OFF97: Description of the Microsoft Camcorder

ID: Q159561

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

Microsoft Camcorder is a screen-capture technology that allows easy creation of movies. It is a simple but powerful movie recorder and playback utility. It captures screen events, stores them as a portable file, and allows play back. This utility enables you to create movies and save them in an .avi file format or export them in a .exe file format. The greatest advantage is that people who receive the .exe file can play the movie without having Camcorder installed on their computers.

This article will walk you through the steps for creating a sample movie in a .avi file format and for creating a .exe which you can share with someone who does not have Camcorder installed on his or her computer.


MORE INFORMATION

The Microsoft Camcorder is not installed automatically when you install Microsoft Office. In order the use Camcorder, you must first install Camcorder.

Installing Camcorder

  1. Double-click the file, Camcordr.exe, in the \Valupack\Mscam folder on the Microsoft Office compact disc.

    A message box with the following message will be displayed: 
    
      Proceed with the installation of Microsoft Camcorder?

    You can either click Yes or No.


  2. Click Yes to continue with the installation of Camcorder.


  3. Click Continue in the first Microsoft Camcorder Setup dialog box.


  4. Select a folder in which to install Camcorder and click OK.


  5. Click Complete.

    NOTE: There is only one type of installation of Camcorder - Complete.


  6. Click OK when Setup finishes.


Record a Movie with Camcorder

The first thing you need to do after installing Camcorder is to create (record) a movie. The following steps will walk you through creating a movie where you start Microsoft Excel and then quit Microsoft Excel.
  1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, and then click Microsoft Camcorder.


  2. On the File menu (in Camcorder), click New.


  3. Click the Record button.


  4. On the Start menu, point to Programs, and then click Microsoft Excel.


  5. On the File menu (in Microsoft Excel), click Exit.


  6. Click the Stop button or press the ESC key to stop the recording.


Saving a Recorded Movie

If you want to save a movie that you recorded so you can play it back at a later date or so you can share it with someone else, do the following:

  1. Assuming you are continuing with the movie that you just recorded in the previous section, click Save As on the File menu.


  2. In the Save As dialog box, select a folder in which to save your movie, type a name in the File Name box, and then click Save.


This will save a file with a .avi file extension in the selected folder.

Playing Back a Recorded Movie

NOTE: If you are continuing from the previous two sections, skip the following two steps.
  1. If you don't have a movie open in Camcorder, click Open on the File menu.


  2. In the Open dialog box, locate and select a previously recorded movie, and then click Open.


  3. On the Movie menu, click Play (or click the Play button).

    NOTE: If you want to stop the playback of your movie, press ESC on your keyboard.


Save a Movie as a Stand-alone Executable

If you want to share your recorded movie with someone who does not have Camcorder installed on his or her computer, you need to save your movie as a stand-alone movie. To do this, do the following:
  1. If your movie is not currently open in Camcorder, click Open on the File menu. If your movie is already open, skip steps 1 and 2.


  2. In the Open dialog box, locate and select a previously recorded movie, and then click Open.


  3. On the File menu, click "Create Standalone Movie."


  4. In the "Create Standalone Movie" dialog box, select a folder in which to save your movie, type a name in the File Name box, and then click Save.


This will save a file with a .exe file extension in the selected folder.

Running a Stand-alone Movie

If you do not have Camcorder installed on your computer, you can still play back a movie recorded (and saved as a stand-alone movie) by Camcorder. To playback a stand-alone movie:
  1. Double-click the .exe file that contains the stand-alone movie.

    When you run the .exe file, it will decompress and play back the movie automatically.


  2. Press ESC on your keyboard or click the Stop button to stop the movie.


NOTE: These .exe files do not contain an Authenticode digital signature, a certificate that renders programs tamper-proof, thus complicating Web distribution. Clients downloading the .exe movies have no idea of whether they contain a virus or not, and Microsoft Internet Explorer will display a warning to this effect.

How to Code-Sign a Microsoft Camcorder .exe-Based Movie

  1. In Windows Explorer, open the folder where Camcorder is installed. By default, Camcorder is installed in the \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Mscam folder.


  2. Rename the Vxdsys.vxd file to Vxdsys.exe.


  3. Have Vxdsys.exe code signed.

    For additional information on Digital Code Signing, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:


    4. Q155444 Description of Digital Code Signing in Internet Explorer
  4. Once it has been signed, rename Vxdsys.exe back to Vxdsys.vxd.


From this point forward, when you record movies and package them into stand- alone .exe files, they will be digitally signed.

Additional query words: cam corder 


Keywords          : offvalpak 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: May 25, 1999