Put your microphone into the mic stand and connect the computer to the microphone and audio input device. Connect the microphone to the input device with an XLR cable and plug in the input device to the computer via USB or FireWire.
Turn on your computer and install any drivers for the hardware, if necessary. They are usually included on a bundled CD. In your recording program, make sure that the audio input device is the primary recording source.
Point the microphone towards the external audio source. Reduce any ambient noise, such as the buzzing of your computer, so it will not be picked up in the final recording.
Go to your computer's Control Panel---the exact location will vary by operating system---and under audio settings, make the audio input device the primary recording option. Do the same in the audio recording program if necessary.
Click "Record" in the recording program to begin recording. Once the audio is captured, quality adjustments can be made in the program through editing or equalizer manipulation.