How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop [7 ways]

Best for: One-stop program for pro-level screen recordings

Movavi Screen Recorder is a free-download screen recording program that includes a robust set of video editing tools and effects. This user-friendly software allows video creators to capture footage from their screen and/or webcam and turn it into professional-level videos.

Main features:

• Show what you type and capture mouse clicks
• Record your screen in HD and 4K
• Add notes and shapes while recording

To record your screen on a Dell Inspiron, Latitude, or other Dell laptop or desktop, follow these steps:

1. Download and install Movavi Screen Recorder.
2. Launch the program and set your recording parameters by clicking Screen recording. You can choose to draw an outline of the area you want to record, or you can record a single application window or your full screen.
3. At the bottom of your recording window, click on the System Audio button to record with audio from your computer. If you want to record a voice-over, you can also click on the Microphone icon next to it.
4. If you want to include footage from your webcam, click on the Webcam icon at the bottom of the recording window.
5. On the right side of the recording window, you’ll find additional buttons that allow you to record keystrokes, highlight your cursor, and/or highlight your mouse clicks. You can toggle these on and off to suit your purposes for your recording.
6. When you’re ready to start recording, tap the REC button at the bottom of the recording window, or press the F10 key. To pause your recording, press the F9 key.
7. To take screenshots during a recording, just hit the F8 key.
8. When you’re done, you can hit the Stop button or press the F10 key.
9. After you stop your recording, a preview window will appear. Here, you can trim your recording and any edits you want. When you’re happy with the finished product, click Export, give your video file a name, and click Save.

Best for: Screen recording without downloading additional software

Game Bar (also called Xbox Game Bar or the Windows 10 Game Bar) is a built-in screen recorder that comes with all Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs. It doesn’t work with computers running older versions of Windows, like Windows 7.

Follow these steps to record your screen with Game Bar:

1. Open the application you want to record.

2. If you’re ready to start recording immediately, just press Windows key + Alt + R.

3. If you want to adjust your recording settings before you start recording, press Windows key + G. A dialogue box will appear asking “Do you want to open Game bar?” Check the box next to “Yes, this is a game” to launch Game Bar.

4. When you’re done recording, press Windows key + Alt + R again to stop recording. You can find your saved video by going to Videos > Captures.

Best for: Open-source screen recording for PC, Linux, or Mac

OBS Studio is a freeware screen recorder available for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. Recording with OBS Studio is fairly easy, and you can do it by following these steps:

1. Download, install, and launch OBS Studio.
   Download OBS Studio

2. Click + at the bottom left corner of the screen to start a new screen recording.

3. In the Sources box, click Display Capture, choose Create new, and name your export file.

4. Make any adjustments you want to the size and aspect ratio of your video recording window.

5. When you’re ready, OBS Studio will record the portion of the screen you’ve chosen. When you’re done, click on File to find your saved recording.

Best for: Online screen recording

Screencapture.com is an online screen recorder with free and paid options. Users can easily record their screen with system audio, microphone, and webcam recording, but you’ll need to pay for a Screencapture.com subscription to remove the watermark from your videos.

To capture your screen activity, follow these steps:

1. Go to Screencapture.com.
   Visit Screencapture.com

2. Select the options that you want (microphone, system audio, webcam, and watermark). You can only remove the watermark if you agree to purchase a subscription.

3. Click the green Start recording button.

4. A window will appear that allows you to choose to record your entire screen, a single window, or a single Chrome tab. Choose which one you want and click Share.

5. When you’re done, save your new recording to your computer.

Best for: Free online screen recording with paid features

Panopto Express is a free online screen recording platform with paid features. To take advantage of many features, you’ll need to sign up for a Panopto account. With or without an account, you can record your screen in a few steps:

1. Go to the Panopto website.
   Go to Panopto Express

2. Click on the Screen and Apps button to record your screen.

3. Choose whether you want to record your entire screen, a single window, or a specific Chrome tab. Click Share.

4. Click the red record button to start recording.

5. When you’re done, click the record button again to stop recording. You can now download and save your recorded video.

Best for: On-the-fly screen recording and screenshots in Google Chrome

Movavi Screen Recorder for Chrome is a convenient screen recording extension for the Google Chrome browser. Users can record for free or pay a reasonable subscription fee to record videos without a watermark.

Here’s how to screen record on a Dell computer with Movavi’s Chrome extension:

1. Download the Movavi Screen Recorder for Chrome extension.
   Get the extension

2. Click on the puzzle piece icon and select the green Movavi icon to pin the extension to your browser window for easy access.

3. Tap the Grant Access buttons next to Record Voice and Embed Webcam to use these features.

4. Choose what to record by clicking the Current Tab or Entire Screen button.

5. Click the Start Recording button.

6. When you’re done, click on the green Movavi icon again and hit the Stop button.

7. You will be taken to a new tab to download your video and save it to your computer.

Best for: Recording part or all of a screen with Chrome

Nimbus is another Chrome extension that allows you to perform Dell screen recording online via the Google Chrome browser. To get started recording your screen with Nimbus, follow these steps:

1. Download the Nimbus Chrome extension.
   Get the extension

2. Click on the puzzle piece icon at the top corner of your browser to access the extension.

3. Click the Nimbus icon and select your recording parameters (e.g., Capture fragment, entire page, browser window, etc.).

4. Start recording your screen. When you’re done, stop recording and download your video.

So, which of these programs should you choose for your screen recording needs? Whether you have a Dell XPS laptop or you need to know how to record your screen on a Dell desktop, all of these programs will do the job. However, not all of them will perform the best for your specific needs. As you consider your options, we recommend keeping a few factors in mind:

• User interface: Can you screen record on a Dell laptop with any of these programs? Yes. Are all of them easy to use with intuitive interfaces? Not so much. Take a look at the way each program is set up, and see which one appeals most to you.

• Features and tools: If you’re creating videos for professional presentations or online courses, you’re going to need more than just a recorder. Your videos will need intros and outros, smooth transitions, and other edits. If that’s the case, you might want to consider a robust program that does more than just screen recording. Otherwise, you’ll end up needing additional third-party software to create your finished video projects.

• Pricing: Everyone loves free software, but it doesn’t always do everything you need. Sometimes, it makes sense to pay for the premium version of a program to ensure that you get everything you need. For software that’s reasonably priced and gives you a lot of features, we recommend trying out Movavi Screen Recorder.

• Customer support and documentation: While many of the features and functions of a screen recorder are intuitive, there may be other things you can do with the software that could take your videos to the next level. Choose software that has a large library of documentation and educational material, as well as a strong reputation for customer support.

1. Movavi Screen Recorder – best for video and audio capture
2. Screencapture.com – simple online capture
3. Movavi Screen Recorder for Chrome – simple browser capture in Chrome
4. Game Bar – best for users who want to record gameplay videos
5. OBS Studio – suitable for live broadcasting on Windows/Mac/Linux
6. Panopto Express – best for educators
7. Nimbus – best for users who want a screenshot maker that can also record videos