Microsoft Camcorder

You can use Microsoft Camcorder to record actions, procedures, and sounds that you perform on your computer. You can save the recording as a movie that you can then play in Camcorder, or you can save the movie as a standalone program that you can send to others to play, even if they don't have Camcorder. For example, you can use Camcorder to create a computer tutorial that you can send to others to use. You can set preferences for movies that you record, such as the keys to use to stop recording a movie, the quality of the sound you record, and whether to show Camcorder in front of open programs.


Open a movie

1	On the File menu, click Open.

2	In the Look in box, click the drive or folder that contains the movie you want to open.

3	In the folder list, double-click folders until you open the folder that contains the movie you want to open.

4	Double-click the movie you want to open.

Tip   To open a movie you have opened recently, click the movie name on the File menu.


Save a movie

1	On the File menu, click Save As.

2	In the Save in box, click the drive or folder you want to save the movie to.

3	In the folder list, double-click folders until you open the folder you want to save the movie to.

4	In the File name box, type a name for the movie.


Send a movie to others

1	Open or record the movie you want to send.

2	On the File menu, click Create Standalone Movie.

3	In the Save in box, click the drive or folder you want to save the movie to.

4	In the folder list, double-click folders until you open the folder you want to save the movie to.

5	In the File name box, type a name for the movie.

6	Click Save.

7	Send the program file to others through your e-mail system, or copy the file to a shared network folder.

Tip   The Create Standalone Movie command compiles and saves your movie as a program (.exe) file. The people you send the program file to can run the movie even if they don't have Microsoft Camcorder installed on their computers.


Play a movie

1	Open the movie you want to play.

How?

2	Click Play  [image].

Tip   To stop playing a movie, press ESC or the key combination you specified in the Preferences dialog box (Movie menu).


Stop playing a movie

•	Press ESC or the key combination you specified from the Preferences command on the Movie menu.


Stop recording a movie

•	Press ESC or the key combination you specified from the Preferences command on the Movie menu.


Record a movie

1	On the File menu, click New.

2	Click Record  [image].

3	Perform the actions on your computer that you want to record.

4	To stop recording, press ESC or the key combination you specified in the Preferences dialog box (Movie menu).


Keys for movies in Camcorder

To	Press
Create a new movie	CTRL+N
Open a movie	CTRL+O
Save a movie	CTRL+S
Stop playing and rewind a movie	ESC*
Stop recording a movie	ESC*
* Or the key combination you specified in the Preferences dialog box (Movie menu).


Display Camcorder in front of open programs

1	On the Movie menu, click Preferences.

2	Select the Always on top check box.


Change settings for sound

To do this procedure, you must have a sound card installed on your computer.

1	On the Movie menu, click Preferences.

2	Select the Capture audio check box.

3	Click Change.

4	In the Format box, click the sound quality you want.

Note   The option that appears in the Attributes box affects the size of your movie — the higher the KB value, the larger the movie file size will be.


Change the key combination to stop playing or recording a movie

1	On the Movie menu, click Preferences.

2	Under Stop key, select the options you want.


Show or hide the Stop button while playing a movie

1	On the Movie menu, click Preferences.

2	Select or clear the Hide Stop button while playing check box.

Tip   If you hide the Stop button while playing, you must press ESC or the key combination you specified (from the Preferences command on the Movie menu) to stop playing the movie and show Camcorder again.


Show or hide the Stop button while recording a movie

1	On the Movie menu, click Preferences.

2	Select or clear the Hide Stop button while recording check box.

Tips

•	If you display the Stop button while recording, the Stop button is recorded as part of your movie.

•	If you hide the Stop button while recording, you must press ESC or the key combination you specified in the Preferences dialog box (Movie menu) to stop recording the movie and show Camcorder again.


Troubleshoot Microsoft Camcorder

What do you need help with?

When I record a movie, I receive a message telling me I don't have enough memory.

When I record a movie, if I include another movie in it, the second movie doesn't play back.

The MS-DOS-based program I recorded does not play back.


When I record a movie, I receive a message that I don't have enough memory.

•	Your computer may not have enough memory. Microsoft Camcorder requires 16MB of memory to record and play back movies.

•	There may be too many programs running. Close other programs to make more memory available on your computer.

•	Your screen resolution may be too high. To reduce screen resolution, click the Windows Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon. Click the Settings tab. Under Desktop area, drag the slider to change the screen resolution to a lower setting.

•	Your monitor may show too many colors. To reduce the number of colors your monitor shows, click the Windows Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon. Click the Settings tab. In the Color palette box, click a lower color setting.


When I record a movie, if I include another movie in it, the second movie doesn't play back.

If you record a movie in Microsoft Camcorder, and you run a second .avi file while you record, you can't view the second .avi file when you play the original movie. You can still play the second .avi file by itself, but you can't see the second .avi file play back as a segment of the original movie. To play back a second .avi file as a segment of a movie, change the size of the second .avi file window before you include it in the original recording.


The MS-DOS-based program I recorded does not play back.

Microsoft Camcorder does not record full-screen MS-DOS-based programs. To record an MS-DOS-based program in a movie, run the program in a window while you record your movie. To run a program in an MS-DOS window, do the following.

1	Right-click the shortcut to the MS-DOS-based program, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.

2	Click the Screen tab.

3	Under Usage, click Window.

Tip   To quickly change an MS-DOS-based program from full-screen to run in a window, press ALT+ENTER.


  Record button

Starts recording a movie.


  Play button

Plays back the active movie.


Records audio with your movie and specifies the settings for the audio.


Modifies the sound quality settings for your movie.


Select a key or combination of keys to stop the recording of a movie.


Select a key or combination of keys to stop the recording of a movie.


Select a key or combination of keys to stop the recording of a movie.


Setting for the audio. The higher the KB/s value, the higher the sound quality will be but the larger the movie file size will be. To modify the audio setting, click Change.


Displays the Microsoft Camcorder toolbar on top of all other windows. Clear the Always on top check box if you want the Camcorder toolbar to be hidden when you click another window, such as when starting a program.


Hides the toolbar while you are recording. To stop recording, use the key or key combination specified under Stop Key.


To display a stop button when you play back a recording, clear the Hide stop button while playing check box.


Information about the copyright of this product.


Specify the key combination you want to use to stop the recording.


Applies and saves any changes you have made and then closes this dialog box.


The Cancel button closes this dialog box without saving any changes you have made. The Close button closes this dialog box and retains the changes you made.