Life on a Help Desk is never an easy one. You can become extremely frustrated when trying to coax a user into accurately portraying the problem they are hitting. If this sounds familiar then you will absolutely love the new Windows 7 Problem Steps Recorder.

This awesome new tool essentially records each and every step a user takes and documents the entire process, with screen captures and step by step details. When finished, it will save the information into a compiled HTML file and package it up into a ZIP file that the user can send to you to replay.

Brilliant!

Get ready for launch

The easiest way to access the recorder is via the Start > Search box. Do a search for 'PSR' and pressing enter, yes a tad of a silly name to be fair but there it is. You can also find it by searching the word "Problem" in the control panel too:

How do you record a problem then?

This app has the easiest interface in the world. And oddly looks a little to much like the sound recorder for comfort.

Here it is: Mega straight forward.

Simply click the record button and it's off. Once started the title bar flashes the words 'Recording Now' and the icon on the taskbar shows a red flashing dot. Now your ready to start carrying out all the steps that lead to the problem.

Below, we will simulate an error by setting the screen to portrait in a flipped manner. This is a setting that isnt supported by my screen.

So, to start off I'll right click my desktop and choose to change the screen resolution.

You will notice that the recorder now has changed its interface a little and offers different options than it did before, as well as a time counter. Next to the timer, there is a UAC shield icon, clicking this will open a UAC box - when responded to, will allow the Problem Steps Recorder to run as an administrator and make it possible to record programs that are running in admin mode.

The recorder does keep running in the background while you respond to the UACs.

As and when Im ready to make selections the screen, I click the 'Add Comment' button, which allows me to highlight certain parts of the screen and attach a nore to it as below:

when I'm finished and closed the Screen Resolution tool, I click to 'Stop Recording', it is here that I am asked to choose where to save and what name to give the file. Choose appropriately...

The file will be saved as a zip file. Small and easily transportable around most networks via email.

Once the zip file has been expanded, double click the html file. IE will open and the recorded session will be displayed in all its glory. You will have screen shots alongside any notes that were created.

Pretty smart hey? :)

Find an example right here > LINK <