Replace Windows Steps Recorder with walkthroughs anyone can open
Windows Steps Recorder has been capturing clicks and screenshots since Windows 7. The problem is what happens next: the .mhtml archive nobody can easily open, share, or annotate. UIHike records the same steps and produces a shareable web link instead.
Ideal for: IT help desk staff, developers, and anyone who has ever emailed a .zip file from PSR.
What Windows Steps Recorder cannot do
PSR is still available in Windows 11, but it has not changed since Windows 7. These limitations are not bugs: they are the boundaries of what the tool was designed to do.
The output is an .mhtml file
PSR saves your recording as a .zip containing an .mhtml document. Opening it requires a browser in compatibility mode. Sharing it means emailing a file and hoping the recipient can open it. There is no link to send, no web page to visit, and no way to view it on a phone.
No way to annotate or highlight
PSR captures full-page screenshots but gives you no tools to point at what matters. Every step is a raw screenshot with an auto-generated text description. If the important button is in the corner of a complex screen, the reader has to find it. There are no arrows, callout boxes, or highlights.
No redaction for sensitive data
PSR has no way to blur or hide sensitive information in screenshots. Passwords, personal data, or confidential fields appear in the recording exactly as they were on screen. You either share the raw screenshots or re-record with that information hidden beforehand.
What UIHike produces instead
The recording process is the same: press record, work through the task, press stop. The output is completely different.
- 1
A shareable web link, not a file
Every published walkthrough gets a URL at go.uihike.com/published/... that opens in any browser. No account required to view. You share a link instead of emailing a .zip.
- 2
Screenshots with annotation layers
After recording, you can draw arrows to point at specific elements, add highlight boxes around important areas, and label anything that needs context. The original screenshot is always preserved underneath.
- 3
Redaction for sensitive data
Apply a blur or redaction rectangle over any part of a screenshot: passwords, personal information, internal URLs. The viewer sees the blurred area; the annotation layer keeps the original safe.
- 4
Step descriptions and context
Add a title and description to each step. Explain why the step matters, not just what to click. Steps are numbered and navigable as a proper walkthrough.
- 5
Multiple export formats
Export the same recording to PDF, Word (.docx), Markdown, PowerPoint (.pptx), or self-contained HTML. Choose the format your recipient needs.
One recording, any format you need
PSR has one output: an .mhtml archive. UIHike lets you export the same recording to whatever format the recipient actually uses.
- Share a link: anyone opens it in a browser, no account needed
- PDF: clean step-by-step document for audits or print
- Word (.docx): open in Word or Google Docs, edit as needed
- Markdown: paste directly into Confluence, Notion, or any wiki
- PowerPoint (.pptx): one slide per step, ready to present
- HTML: a self-contained file that works fully offline
How to switch from Steps Recorder to UIHike
The recording workflow is nearly identical to PSR. The difference is in what you can do with the output.
Download UIHike
UIHike is a free Windows app. It runs on Windows 10 and 11. Download takes under a minute.
Open a new project and press record
Click New Project, then Start Recording. UIHike opens a browser window. Work through the process exactly as you normally would.
Stop recording and review your steps
Each click and navigation becomes a numbered step with a screenshot and the URL it was captured on. Add titles or descriptions where useful.
Annotate screenshots if needed
Add arrow annotations, highlight boxes, or blur any sensitive data. All edits are non-destructive: the original screenshot stays intact.
Share a link or export
Publish to get a shareable web link anyone can open. Or export to PDF, Word, Markdown, PowerPoint, or self-contained HTML.
Windows 10 and 11. Free to download and use.
Try it before your next bug report
The next time you need to document a bug or walk someone through a process, record it in UIHike instead of PSR. You get a link to share rather than a file to attach.
Frequently asked questions
What is Windows Steps Recorder?
Windows Steps Recorder (PSR, or Problem Steps Recorder) is a built-in Windows tool that records mouse clicks and keyboard inputs with screenshots as you work through a process. It saves everything as a .zip file containing an .mhtml document. It was originally designed to help IT support staff capture reproducible steps for a bug report.
Is Windows Steps Recorder still available in Windows 11?
Yes. Windows Steps Recorder is still included in Windows 11. You can open it by pressing Win+R and typing psr, or by searching for Steps Recorder in the Start menu. However, Microsoft has not updated the tool since Windows 7, and the .mhtml output format is increasingly difficult to work with in modern browsers.
What are the limitations of Windows Steps Recorder?
Windows Steps Recorder has several significant limitations: it only saves output as an .mhtml archive that is difficult to open in modern browsers; there is no way to share a link, recipients must receive and open a .zip file; there are no annotation tools so you cannot add arrows, highlight boxes, or callouts; there is no way to blur or redact sensitive data; and you cannot edit the recording after saving it. The only export format is .mhtml.
What is the best replacement for Windows Steps Recorder?
UIHike is a modern Windows Steps Recorder replacement that records the same step-by-step screenshots automatically, but produces a shareable web link instead of an .mhtml file. Viewers open the walkthrough in any browser without an account. UIHike also adds annotation tools (arrows, boxes, text), redaction for sensitive data, and exports to PDF, Word, Markdown, PowerPoint, and self-contained HTML.
How do I share a Steps Recorder recording with someone?
With Windows Steps Recorder, you have to email the .zip file and hope the recipient can open the .mhtml document inside it. There is no link to send. With UIHike, when you publish a walkthrough you get a URL at go.uihike.com/published/... that anyone can open in any browser with no account required. You can also generate a private token-based share link if the walkthrough is not intended to be public.
Can I add annotations or blur sensitive info in a Steps Recorder alternative?
Yes, in UIHike you can. After recording, you can add arrow annotations to point at specific elements, draw highlight boxes around important areas, add text labels, and apply blur or redaction rectangles over sensitive data like passwords or personal information. All edits are non-destructive: the original screenshot is always preserved underneath the annotation layer.
Related guides
PSR records the steps. UIHike makes them useful.
Same recording workflow. A shareable link instead of an .mhtml file. Annotations, redaction, and exports included.
Windows 10 and 11. Free to download and use.