You do not need paid software to record a how-to for a coworker. Windows 11’s Snipping Tool records a region. Xbox Game Bar records a window or a game. Both write an MP4 you can attach or upload. Pick based on whether you need the whole desktop or one app.
What you need
- Windows 10 (1909 or later) or Windows 11
- A few GB free on C: — recordings grow fast
- A microphone only if you want narration
In this guide
1. Record a region with Snipping Tool (Windows 11)
Open Snipping Tool. Switch from the camera icon to the video icon. Click New. Drag a rectangle around the area — a browser window, a settings page, a bug. Click Start. A 3-second countdown gives you time to click into the right window.
Click Stop on the floating bar. Preview plays. Save. This is the cleanest way to record “click here, then here” without capturing your email in the corner.
Windows 10’s classic Snipping Tool does not record. Use Game Bar below, or upgrade.
2. Record a window with Xbox Game Bar
Click the app you want to record so it is focused. Press Win + G. On the Capture widget, press Record, or press Win + Alt + R without opening the overlay.
A small timer appears. Stop with the same shortcut. Game Bar is built for games and single apps. It will not always record File Explorer or the desktop itself — Microsoft blocks some system UI. If the Record button is grey, that window is on the block list; use Snipping Tool’s region recorder instead.
3. Add or mute the microphone
In Game Bar, the mic icon on the Capture widget toggles narration. In Snipping Tool recording, use the mic toggle on the capture bar before you hit Start.
If the recording has no sound, check Windows Settings → System → Sound → Input, and that the meeting app is not exclusively holding the mic. The microphone guide covers that fight.
4. Find the video file
Game Bar saves under Videos → Captures as MP4. Snipping Tool asks you where to save, or uses the last folder you picked. Sort that folder by Date modified if the name is a timestamp you do not recognize.
Trim the start and end in the Photos app (Open with → Photos → Edit) or Clipchamp if you only need to cut the countdown. You do not need Premiere for a 40-second how-to.
If the recorder is greyed out
No record button, or a 0-byte file
- Settings → Gaming → Xbox Game Bar: turn the feature on. Then try Win + G again.
- Hardware-accelerated recording needs a GPU Windows recognizes. On a very old PC, Snipping Tool region record on Windows 11 is more reliable than Game Bar.
- Close other overlays (Discord, NVIDIA, Steam). Two overlays at once break capture.
- If C: is almost full, the file will fail silently. Free space first.
For a still image instead of a video, use screenshots. A 12-second clip is better than a paragraph; a screenshot is better than a 10-minute video of you hunting for a menu.
Common questions
Does Windows 10 Snipping Tool record video?
The old Windows 10 Snipping Tool does not. Use Xbox Game Bar there, or Windows 11’s Snipping Tool video mode.
Why is the Game Bar record button grey?
Microsoft blocks recording some system windows like File Explorer. Record a region with Snipping Tool instead.
The MP4 is huge.
Shorten the clip and close extra displays. A few minutes of full-screen video grows fast. Trim in the Photos app.
