How to Use the Steps Recorder Tool in Windows: Full Guide

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Plus, some Steps Recorder alternatives

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: April 14, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Windows 11
|
• Windows 7, 8.1, and 10
|
• Steps Recorder Alternatives
|
• Q&A
|
• Tips

|Show more |Show less

Are you that one geeky friend whom everyone calls when they need PC help? Reading this article will change the way you give them instructions. One amazing yet hidden feature of Windows is its step recorder, an app that notes your activity once you hit the record button and generates an instruction page, with text and screenshots, to explain what you did. The article will show you how to record steps in Windows with this built-in app.

Quick Steps

1. Open the Run dialog.
2. Type "PSR" and press Enter.
3. Click Start Record to start recording.
4. Perform the task you want to record the steps of.
5. Click Stop Record or Stop and Review.
6. Click Save to save your recorded steps.
7. (Windows 11 only) Open the .ZIP folder to find your recorded steps.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Windows 11

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1. 
   1
   Open the Run dialog box. Go to the Start Menu and type run in the search box. Select Run from the search results to open it.

   • You can also open it using the keyboard shortcut ⊞ Win+R.
2. 
   2
   Type the command to open Steps Recorder. Type psr and press ↵ Enter to open the Steps Recorder app.

   • Another way to open the app is by searching for Steps Recorder in the taskbar search bar.
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3. 
   3
   Click Start Record. After you click this button, every click or keystroke you make will be recorded.
4. 
   4
   Click Stop and Review once you're finished. Steps Recorder will show you a preview of what you did, including instructions and screenshots.
5. 
   5
   Click Add Comment on a step if you want to add any additional info. Once you click Add Comment, you'll be able to type some additional instructions. Click OK or press ↵ Enter to save the comment.

   • Click Update Comment to change or delete your comment.
6. 
   6
   Click Save to save the recorded steps. Steps Recorder will open a Save As dialog window. Choose the location you'd like to save the recorded steps, and give the file a name.

   • The file will be saved as a .ZIP file. You can extract this file with WinRar or 7Zip, or you can simply double-click the compressed folder to open it. Inside the folder will be a MHT file, which is an HTML file that opens by default with Microsoft Edge. However, you can open it with a different browser if you right-click the file and choose Open With.
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Section 2 of 3:

Windows 7, 8.1, and 10

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1. 
   1
   Open the Run dialog box. Go to the Start Menu and type run in the search box. Select Run from the search results to open it.

   • You can also open it using the keyboard shortcut ⊞ Win+R.
2. 
   2
   Type the command to open Steps Recorder. Type psr and press ↵ Enter to open the Steps Recorder app.

   • Another way to open the app is by searching for Steps Recorder in the Start Menu (this doesn't work for everyone).
3. 
   3
   Start recording steps. Select Start Record to start the recording. Make sure that you perform all the steps you want to demonstrate as precisely as possible. Since the app is recording your every move, make sure that you only do what you want others to see. Don't keep any sensitive information visible or minimized in the taskbar.
4. 
   4
   Add comments to your instructions. While recording your steps, if you want others to know more about something, you can use the comments feature of the app (skip this if not necessary).

   • Select Add Comment from the window; this will blur the screen and it will ask you to select the area where you want the viewer’s attention to be focused. Add your comment in the text box and click on OK to save it.
5. 
   5
   Save your recording. Once you're done with recording, select Stop Record so that it can generate a preview for you.

   • Once you're done checking the preview, select Save to save your work. A dialog box will open asking you to specify the location where you want the steps to be saved.
   • The steps are saved in HTML format, which can be opened by any Windows system using popular Internet browsers like Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Safari, etc.
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Section 3 of 3:

Steps Recorder Alternatives

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1. 
   Steps Recorder is being phased out by Microsoft. While Microsoft has not said when Steps Recorder will be fully depreciated, you may notice that the program doesn't always work as intended. This is likely due to the phasing-out process. Microsoft suggests these built-in Windows programs to replace Steps Recorder:

   • Snipping Tool: The Snipping Tool is a built-in tool that captures screenshots and screen recordings. Microsoft suggests that the Snipping Tool screen recording feature is an alternative to the Steps Recorder.
   • Xbox Game Bar: The Xbox Game Bar also has a screen recording feature, but it's a little less intuitive than the Snipping Tool screen recorder.
   • Clipchamp: Clipchamp is Microsoft's built-in video editor, and it can also be used as a screen recorder.

Community Q&A

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• Question

  Can this work on a Mac computer, too?

  

  Christopher

  Top Answerer

  No. This program is installed by default on Windows computers from Windows 7 and newer. Windows did not sell this program to Apple/Macintosh so they don't have access to this program.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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  Not Helpful 1 Helpful 9
• Question

  Does this work for the latest Windows editions, e.g., Windows 10?

  

  Community Answer

  Yes, it does. Follow the same steps.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 3 Helpful 7
• Question

  Can I use the steps recorder as a desktop recorder?

  

  Mohil Khare

  Community Answer

  No, because it doesn't record your screen, it just documents your steps and clicks.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 4 Helpful 10

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Tips

• For better results, avoid keeping the mouse stationary while recording the steps. It otherwise records where the mouse pointer is pointing at.
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• If the saved instructions come in ZIP format, use WinZip, WinRAR, 7-Zip, etc. to extract the file.
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