How to use the Windows Sound Recorder in Virtual PC for Mac (825480)

MORE INFORMATION

Follow these steps to record a sound file using the Windows Sound Recorder.
Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Entertainment, and then click Sound Recorder.
   Note If Sound Recorder is not installed, install it by using the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. For additional information about how to install and remove programs in Windows, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   142181 How to install and remove programs in Windows

2. Click Record, and then speak into the microphone.
3. When you finish recording, click Stop.
4. Click File, and then click Save to save your sound recording as a .wav file.

Microphones

Under Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X, you can use the Apple PlainTalk external microphone with Virtual PC for Mac to record sound files with the Sound Recorder program. You can use other microphones, but Microsoft does not recommend that you use them. The Apple PlainTalk microphone may not work with newer models of the Macintosh computer.

You can also use Universal Serial Bus (USB) microphones. For best quality, plug the microphone directly into your computer's USB port. If you use an USB hub, traffic on that hub can affect the quality of the sound that you record.

The Apple iMac's built-in internal microphone does not have high sound quality and the sound volume is lower than expected when you compare it with the sound quality that you receive when you use the Apple PlainTalk microphone.

Common Problems

Sound Stuttering During Playback

Mac OS 9 Virtual Memory may cause a sound file to "stutters" when you play it.

Mac OS 9 Virtual Memory can cause sound that is recorded by Windows Sound Recorder to stutter and to be of lower quality. To turn off Virtual Memory, follow these steps:

1. On the Apple menu, point to Control Panels, and then click Memory.
2. Under Virtual Memory, click Off.
3. On the File menu, click Quit.
4. Restart the Macintosh computer.

Recorded sound plays back as static

If you make changes to any of sound input settings in the Monitors and Sound control panel for Mac OS 9 or to the sound system preference in Mac OS X after you start Virtual PC, you may record only static (white noise) in the Windows Sound Recorder. If this behavior occurs, quit Virtual PC, save the PC state, and then restart Virtual PC. This will correct the problem and Windows Sound Recorder should operate as expected.