How to Create WAVs Longer than 60 Seconds in the Windows XP Sound Recorder

If you've used the Windows XP Sound Recorder application, you probably noticed it can't record anything longer than 60 seconds.

After one minute, the "tape" runs out! It seems like you should be able to make the electronic "tape" used in the Sound Recorder last longer than 60 seconds.

If you think it should be possible, you're right!

The trick to creating a longer tape is to join shorter tapes. Here's how you do it:

Click Start and point to All Programs and then point to Accessories. Point to Entertainment and then click on Sound Recorder.

Record a "blank tape". Click the Red "Record" button and let it run until it stops in 60 seconds. You can see your electronic tape progress as the slider bar moves from left to right. When the tape runs out, the slider bar will stop moving.

Click the Edit menu and then click the Copy command. Click the Edit menu and click the Paste Insert command. Notice that the Length has changed? You can see the Length in the right side of the dialog box.

Repeat step #2 again. Your tape should now be 240 seconds (4 minutes). Using this method, the tape will double each time you repeat step #2. I like to make a tape of 32 minutes. You can always cut off the pieces you don't use later.

Save the tape. Click File and then click the Save command. In the Save As dialog box, type in a name for the tape. I usually call it something like Blank32Minutes so that I know that it's a blank tape and how long it is.

Close the Sound Recorder and open it up again. Click File and then click the Open command. Open the blank tape you saved.

Press the Red "Record" button and record your message. When you're done recording, click on the Square "Stop" button. Click on the Edit menu and click the Delete after current position. You'll see a dialog box informing you that everything after the current position will be deleted. Click OK.

Click the File menu and click the Save As command. Save the file with a different name. This allows you to keep the current recording and leave your blank tape unchanged.

Now you know how to make recordings with the Windows XP Sound Recorder and you know how to make them more than a minute long. Cool!