Open the free Windows 7 sound recorder by clicking on "Programs," "Accessories" and then "Sound Recorder." This is a basic recorder. Press the "Record" button, which is indicated by a red round symbol to record a voice, sound effect or a piece of music. Stop recording by pressing the "Record" button again. A pop-up window will appear to save the sound file to Windows Media Player.
Play the sound file, either by typing the name of your sound file in the "Search programs and files" feature in the bottom left corner of the Windows program menu interface, beneath the "All programs" tab, or by going into your Windows Media Player and typing in the name of your sound file in the search engine. Press "Play."
Use a Windows XP or Vista sound recorder to provide more function controls to record, stop, pause and play, as well as adding a basic effects menu. Recording time is restricted and is only suitable for recording voice snippets.
Open the sound recorder you have downloaded free from websites like Audacity, Cool Media or Freecorder (Applian). These sound recorders have various recording features to enhance the recording experience. They are user friendly and do not limit the recording duration. Look for the basic function buttons --- "Record," "Stop," "Play" and "Pause" to start. These buttons are usually positioned in a line on the top or bottom bar of the software program. These are all the basic functions you'll need.
Press the "Record" button (usually a red circle symbol). Stop recording by pressing the "Stop" button (square). Play the recording back to see what it sounds like by by pressing the "Play" button (triangle). Either when prompted to do so, or find the "Save" feature set within the program.
Experiment with other settings, which may include adjusting the recording volume, adding sound effects, setting recording length and changing the file to different formats, such as MP3, WMA, OGB, or WAV.