Steps Recorder - Open and Use in Windows 8

How to Open and Use Steps Recorder in Windows 8

information   Information
You can use Steps Recorder to automatically capture steps you take on a PC, including a text description of what you did and a picture of the screen during each step (called a screen shot). Once you capture these steps, you can save them to a file that can be sent to other people.

Steps Recorder can be helpful if you're trying to show someone how to do a certain task or troubleshoot a problem with a support professional.

This tutorial will show you how to open and use Steps Recorder to automatically capture steps you take in Windows 8.

Note   Note

  • Steps Recorder will capture your steps in both desktop and Metro screens.
  • Steps Recorder doesn't record anything you enter (type). If what you enter is an important part of the steps, you can add comments (step 5 below) while recording.
  • Some apps, like a full-screen game, might not be captured accurately or provide enough details for a support professional to troubleshoot a problem.
  • If you're using two monitors, Steps Recorder will capture both screens during the recording process. You might want to change your display settings to use one monitor while you're recording steps.




Here's How:

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type psr.exe, and press Enter.

2. To Adjust Settings in Steps Recorder
NOTE: When you adjust settings for Steps Recorder, they're only saved for your current session. After you close and reopen Steps Recorder, it will return to the default settings.

A) Click/tap the help down arrow, and then click/tap on Settings. (see screenshot below)

Steps_Recorder_Settings-1.jpg

B) You can change the following settings for Problem Steps Recorder: (see screenshot below)


  • Output File - If you don't want to be prompted to save a file after recording, tap or click the Browse button to set a default output file name. However, if you set the default output file name, you won't be able to preview the steps after you stop recording.
  • Enable screen capture - If you don't want to capture screen shots with your recording info, select No. This might be a consideration if you're taking screen shots of an app that contains personal info, such as bank statements, and you're sharing the screen shots with someone else.
  • Number of recent screen captures to store - The default is 25 screens, but you can increase or decrease the number of screen shots. Steps Recorder will still record all of your steps, but it will only store the number of screen shots defined in the settings. For example, if you took 30 screen shots during a recording but only had 25 screen shots as the default, you'd be missing the first five screen shots. In this case, you'd want to increase the number of screen shots.
C) When finished, click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

Steps_Recorder_Settings-2.jpg

3. To Start Record

A) When you're ready to record, click/tap on the Start Record button or press the Alt+A keys. (see screenshot below)

Steps_Recorder_Start.jpg

B) Start performing the steps you want to be recorded. You will notice a small red dot flash whenever you click/tap on anything to indicate that step has just been recorded.

4. To Pause and Resume Record

A) You can click/tap on Pause Record (Alt+U) to pause the recording at any time, and then click/tap on Resume Record (Alt+S) to resume it later. (see screenshots below)

Steps_Recorder_Pause.jpg

Steps_Recorder_Resume.jpg

5. To Add Comment
NOTE: Steps Recorder doesn't record anything you enter (type). If what you enter is an important part of the steps, you can add comments to give a text description.

A) While recording or while paused, you can click/tap on Add Comment (Alt+C). (see screenshots below step 4A)

B) Highlight (outline) the part of the screen that you want to comment on, and in the Highlight Area and Comment box, enter your text, and then tap or click/tap OK. (see screenshot below)

Steps_Recorder_Add_Comment.jpg

6. When finished recording your steps, click/tap on Stop Record (Alt+O). (see screenshot below)

Steps_Recorder_Stop.jpg

7. You can now review the recorded steps, and do step 8, 9, or 10 below for what you would like to do. (see screenshots below)

Steps_Recorder_Steps.jpg

Steps_Recorder_Details.jpg

8. To Save the Recording

A) Click/tap on Save (Alt+V) at the top. (see screenshots below step 7)

B) Navigate to where you want to save the ZIP file to, type in a name, and click/tap on Save. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: The .mht file (recorded steps) is saved in the .zip file.

Steps_Recorder_Save.jpg

9. To Email the Recording

A) Click/tap on Email (Alt+E) at the top. (see screenshots below step 7)

Note   Note
In some cases, clicking/tapping on Email will not open an email message. If this happens, try closing your email app before you click/tap Email or manually open a new email message and attach the .zip file from step 8.



