Tech Tip : Use Tech To Help Others By Showing Rather Than Explaining

Have you ever found yourself trying to help someone with a computer issue who are less tech savvy than you and no matter how hard you try to explain the solution, the person you are helping just doesn't get it?

It can be really hard to explain to someone where settings are, or how to perform a task, especially if the person you explaining things to is not comfortable with what they are trying to do.  Just think of times where you have had that phone call from someone asking for help, and that sinking feeling you get when you know you have to try to explain to them how to do something and you know that it will be a VERY long call. 

Remember the saying a picture paints a thousand words?  Well in this case steps recorder can save a thousands minutes of phone support! 

Here is a tip on how to record what you are doing so showing replaces explaining by using Steps Recorder.  Steps recorder will capture what you are doing on screen as a series of steps, showing what it thinks are prudent images that it captures as you go through what you are doing.  You can also add additional information by adding comments on each step.  The recipient can then also run through the output as a series of slides, so they can see as well as read how to do certain things.  Steps recorder    

Here is how to do it:

• When you are in windows click on the Start Button
• Type steps recorder and select and launch the application from the start menu
• On the steps recorder application, click the Start Record button which will then record everything you do in Windows
• Carry out all of the things you want to record and then click Stop and Review
• This will open a timeline of the recording with images of what you were doing. 
• You are offered three options which are:
  • Review the recorded steps
  • Review the recorded steps as a slideshow 
  • Review the additional details
• Clicking on Review the recorded steps takes you to each step and you have the option to add a comment.  This makes it easier to explain what you are doing
• Review the recorded steps as a slideshow does exactly what it says, shows the output as a series of slides
• Review the additional details take you to a summary of what took place during the recording, at each step of the way.
• Clicking on Save will save the recorded steps as a ZIP file that you can email or share with the intended recipient.  The main reason it uses a ZIP file as the output is that it is compressed and also a format that most organisations allow through email filtering
• If you open the ZIP file, you will see a singe file inside which is an MHT file, which is a browser archive file, so double clicking on the file will open it in your preferred internet browser, allowing you to see the content

Have a go with the tool and see how useful it is for sharing information with others