
- Click the "Stop" button or press the "Esc" key to stop the recording.
- Saving and sharing the recorded video
- Share the video on social media, save it as a GIF, or copy the link for sharing purposes.
Screencast-O-Matic
- Visiting the Screencast-O-Matic website
- Visit the Screencast-O-Matic website and click "Start Recording".
- Starting the online recorder and choosing recording area
- Select and adjust screen recording options such as system audio, webcam and desired screen area to record
- Adjusting audio settings
- Verify that the audio levels are set correctly and configure other audio-related settings as needed
- Starting and stopping the recording
- Start the recording by clicking "Record" or hitting the hotkey, stop the recording by clicking "Done"
- Saving and sharing the recorded video
- Save the video to your computer, share it via social media or copy/share the provided URL.
Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder
- Visiting the Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder website
- Visit the Apowersoft website and click "Start Recording".
- Starting the online recorder and selecting recording mode
- Select the recording mode that you desire, such as recording the whole screen or only a specific app window.
- Adjusting audio preferences
- Configure audio preferences for microphone and system sounds as needed.
- Starting and stopping the recording
- Start the recording by clicking "Start" and stop it by clicking "Stop".
- Saving or sharing the recorded video
- Save the video to your computer or share it on various social media platforms once you're done recording.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You now have a guide to recording your computer screen using different methods ranging from built-in screen recorders to dedicated software and online tools. I hope this guide has given you practical examples and step-by-step instructions to confidently capture screen recordings for your desired purposemmkommoos.