Using the Sound Recorder

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 2, 2018)

Windows includes an accessory that you can use to record audio messages or other sounds. It is called (appropriately enough) Sound Recorder. It isn't as full-featured as some audio programs, but it is quick, easy and—best of all—free.

To start Sound Recorder, click the Start button and choose All Programs | Accessories | Sound Recorder. When the accessory starts, there really isn't much to it. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Sound Recorder.

To check if Sound Recorder is working properly with your microphone, just start talking. You should see a green indicator jumping about as the program detects your voice (and any other sounds in the room). When you are ready to start recording, click the Start Recording button and begin speaking into the microphone.

When you are done recording, click the Stop Recording button. Windows displays a Save As dialog box, which you can use to specify the location and name for the sound file just recorded. The size of the file depends on how long of an audio clip you recorded.

To later play the sound file, simply use Windows Explorer to locate the file and double-click on it.

 This tip (12966) applies to Windows 7.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Keeping the Styles Pane Open by Default

Word doesn't provide a way that you can display the Styles task pane by default. If you get tired of manually displaying ...

Discover More

Defining a Shortcut for a Macro

You can make running macros very easy if you assign a shortcut key to the macro. This tip demonstrates how easy it is to ...

Discover More

Determining Business Quarters from Dates

Many businesses organize information according to calendar quarters, especially when it comes to fiscal information. ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Tagging with Photos

Memories are an important part of our lives. Keeping track of those memories is important, too. The Photos app within ...

Discover More

Forecast the Weather

Getting a handle on the weather is something that man has been dreaming of since the dawn of time. While you might not be ...

Discover More

Using the Disk Cleanup Wizard

There are a lot of files that "hang around" on your system that you probably don't intend to keep (if you even realize ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six less than 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips