How to Record Screen for Free on Any Windows PC Without Installing Any Software (2026) No Watermark, by WM Originals on YouTube. 2 min 22 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 22 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open the Start menu, type Snipping Tool and press Enter to launch it. If you do not see it, install it free from the Microsoft Store.
Click the video camera icon in the toolbar to switch from screenshot mode to recording mode.
Click New to start a recording, then drag to select the area of the screen you want to capture.
Click Start and let the 3 second countdown finish. The recording begins right away.
Do the activity you want to capture. Keep the recorded area on screen, since the tool only records the selected region.
Click Stop on the toolbar when you are done. The clip opens in a preview window.
Press the play button in the preview to check the recording, then click Save to export it as an MP4 file.
Choose a folder and file name in the save dialog and click Save. Your recording is ready to share.
Tips and common mistakes
The Snipping Tool records the selected area only, so resize windows before you start to avoid cutting off content.
Turn on the microphone toggle before recording if you want narration, and mute system sound if you do not.
Keep the recording window visible on screen, because the tool cannot capture a minimized window.
Record in short clips and save each one, so a crash does not lose a long session.
Questions
Does the Snipping Tool screen recorder add a watermark?
No. The built-in Windows 11 recorder saves clean MP4 files with no watermark and no time limit shown in the tool.
Can I record system audio or my microphone?
Yes. Before you click Start, use the microphone and audio toggles in the Snipping Tool toolbar to include narration or computer sound.
What if Snipping Tool has no record button?
Update Windows 11 and the Snipping Tool app from the Microsoft Store. The screen record feature arrived in a later version of the app.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
