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I sometimes need to record screen activity in Windows for a tutorial or demonstration or online class. Whether you're creating a presentation, devising a how-to video, or cooking up something for YouTube, you might want to record your screen activity in Windows as well.

Also: The best Windows laptops you can buy right now

A variety of third-party tools can handle that job -- some free and some paid. But rather than download and install an external program, you can take advantage of a couple of features built into Windows.

Available in Windows 10 and 11, the Xbox Game Bar video-capture tool is designed to record gameplay on your PC. But it's a versatile tool that will capture just about any other type of screen activity.

With Xbox Game Bar, you can easily record your screen, turn on the microphone to grab your voice or other audio, and then save the recording to your PC. You can then manage all the recorded clips within the Game Bar interface and play any video. The video itself is saved as an MP4 file, so you can modify or spruce it up using any video editor. I'll show you this process in detail below.

Also: How to turn on live captions in Windows 11

But there's another option, at least if you use Windows 11. Once a simple screen-capture utility, the Snipping Tool can record any screen activity and save the recording as an MP4 video file. Let's check out both options.

How to record any screen activity in Windows with Xbox Game Bar

1. Go to the settings for Gaming

In Windows 10 or 11, go to Settings > Gaming > Captures. The screens look different between Windows 10 and 11, but the settings are all the same.

By default, your screen recordings are saved in your user folder under Videos\Captures, but you can change the location if you wish.

Also: How to downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

2. Set the duration for background recording

Next, you can opt to record activity that has already occurred. In Windows 10, turn on the switch for Record in the background while I'm playing a game. In Windows 11, turn on the switch for Record what happened. You can then determine the duration for background recording. Click the dropdown menu for Record the last to set the time to anywhere from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

3. Enable your recording options

Next, check the boxes for Record even when my PC isn't plugged in and Record while wirelessly projecting my screen to enable both options. 

Also: How much RAM does your Windows 11 PC need?

Click the dropdown menu for Max recording length to set it to 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or 4 hours.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

4. Enable and control audio capture during screen recording

Turn on the switch for Record audio when I record a game or Capture audio when recording a game. You're then able to set the quality of the audio, the recording volume for your microphone, and the volume for your PC.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

5. Set frame rate and turn off Capture mouse cursor when recording a game

The recommended frame rate is 30 frames per second. You can bump that up to 60fps, but 30fps should suffice for most recordings. The default video quality is set to standard, though you can change that to high if necessary. Finally, you can turn off the switch for Capture mouse cursor when recording a game if you don't typically record the mouse cursor. 

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

5. Control keyboard shortcuts

Several keyboard shortcuts are available to control Xbox Game Bar. In Windows 10, you can view and even change the shortcuts in the Settings screen. For this, go to Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar.

Also: How to control Windows 11 with your voice

In Windows 11, you have to open the Game Bar interface to view and modify the shortcuts. The following shortcuts are ones you'll want to keep in mind:

• Windows key+G: Open Xbox Game Bar.
• Windows key+Alt+R: Start or stop recording.
• Windows key+ Alt+G: Record the last 30 seconds of screen activity.
• Windows key+Alt+B: Turn HDR on or off.
• Windows key+Alt+PrtScn: Take a static screenshot of your screen activity.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

How to run the Game Bar

1. Set up the activity you want to record

Now, let's display the Game Bar and activate it to record your screen activity. Set up the activity you wish to record. When ready, press Windows key+G. The top toolbar and the Capture pane for Game Bar should appear.

Also: Is Windows 10 too popular for its own good?

The top toolbar lets you show or hide the different menus and panes for Game Bar, including Widget, Audio, Capture, Performance, Resources, and Xbox Social. At a minimum, you'll want to see the Capture pane so you can start, control, and stop the capture. 

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

2. Start a recording

Tap the Record button in the Capture pane. Then perform the screen activity you want to capture. A small recording panel appears on the screen.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

3. Stop and view your recording

When you've completed the activity being captured, press the stop button on the small panel to stop the recording. A message pops up telling you that the game clip was recorded.

Click that message or press Windows key+G to return to the Game Bar interface. A Gallery window appears with the name, date, and time of the recording, and the video available for playback. Tap the Play button in the viewer. 

Also: How to manage your Microsoft Windows 365 subscription in Windows 11

From there you can pause the video and raise or lower the volume.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

4. How to record without launching Game Bar 

First, press Windows key+Alt+R. The small recording panel appears on the screen. Click the stop button when finished and then open Game Bar. Your new recording now appears in the Gallery window for you to play. If you need to capture the last 30 seconds of screen activity, press Windows key+ Alt+G.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

5. How to work with recorded video directly

Go to c:\users\[username]\Videos\Captures. You'll see your videos saved as MP4 files, which you can open in a video editor or other application to play or modify them.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

6. How to tweak Game Bar settings 

Press Windows key+G. On the top toolbar, click the Settings icon. Here, you can view and change any of the shortcut keys, modify the visual theme of the Game Bar interface and the transparency of the menus and panes, and control how and when audio is recording as you capture your screen activity.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

How to record your screen in Windows 11 with the Snipping Tool

1. Check your OS version

To record your screen in Windows 11 with the Snipping Tool, you'll need a certain build for the operating system. To check, go toSettings > System > About. In the Windows specifications section, the build should be 22621.1344 or higher. 

Also: How to replace Windows with Linux Mint on your PC

If you qualify, you're good to go. If not, head to Windows Update to snag the latest updates for the OS and then to the Microsoft Store and your library to grab the latest updates for your Store apps.

2. Set up the window or app you want to record

Click the Start button, go to All Apps, and then click the shortcut for Snipping Tool. Click the Camera icon on the toolbar and then select the New button.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

3. Focus on the right area

Select the area you want to record and then click Start on the Snipping Tool toolbar.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

4. Perform the activity

After the recording starts, perform the screen activity you want to capture. Click the Pause button on the toolbar to take a break and then click the Record button to restart. When done, click the Stop button.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

5. Edit, share, or save the file

The recording automatically starts playing in a Snipping Tool preview window. From there, click the Edit in Clipchamp icon to edit the video. Click the Share icon to share the file with a person or app. Click the Save button to save the recording as an MP4 video file.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

6. Set your preferred audio recording source

With the latest update to the Snipping Tool, you can now configure your audio settings before you start your screen recording. To do this in the Snipping Tool, click the ellipsis icon in the upper right and select Settings. Scroll down the screen to the section for Screen recording.

Also: Windows 11 Notepad to get AI smarts, Snipping Tool update coming too

To automatically start recording audio through your microphone, turn on the switch for Include microphone input by default when a screen recording starts. To automatically start recording your PC's system audio, turn on the switch for Include system audio by default when a screen recording starts.

During the actual screen recording, you can also opt to mute the audio from the microphone or from the system.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney

See also

How to screen-record in Windows 10 or Windows 11How to improve your Windows laptop's battery lifeHow to replace your Windows 11 Start menu with a third-party appHow to use the free PowerToys FancyZones in Windows and why you shouldHow to manage your security questions for a local Windows account

• How to screen-record in Windows 10 or Windows 11
• How to improve your Windows laptop's battery life
• How to replace your Windows 11 Start menu with a third-party app
• How to use the free PowerToys FancyZones in Windows and why you should
• How to manage your security questions for a local Windows account