How to screen record on Windows 10

Method 1: Xbox Game Bar

The Xbox Game Bar comes with Windows 10. It’s made for games, but it records any app window.

1. Open the app you want to record and click into it.
2. Press Win Alt R. A timer appears in the corner of the screen.
3. Press Win Alt M to switch your microphone on. It starts off.
4. Press Win Alt R again to stop.

The video is saved as an MP4 in Videos\Captures. Press Win G to open the Game Bar if you’d rather use buttons, or see every screen record shortcut if the keys do nothing.

Limits to know about: the Game Bar records one app window only. It can’t record the desktop or File Explorer, the recording doesn’t follow you into other apps, and it stops at the maximum length set in Settings › Gaming › Captures.

Method 2: PowerPoint

PowerPoint, part of Microsoft 365, has a screen recorder that records any area, including the whole desktop.

1. Open PowerPoint with a blank presentation.
2. Choose Insert › Screen Recording.
3. Click Select Area and drag over what you want, or press Win Shift B for the full screen.
4. Click Record, and stop with Win Shift Q.
5. Right-click the recording on the slide and choose Save Media As to save it as an MP4.

Method 3: screenrecordwindows.com

screenrecordwindows.com is a free screen recorder for Windows 10 (version 2004 and later) as well as Windows 11. It records the whole screen, one window or an area you drag, with your microphone, your computer’s sound and your webcam.

1. Download and install it.
2. Press Alt R from anywhere to open the recording bar.
3. Choose Screen, Window or Area, and switch on the microphone, sound and camera you want.
4. Click Record. You get a three-second countdown.
5. Stop when you’re done. The editor opens with zooms on your clicks, a smooth cursor and private details blurred.
6. Export an MP4 up to 4K, or a GIF.

It uses Windows’ own screen capture and your graphics card’s video encoder, so it runs well on ordinary PCs. Nothing is uploaded unless you share a link.

Recording with sound on Windows 10

All three methods can record sound, but they don’t treat it the same way:

• Xbox Game Bar records the sound of the app you’re recording. Your microphone is off until you press Win Alt M, and the first time Windows may ask you to allow microphone access for the Game Bar. Audio options are under Settings › Gaming › Captures.
• PowerPoint has an Audio button in its recording toolbar. Check it’s switched on before you click Record.
• screenrecordwindows.com has separate buttons for your microphone and your computer’s sound, with a level meter so you can see the mic is working before you start.

If a recording comes out silent, the usual cause is a source that was switched off, or a microphone Windows isn’t allowed to use. The fixes are in how to screen record with audio on Windows.

If the Game Bar doesn’t open

1. Open Settings › Gaming › Xbox Game Bar and check that it’s switched on.
2. Click into an app window first. On the desktop the Game Bar has nothing to record, so its record button stays grey.
3. Update the Xbox Game Bar app from the Microsoft Store if the overlay opens but the buttons do nothing.
4. On a laptop, check whether the Windows key needs Fn, or whether a gaming mode has disabled it.

Which one to pick on Windows 10

You want to…	Use
Record a game	Xbox Game Bar
Record one app quickly	Xbox Game Bar
Record the whole desktop	PowerPoint or screenrecordwindows.com
Record with your webcam	screenrecordwindows.com
Make a demo or tutorial people will watch	screenrecordwindows.com

A note on Windows 10 support

Microsoft ended regular support for Windows 10 in October 2025. Your screen recorders keep working, but if your PC can run Windows 11, upgrading gets you the Snipping Tool’s recorder as well. See how to screen record on Windows 11.