Record Screen To Gif when EXPLAINING technical stuff to friends, colleagues, parents & even the tech support team. A GIF file with screen recorded steps is much BETTER at showing solutions to a technical problem than written guides. Plus, the file size is much smaller than a video, making it easily shareable.

This tutorial will show you how exactly I’ve been recording my Windows computer screen to a gif file.

An animated gif file is as useful as a video explaining computer stuff to someone else. Still, it is much smaller than a video and very easy to share. I’ve been using this technique repeatedly to help my friends, cousins, and even tech support staff. I am sure this technique will reduce your headache too.

Without further jibber-jabber, let’s start.

Watch this tutorial in action:

You can use ShareX to record screen to GIF. ShareX is completely FREE & Open Sourced with NO expensive upgrades ever required.

So next time you want to help someone solve a problem, record the exact steps in a GIF, and share!

Step 1: Download ShareX

Download ShareX, a small, free, and handy application with loads of screen recording related functionalities. And that is because Windows does not come with a built-in GIF recorder.

To download ShareX, go to https://getsharex.com/downloads/.
Click on the latest entry in the table. In my case, it is ShareX-13.2.1-setup.exe as of 21st October 2020.

The click will take you to GITHUB in a sec. Click on the latest EXE file.

Wait for the download to finish.

It may take a few hours to download if you are on a dial-up connection.

Once the download is complete, run the setup. Read and then Accept the agreement > Click Next.

In this box, uncheck everything except Create a Desktop shortcut. Other options are unnecessary for casual usage.

Click Next> Install>Finish

Step 2: Open ShareX

ShareX should pop up automatically; if not – click on the Start Menu, Scroll down to ShareX and open it. OR search for ShareX in Cortana and open it that way.

Step 3: Rehearse the steps

Recreate what you want to capture.

Right now, one of my friends is really frustrated as the time showing up on her computer is from her previous city of residence.

I will show her how to set the time-zone to automatically adjust according to the place where she is visiting.

I will do a practice run to see how much & which screen area I need to capture.

Okay, so this much area should be captured—lesser the region, smaller the file size, and easier to share.

Step 4: Record Screen To GIF

Start the process.

Minimize everything except the application in question.

Open ShareX and close it! Don’t worry. It will come up in your taskbar.

Right Click on the ShareX icon from your taskbar > Click Capture > Screen Recording GIF.

You will get the region selection tool. If it is an application that you want to record, just highlight that app. ShareX will smartly adjust the capture region.

Since I am capturing part of the screen, I will manually select the region.

Then the GIF recording will start automatically.

Press STOP to stop the recording. Try to keep the duration for less than a minute, or the file will be as big as a video.

If, for some reason, the Stop button is hidden, press SHIFT+PRINT SCRN to stop the recording.

Alternatively, you can stop the recording by clicking the red Stop the recording button in your taskbar.

Wait for ShareX to process the captured GIF file. Faster the computer, the quicker the result.

You will get a notification on the right once the GIF file is ready. Click on the notification. OR go back to the ShareX window, and you will see the GIF on the top.

Right Click > Open and then Folder.

That’s the GIF file. Open it to see if it is perfect. Then copy and paste this file to your desktop to make it easier to find when sharing it.

Step 5: Share the GIF

You can send the GIF through email, WhatsApp, or any other Social Media websites. Most Social Media apps accept GIF files.

You may face the only problem – if the GIF file is too large, larger than 16MB.

You may need to further reduce the file size of the GIF you’ve recorded in few cases. I think there are still a few email providers who won’t accept attachments for more than 10 MB. WhatsApp does not accept files more than 16MB. In the next tutorial, I will show you how to reduce the GIF file size to make it faster and easier to share.

On a side note…

You can not only use GIF to guide others but also screen record any error messages you get by replicating the exact steps you take before getting the error message. This way, recording the screen to a GIF file makes it easier for tech support staff to understand the problem and ultimately provide a solution.

So next time you want to help someone solve a problem or help others understand your problem, record the exact steps in a GIF, and share.

Please comment below if this tutorial was easy, average, or difficult. Your feedback will help me help you better. And most importantly, if you need any help on this topic – ask me through comments.

Goodbye, and see you soon.

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