How to screen record only one monitor when you have two

Why record one monitor

A recording that covers both monitors packs two screens into one wide frame. Every window gets smaller, and on a phone the text is hard to read. That same frame also shows everything open on both screens, including private messages and tabs you did not mean to share.

Recording one monitor keeps the video readable. Viewers see one screen at a size they can follow, and the rest of your desk stays out of the video.

Which monitor to record

Record the monitor that shows the app, page or file you want viewers to follow. If the work is spread across both, pick the one where most of the action happens.

When you have the choice, pick the larger or sharper monitor. The recording keeps the resolution of the screen you pick, so a bigger, sharper screen gives text that is easier to read in the video.

If you are not sure which number belongs to which monitor, open Windows Settings, go to System, then Display, and press Identify. Windows puts a number on each screen so you can match it to the list.

Step by step with Director

1. Click Choose what to record and pick the screen of the monitor you want to record. Pick the whole screen, not a single window, so the zoom can follow your cursor.
2. Under Output, pick the shape: the screen’s own shape, 16:9 for YouTube or a website, or 9:16 for Shorts, Reels and TikTok. The guide on screen shows what will be inside the frame.
3. Choose the resolution: native, 1440p, 1080p or 720p, and 60 or 30 fps. Native keeps the full sharpness of the monitor. For most videos, 1080p is a good pick.
4. Turn on the microphone. Turn on system audio too if you want the sound from your PC in the video.
5. Press CtrlAltP to start. Director hides its own window from the recording and shrinks to a small monitor in the corner that stays out of the video.
6. Press CtrlAltP to stop. The MP4 is already saved in your Videos folder, under Director.

Before the real take, record ten seconds as a test. Play it back and check three things: the screen you wanted is the one in the video, the other monitor does not appear, and the text is easy to read. Then move the pointer onto the other monitor during the test to confirm the video does not show it.

Use the second monitor as your control room

The second monitor is a good place for things viewers should never see: a script or bullet notes, the ticket or checklist you are working through, and a chat window. Everything there stays out of the video, because only the monitor you picked is recorded.

A few habits keep that screen useful:

• Mute chat and email notifications before you start. A pop-up on the monitor you record still ends up in the video.
• Move windows before you start. A window you drag onto the recorded monitor appears in the video from that moment on.
• Keep notes to one line per step, so you can find your place with a glance.
• Make the notes text large enough to read without leaning toward the screen.

Keep the cursor on the recorded screen

The zoom follows the cursor on the screen you record. The other monitor is not in the video, so when the pointer crosses to it, viewers stop seeing it. Before you point at something, move the pointer back onto the recorded screen.

Avoid crossing to the other monitor while you are zoomed in. If you need to read your notes, press CtrlAltX to zoom out first. When you are back on the recorded screen, press CtrlAltZ to zoom in on the cursor again. For how zoom works, read how to zoom in on a screen recording on Windows.

Different resolutions

Monitors often have different resolutions. A 4K monitor next to a 1080p monitor is a common setup. Director records the screen you pick at the resolution you choose for it: native, 1440p, 1080p or 720p. The resolution of the other monitor does not change your video.

Windows scaling is a separate setting. It changes how big text and apps look on each screen. If text looks small in the video, make it bigger in the app before you record, such as by raising the zoom level in your browser. Then make a short test recording and check it on a phone. If text still looks soft, read how to fix a blurry screen recording.

One screen per recording

Director records one screen or one window per recording. It cannot record both monitors at the same time. If you need to show both, record each one as its own take, and put the takes together in a video editor.

If all the work happens in one app, you can record that window instead of the whole screen, but then the zoom does not follow the cursor.

Related guides

For sound, read how to screen record on Windows 10 and 11 with audio. For a smooth take, read how to screen record without lag on Windows. To zoom in while you record, read how to zoom in on a screen recording on Windows.