How to: Include Recordings of the Screen and Voice During Tests Using Test Settings

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From the configuration editor in Microsoft Test Manager or Visual Studio, you can configure the diagnostic data adapter that records the screen and voice of the user who’s running the test. This diagnostic data adapter saves a screen and voice recording of the desktop session during the test. The recording is saved with the test result or it can be attached to a bug. Other team members can use the recording to isolate application defects that are difficult to reproduce.

Warning

Visual Studio 2012 creates the screen recordings in Windows Media Video (WMV) format. For compatibility with recordings created using Visual Studio 2010, you must install the Expression Encoder 4.0 diagnostic data adapter software. For more information about which software to install, see the Visual Studio 2010 topic How to: Install the Required Software to Create a Screen and voice recording Using Test Runner.

Warning

The screen and voice recordings do not support multiple monitor configurations.

The screen and voice recorder can be used with either manual or automated tests. For example, if you run a coded UI test remotely you might want to record the desktop to see the coded UI test as it runs. For more information about how to capture a screen and voice recording remotely, see How to: Set Up Your Test Agent to Run Tests that Interact with the Desktop.

To configure screen and voice recording for your test settings

  1. Open the test settings that you want to configure for recording the screen and voice. For more information, see Creating test settings for manual tests or Specifying Test Settings for Visual Studio Tests.

  2. In the test settings, select the Role to use to record the screen and voice.

    Note

    For manual tests and automated tests this would be the machine that runs the tests.

  3. Select Screen and Voice Recorder and then choose Configure.

    The Configure Diagnostic Data Adapter – Screen and Voice Recorder dialog box is displayed.

    Video configuration

  4. (Optional) Select Enable voice recording to capture audio content in your recording.

  5. (Optional) Select the check box next to Save recording if test case passes to specify saving screen and voice recordings for both failed and passed tests.

    Warning

    If you select save recording if test case passes, the recording is stored with the test results, which uses storage space on the server. You can use the Test Attachment Cleaner tool to clean up these attachments.

  6. Under Screen Recording Quality, configure the following drop-down list options:

    1. Frame rate: Specify how many frames per second you want to use in the screen and voice recording. The default value is 4 frames per second. Values between 2 and 20 can be specified.

    2. Bit rate: Specify how many kilobytes per second to use in the screen and voice recording. The default value is 512. Values between 512 and 10,000 can be specified.

    3. Quality(1-100): You can specify the quality of the screen and voice recording by selecting a range between 1 and 100. The default is 50 (mid-range).

  7. If you are using Microsoft Test Manager, choose Save. If you are using Visual Studio, choose OK. The diagnostic trace collector settings are now configured and saved for your test settings.

    Tip

    To reset the configuration for this diagnostic data adapter, choose Reset to default configuration for Visual Studio and Reset to default for Microsoft Test Manager.

See Also

Tasks

Create Test Settings for Automated System Tests Using Microsoft Test Manager

Concepts

Setting Up Machines and Collecting Diagnostic Information Using Test Settings

Running Manual Tests Using Test Runner

Recording and Playing Back Manual Tests

Other Resources

Specifying Test Settings in Microsoft Test Manager

Specifying Test Settings for Visual Studio Tests