On Windows 11, press Windows + Shift + R, drag over the area you want, and select Start. That opens the Snipping Tool’s video mode. Select Stop when you’re done. Current versions save the video as an MP4 in Videos > Screen Recordings.
On Windows 10, or to record a single app, press Windows + Alt + R to start and stop the Xbox Game Bar recorder. Its clips are MP4 files in Videos > Captures.
Both tools are part of Windows, so the steps are identical on HP, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, Acer, and Microsoft Surface laptops. The brand only matters for keyboard quirks, which are covered below. This guide also covers recording sound, where files go, the third built-in option most people forget (PowerPoint), and when a browser recorder is the better fit.
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Which Windows screen recorder should you use?
| Snipping Tool | Xbox Game Bar | PowerPoint Screen Recording | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows version | Windows 11 | Windows 11 and 10 | Any PC with PowerPoint 2016 or later, or Microsoft 365 |
| Shortcut | Windows + Shift + R | Windows + Alt + R | Windows + Shift + Q to stop |
| What it records | Any area you select, including the desktop | One app at a time; not the desktop or File Explorer | A selected area or the whole screen |
| Microphone | Optional | Optional (Windows + Alt + M) | On by default |
| Computer sound | Optional | Game or app audio, or all audio | Not documented |
| Saved to | Videos > Screen Recordings (MP4) | Videos > Captures (MP4) | Inside the slide; export with Save Media As |
The capabilities above come from Microsoft’s documentation for Snipping Tool, Xbox Game Bar, and PowerPoint, plus Dell’s Game Bar article for the desktop and File Explorer limitation. All were checked in October 2026.
For most people on Windows 11, the Snipping Tool is the right default: it can record anything on screen. Game Bar is better when you want to capture one app’s window and its sound. PowerPoint is the fallback on Windows 10 when you need to record the desktop.
How to screen record on Windows 11 with the Snipping Tool
- Open the recorder. Press Windows + Shift + R. You can also open Snipping Tool from the Start menu, select Record, then New.
- Select the area. Drag a rectangle around what you want to capture. To record the full screen, drag across the whole display.
- Choose your audio. Before you start, use the microphone and system-audio buttons in the recording toolbar. Details are in the audio section below.
- Start. Select Start.
- Stop. Select Stop in the toolbar.
After you stop, the recording opens in Snipping Tool, where you can play it back, copy it, or select Edit in Clipchamp to trim it. Newer Snipping Tool versions save every recording automatically to Videos > Screen Recordings as an MP4 file. You can change that folder in the app’s settings.
The Print Screen key opens the Snipping Tool overlay on current Windows 11 builds. If it doesn’t, the option is in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard. For video, Windows + Shift + R is the direct route.
How to screen record on Windows 10 (and Windows 11) with Xbox Game Bar
Game Bar ships with Windows 10 and Windows 11. It was built to capture games, but it records most apps, including browsers and Office.
- Open the app you want to record and click into its window, so it’s the active window.
- Start recording. Press Windows + Alt + R. Alternatively, press Windows + G to open Game Bar and select the record button in the Capture widget.
- Toggle your microphone with Windows + Alt + M if you want narration.
- Stop. Press Windows + Alt + R again, or select the stop button in the small recording widget.
Clips save as MP4 files in Videos > Captures. Each file name includes the app’s name and the date and time.
Game Bar has two limits people run into:
- It can’t record the desktop or File Explorer. Dell’s support article notes it doesn’t work in apps such as File Explorer or Notepad, and it doesn’t open on the desktop. If you see “Gaming features aren’t available for the Windows desktop or File Explorer,” that’s the reason. Use the Snipping Tool or PowerPoint instead.
- It records one window. Switching to another app mid-recording doesn’t follow you, so it’s a poor fit for walkthroughs that jump between programs.
On Windows 10 N editions, Game Bar recording depends on the Media Feature Pack, which you can add under Settings > Apps > Optional features.
How to screen record on Windows with audio
There are two kinds of sound, and each tool handles them separately:
- Microphone audio: your voice and the room.
- System audio: sound the PC plays, such as a video, a call, or an app’s alerts.
Snipping Tool. The recording toolbar has separate buttons for the microphone and for system audio, so you can record either, both, or neither. If several microphones are connected, you can pick one before you start. Snipping Tool’s settings, under Screen recording, control whether each is switched on by default. Microsoft added these audio options in Snipping Tool version 11.2307.44.0 (Windows Insider blog). If you don’t see the buttons, update Snipping Tool from the Microsoft Store.
Xbox Game Bar. Open Game Bar with Windows + G, go to Settings > Capturing, and choose which audio to record: just the game or app, or All. Pick All if the recording is missing sound from other apps. Turn the microphone on with Windows + Alt + M, or in the Capture widget.