B) A new email message window will open in your default email client program with a Recording.zip file of your recorded steps attached. Enter the contact information that you want to send the email to, enter any message you may like, then send the email. (see screenshot below)

Steps_Recorder_Email.jpg

10. To Start a New Recording

A) Click/tap on New Recording (Alt+N). (see screenshots below step 7)

B) If you have not already saved your recorded steps, then you will be prompted to do so. (see screenshot below)


  • If you click/tap on Yes, then it'll take you to step 8B.
  • If you click/tap on No, then it'll take you to step 3B.

confirm.jpg


11. When finished, close the Steps Recorder window. (see screenshots below step 7)

A) If you have not already saved your recorded steps, then you will be prompted to do so. (see screenshot below)


  • If you click/tap on Yes, then it'll take you to step 8B.
  • If you click/tap on No, then Steps Recorded will close without saving your recorded steps, and you will lose them.

confirm.jpg



12. If you like, click/tap on the Download button below to download the Steps_Recorder_Sample.zip file from step 7 to play with.
NOTE: To view the recorded steps, open the ZIP file, and double click/tap the .mht file. It will open in your default browser just how it looks in step 7 for you to review.


download


That's it,
Shawn
 

Attachments

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  • Steps_Recorder.png
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Last edited:
Wow, i didn't realize that PSR is still available on windows 8...:eek:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y520
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 7300HQ
    Motherboard
    OEM Lenovo
    Memory
    4GB DDR4-2400
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 (2)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1TB 5400 RPM
    Keyboard
    OEM Lenovo
    Mouse
    Logitech G502 Proteus Core
    Internet Speed
    100 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Other Info
    PC:

    AMD Athlon X4 760K
    8GB DDR3-1866
    AMD Radeon RX 460
    Seagate 500 GB 7200 RPM
Yeah, they made few minor changes and changed the name to just "Steps Recorder" in Windows 8 instead of "Problem Steps Recorder" in Windows 7.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Why did MS didn't show the shortcut to PSR in the first place, instead of making it as a hidden system file.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y520
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 7300HQ
    Motherboard
    OEM Lenovo
    Memory
    4GB DDR4-2400
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 (2)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1TB 5400 RPM
    Keyboard
    OEM Lenovo
    Mouse
    Logitech G502 Proteus Core
    Internet Speed
    100 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Other Info
    PC:

    AMD Athlon X4 760K
    8GB DDR3-1866
    AMD Radeon RX 460
    Seagate 500 GB 7200 RPM
Not sure why, but luckily you can use "Pin to Start" or "Pin to Taskbar" on the "C:\Windows\System32\psr.exe" file, or just create a shortcut to it from where you like.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Not sure why, but luckily you can use "Pin to Start" or "Pin to Taskbar" on the "C:\Windows\System32\psr.exe" file, or just create a shortcut to it from where you like.

They should have put the shortcut on Start-All Programs-Accessories-Windows System (On Windows 7). That'll make more people use it, as it was buried under the "untouched by consumers" world of files.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y520
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 7300HQ
    Motherboard
    OEM Lenovo
    Memory
    4GB DDR4-2400
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 (2)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1TB 5400 RPM
    Keyboard
    OEM Lenovo
    Mouse
    Logitech G502 Proteus Core
    Internet Speed
    100 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Other Info
    PC:

    AMD Athlon X4 760K
    8GB DDR3-1866
    AMD Radeon RX 460
    Seagate 500 GB 7200 RPM
I was just wondering, if it was possible to post the recording on a thread when helping/looking for help, or would it have to be privately mailed.
There definitely would be times this would be better then a written description or just a screenshot when something is complicated or involved, especially for beginners(who probably can't use the tool anyhow:think:) but...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
Hello Cliff,

Sure, you could upload it in a ZIP file if you like to a post. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Hello Cliff,

Sure, you could upload it in a ZIP file if you like to a post. :)
Thanks for the info Brink, that's gonna make things easier sometime. And great tutorial(as always) on the subject. Microsoft leaves alot of holes in theirs:rolleyes:.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
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