How to record a product walkthrough on a shared computer

You need to show your team how a product works, but the computer is shared and may contain other people’s files, accounts, or notifications. A short screen recording can make the walkthrough easy to follow, as long as you prepare the desktop before you start.

The Screen Recorder can capture a screen, window, or browser tab, with sound, microphone audio, and an optional camera. It runs in your browser, so you can make the recording without installing software.

Record the walkthrough

1. Open the Screen Recorder and choose what you want the recording to show: a screen, a window, or a browser tab. Pick the smallest area that contains the product demonstration.
2. When the browser opens its screen-sharing prompt, select the screen, window, or tab you chose. Confirm sharing in the prompt. Only share a whole screen if the demo needs to move between several apps.
3. Decide whether the walkthrough needs system or tab sound, microphone narration, or camera video. Allow microphone or camera access if you choose to use either. You can leave the camera off if a face is not useful to the explanation.
4. Start recording, then demonstrate one task at a time. Move the pointer deliberately, pause briefly after important actions, and explain what changed. Avoid typing real passwords, customer details, or other private information.
5. When you have shown the task, stop the recording using the recorder’s controls. Play it back and check that the screen, sound, and narration are understandable before saving the video for your team.

Make a short test recording first, especially if you have not used that browser on this computer before. A few seconds is enough to confirm that you chose the right source and that your voice or product audio is present.

Choose what to include

A browser tab

Choose a tab when the product lives in a website and the walkthrough does not need to leave that page. This keeps unrelated windows out of the recording. If the browser offers an option to include tab audio, enable it when the product’s sound matters. The available audio choices can depend on the browser and the source you share.

A single window

Choose a window when you need to demonstrate a desktop app or move through one app without showing the entire desktop. Keep other windows closed or minimized before sharing. Some menus or dialogs may appear separately from the main window, so make a test recording to confirm what is captured.

The whole screen

Choose the whole screen only when the demonstration needs to move between apps or screens. This is the easiest option for accidentally including private material. Turn on Do Not Disturb or Focus, close unrelated documents, and check which displays are visible before you begin.

Voice and camera

Microphone narration helps explain why each action matters, while an optional camera view can make the demo feel more personal. Use the microphone test recording to check your voice before making a longer take. If the product’s own audio is important, listen for both that audio and your narration in the playback.

Fix common recording problems

1. Choose the source again. If the video is blank or shows the wrong content, stop sharing and select the correct screen, window, or tab in the browser’s sharing prompt. If you shared a window, try the whole screen as a check, then close anything private before recording again.
2. Allow screen capture. In the browser prompt, choose the source and confirm sharing. On macOS, if the browser has been denied access, open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording (the label can vary by macOS version), allow the browser, then quit and reopen it. Windows 11 normally asks you to choose and confirm the shared source in the browser prompt.
3. Check microphone access. On Windows 11, open Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone and allow microphone access for desktop apps. Check the selected input under Settings › System › Sound › Input. On a Mac, open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone and allow the browser, then check System Settings › Sound › Input for the right device.
4. Check camera access if you use it. On Windows 11, open Settings › Privacy & security › Camera and allow access for desktop apps. On a Mac, open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera and allow the browser. The camera is optional for a product walkthrough.
5. Close other apps using the microphone or camera. A meeting app or another browser tab may already be using a device. Close apps you do not need, then reload the recorder and allow access again if prompted.
6. Restart the browser, then make another short test. If sharing or audio still fails, quit and reopen the browser. If the issue continues, try another supported browser or ask the computer administrator whether device permissions are managed.

Protect the team computer and the recording

Before recording, sign out of personal accounts and close email, chat, password managers, and files that are not part of the demo. Turn off notifications temporarily, and avoid showing a shared drive or folder unless the team needs to see it. If the computer belongs to your workplace, follow its rules for recording and sharing internal information.

Screen Recorder recordings stay on the device, and nothing you record is uploaded by the tool. Save the finished video to a team-approved folder, not a public or personal location. On a shared computer, remove the local copy when your team no longer needs it, following your organization’s file-retention rules.