PowerPoint. Screen Recording captures audio and the mouse pointer by default; you can switch either off in the control dock before recording.
Before an important recording, record ten seconds, speak a sentence, play a sound, and check the playback. If your voice is missing, the free microphone test shows whether Windows hears your mic at all. For how mic and system audio work on other devices, see does screen recording record audio?
Record your screen in PowerPoint (works on Windows 10)
If you have PowerPoint, you already have a third recorder:
- Open a presentation and go to Insert > Screen Recording.
- In the control dock, choose Select Area (or press Windows + Shift + E), or press Windows + Shift + B to capture the full screen.
- Leave Audio and Record Pointer on, or switch them off.
- Select Record. Pause with Windows + Shift + D and stop with Windows + Shift + Q.
- The video is inserted into your slide. To keep it as a separate file, right-click it and select Save Media as.
This is the simplest way to record the whole desktop on Windows 10, where the Snipping Tool has no video mode and Game Bar won’t record the desktop.
How to screen record on an HP laptop
HP laptops use the same Windows tools: Windows + Shift + R for the Snipping Tool on Windows 11, or Windows + Alt + R for Game Bar. HP’s own Windows 10 screen recording guide recommends Game Bar and PowerPoint.
The HP-specific detail is the top row of keys. Many HP laptops ship with action keys enabled, so F1–F12 control brightness, volume, and other functions by default. A shortcut that uses a function-row key, such as Print Screen on some models, may need the fn key held as well. You can change this with Action Keys Mode in the BIOS setup (press F10 at startup, then System Configuration).
How to screen record on a Dell laptop
On Dell laptops, the steps are again the standard Windows ones. Dell’s support article on screen recording points to Xbox Game Bar and repeats its limits: it won’t record File Explorer, Notepad, or the desktop, and on a tablet or in tablet mode you need a keyboard attached to use the shortcuts. Recordings land in Videos > Captures as MP4 files.
For anything outside a single app, such as a desktop walkthrough, use the Snipping Tool on Windows 11 or PowerPoint on Windows 10.
How to screen record on a Lenovo laptop
Lenovo laptops also use the Windows tools. If a function-row shortcut doesn’t respond, check FnLock: on ThinkPad models, Fn + Esc toggles whether the top row sends F1–F12 or hotkey functions. On Lenovo-branded models (IdeaPad, Yoga, Legion), the same behavior is set under Hotkey Mode in the BIOS Configuration tab. See Lenovo’s guide to using function keys without Fn.
When to use a browser recorder instead
The built-in tools are excellent for a file you’ll keep or upload yourself. They get awkward when someone else has to watch:
- You have to find the MP4, upload it somewhere, and send a link.
- None of the built-in recorders puts your face in a camera bubble while you walk through the screen.
- Long recordings make large files that email won’t carry.
A browser recorder skips those steps. Chairkick runs as a web page in Chrome or Edge on Windows. It records your screen, your camera in a corner bubble, and your microphone, mixed with the audio of the tab or screen you share. When you stop, you get an unlisted link with a transcript; viewers don’t need an account. You can make a first recording without signing up. After that, the 14-day Pro trial needs no credit card, then Pro is $9 per recorder per month or $72 per year, with recordings up to two hours.
On a Chromebook instead? Our Chromebook screen recording guide covers ChromeOS’s built-in recorder.
FAQ
What is the shortcut to screen record on Windows?
Windows + Shift + R opens the Snipping Tool recorder on Windows 11. Windows + Alt + R starts and stops an Xbox Game Bar recording on Windows 10 and 11.
How do I stop a screen recording on Windows?
In the Snipping Tool, select Stop in the recording toolbar. In Game Bar, press Windows + Alt + R again. In PowerPoint, press Windows + Shift + Q.
How do I screen record on Windows with sound?
In the Snipping Tool, switch on the microphone and system-audio buttons before you start. In Game Bar, set Settings > Capturing to record All audio and press Windows + Alt + M for your mic.
Can Windows 10 screen record the desktop?
Not with Game Bar, which only records app windows. Use PowerPoint’s Insert > Screen Recording, or a browser-based recorder.
Where do screen recordings go on Windows?
Snipping Tool recordings: Videos > Screen Recordings. Game Bar clips: Videos > Captures. Both are MP4 files.
Why does Game Bar say gaming features aren’t available?
You started a recording on the desktop or in File Explorer, which Game Bar doesn’t support. Click into an app window first, or use the Snipping Tool.
How do I screen record on a laptop?
Every Windows laptop, whether HP, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, or Acer, uses the same built-in tools: Windows + Shift + R on Windows 11 or Windows + Alt + R for Game Bar. If a function-row key doesn’t respond, try holding fn.