>>Produce Easy to follow steps. 

I just wanted to make a quick blog about a tool that I don’t think many people know about or utilize to its full potential! With nothing to download and it being installed/configured already why not?!

>>What is it?

Steps recorder is a piece of software pre-installed on all Windows 10 machines that works as a keylogger, screen capture and annotation tool all in one. If you’ve ever been asked by support or when supporting someone to replicate an issue you could have used this tool.

>>Where to find it?

In Windows 10 press Start Button > Windows Accessories > Steps Recorder.

If you’re looking for this in other versions of Windows like Windows 7 or 8.1 you’ll find it under: Accessories > PROBLEM Steps Recorder.

>>What can you do with it?

Once you’ve opened the software and pressed “Start Recording” every time you do an action on your machine it will take a screenshot of your screen and note down what you did. You can also add a comment to draw a users attention to a specific part of the page using the “user comment” this highlights a section of the screen in the screenshot and greys out the background and you can add a specific comment. When you’re done press the “Stop Recording” and you will be taken to another screen that lays out each step you completed with the relevant screenshot and action taken.

_Be Aware: _When you take a screenshot if you have multiple screens it will take a whole screenshot including all screens.

Another good section is the “Additional Details” section at the bottom of the page. This can be used to give users an easy to follow step by step guide (once you’ve removed the technical jargon”. This can now be saved in a zip file that supplies the screenshots and text in the form of a .mht file.

Here is the additional details section from a test I preformed earlier so you can see the amount of useful information that is tracked.

Recorded Steps: 5, Missed Steps: 0, Other Errors: 0

Operating System: 14393.447.amd64fre.rs1_release_inmarket.161102-0100 10.0.0.0.2.48

Step 1: User left click on “Options (Button)” in “Skype for Business " Program: Skype for Business, 16.0.9126.2275, Microsoft Corporation, LYNC.EXE, LYNC.EXE UI Elements: NetUIImage, Options, NetUISimpleButton, NetUISplitButtonAnchor, NetUIScrollViewer, NetUINetUIDialog, NetUIHWNDElement, NetUINativeHWNDHost, Skype for Business , CommunicatorMainWindowClass

Step 2: User left click on “Audio Device (tree item)” in “Skype for Business - Options” Program: Skype for Business, 16.0.9126.2275, Microsoft Corporation, LYNC.EXE, LYNC.EXE UI Elements: Audio Device, SysTreeView32, Skype for Business - Options, #32770, Skype for Business , CommunicatorMainWindowClass

Step 3: User left click on “Play Speaker Volume (button)” in “Skype for Business - Options” Program: Skype for Business, 16.0.9126.2275, Microsoft Corporation, LYNC.EXE, LYNC.EXE UI Elements: Play Speaker Volume, Button, Audio Device, #32770, Skype for Business - Options, #32770, Skype for Business , CommunicatorMainWindowClass

Step 4: User Comment: “tested speakers. " Program: UI Elements:

Step 5: User left click on “OK (button)” in “Skype for Business - Options” Program: Skype for Business, 16.0.9126.2275, Microsoft Corporation, LYNC.EXE, LYNC.EXE UI Elements: OK, Button, Skype for Business - Options, #32770, Skype for Business , CommunicatorMainWindowClass

>>Closing thoughts.

I might be completely of the mark with this post and everyone has heard of Steps Recorder before but I hadn’t and wanted to share. Liked mentioned before I believe that this is very useful for both sides of the support and also some more unorthodox uses such as getting quick “How to Guides” created with text based and supporting pictures help. One important thing to note from a security point of view that the key-logging feature of this tool _DOES NOT _track passwords or keystrokes entered by the user, but still picks up function and shortcut keys. It can still pick up sensitive information like model/version numbers and screenshots that pick up other screens so make sure nothing  sensitive is showing when you start your screen recorder. Enjoy :)