How to Record Your Screen on Windows 10

In this article, we have included two free screen recording methods in Windows 10. One method is using a feature built right into Windows 10, and the other requires a free software download.

For both methods, we’ll show you step-by-step instructions on how to record videos and access your files. Before we get started, we’ll explain the differences between each method so you know which option to choose.

Which screen recording method should I use on Windows 10?

In this article, we will focus on recording via Windows 10 Game Bar and recording via OBS Broadcaster. If you want your video to be recorded as quickly as possible, we recommend choosing Windows 10 Game Bar.

If you want more control over what is being recorded, for example if you want to record a specific window or change the recording quality, we suggest OBS Broadcaster.

It’s also worth noting that the game bar will only record events in the currently active app, not the entire screen. If you run it while Chrome is the active window, it will only record what is happening inside Chrome.

Quick recording with Windows 10 game bar

Using the Windows 10 Game Bar can be a very quick and convenient option for screen recording in Windows 10. To get started, just press the Windows + G keys.

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This will open the Windows 10 game bar. Below we have provided a screenshot for your reference.

In the latest version of Windows, Windows 10 1809, the Game Bar has been changed to look like this:

If nothing happens, it means you need to go to the Windows Store and download the Game Bar app. If it still won’t load, click Start – Settings – Games – Game Bar and make sure it’s enabled.

To start recording, click the Start Recording button (circle with black dot). You can also press Windows Key + Alt + R. You will now see a small record icon in the upper right corner of your screen.

At any time, you can press the Stop button to stop recording, or press Windows Key + Alt + R again to stop it.

To access the new recording, select This PC, Videos, then Captures. This is where you will find all your new saved entries. By default, your entries will be named after the program you are currently opening and viewing.

If you want to turn on the microphone and record your voice while recording a video, you can use the Windows Key + Alt + M keyboard shortcut. You can turn off the microphone again by pressing the same keys again.

Finally, if you want to record audio from the application you are currently using but do not want to record audio from any applications in the background, press Windows Key + G to open Game bar, then click the settings icon. From the left side.

Then, scroll through the settings pop-up menu and select Game Only under Audio for Recording. Alternatively, you can choose not to record any audio at all, or record all audio to your computer.

The Windows Game Bar was specially designed for recording gameplay, but you’ll find it works great for screen recording in any other standard program as well.

For some programs, like a web browser or something like Adobe Photoshop, etc., you will receive a message that game features are not available for this application and you need to check the box to enable it.

The only big drawback to the Game Bar is that you can’t use it to record your desktop or Windows Explorer. If you need to do this, or need to record the entire screen, no matter which app is active, you should check out our second sentence below.

Free screen recording software – OBS Broadcaster

The Windows Game Bar can be a great way to quickly capture screen footage, but if you need more control, we recommend using OBS Broadcaster. You can download it for free here . OBS is mainly used as a video game streaming tool, but you can also use it to record your own screen and save videos to your local disk.

After you download and install OBS Broadcaster, you will see a screen that looks something like the one below.

This may seem daunting at first, but we’ll walk you through the basics to get you started as quickly as possible. Before we can start recording, we need to take three steps.

• Step 1: Select audio / microphones
• Step 2: Select a program or window for recording
• Step 3. Sound and recording setup

Step 1. Select audio / microphones

Step 1: Choose Sound / Microphones

This is a one-time process that needs to be done in order for OBS to use the correct devices to record sound and your voice.

To get started, click the “Settings” button on the right.

Once the settings menu opens, click the Audio tab (1). From here, you can click and select your audio device from the Desktop audio device drop-down list (2).

Finally, select your microphone from the Microphone / Aux drop-down list (3).

When finished, click the Apply button and then OK.

Step 2. Select a program or window for recording

Step 2: Choose a program or window to enroll

In the next step, you will need to add a source so OBS Broadcaster knows what to record. This can be done using the Sources field on the OBS Broadcaster main toolbar.

The easiest option is to add the entire display. Click the + arrow and select Screen Capture. Then click OK.

Your display will now appear in the OBS Broadcaster dashboard. This option is ideal if you want to be able to record the entire screen and all open programs.

If you don’t want to record everything that’s shown on your display, you can instead record the contents of one open program. To do this, click the “+” arrow and select “Capture Window”.

Then you can select a specific program from the dropdown list. Once selected, OBS Broadcaster will only record the contents of that particular window.

Step 3. Sound and recording setup

Step 3: adjust audio and recording

You are now ready to start recording. However, before you start, you can adjust the desktop audio volume and microphone audio levels. In the mixer tab, you will have a number of instruments. This includes a volume slider, a mute button, and a settings button.

After setting up your audio, you can click the Start Recording button on the right side of the OBS Broadcaster toolbar. At any time, you can return to OBS Broadcaster and press the same button to stop recording.

By default, the saved video files will be sent to C: Users your_username Videos.

To see the exact location of the output, click the settings button on the OBS Broadcaster toolbar, select Output, then click Record.

Mastering OBS Broadcaster is a separate topic, but the program gives you the freedom to set up complex scenes, change the recording resolution, bitrate and frames, and make changes to the audio or recording format.

Summary

Did this guide to screen recording in Windows 10 help you? Do you have questions about the methods I used in this article? If so, leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to help as soon as I can. Enjoy!

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