How to Completely Disable ‘Steps Recorder’ via Group Policy in Windows 11

Steps Recorder (formerly known as Problem Steps Recorder or PSR) is a diagnostic tool built into Windows that captures screenshots, mouse clicks, and keyboard inputs sequentially to help users document a technical problem for support teams. While incredibly useful for troubleshooting, it represents a severe security and privacy risk in highly secure corporate environments. Because the tool captures literal screenshots and keystrokes of everything occurring on the desktop, malicious actors or careless employees could easily use it to exfiltrate sensitive data, capture passwords visible on the screen, or document secure workflows that should not leave the network.

This guide explains how to completely disable the Steps Recorder application system-wide using the Group Policy Editor in Windows 11, ensuring the tool cannot be launched or utilized for data capture.

Disable Steps Recorder via Group Policy

To enforce a strict block that prevents the psr.exe binary from executing and locks the restriction from user modification, we must deploy an administrative template. Note that this requires Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions.

1. Log into Windows 11 with an Administrator account.
2. Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue box.
3. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
4. In the left-hand navigation pane, strictly follow this exact path:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Application Compatibility

5. In the right-hand pane, locate the policy named Turn off Steps Recorder.
6. Double-click the policy to open its configuration window.
7. Select the radio button next to Enabled. (Note: You must enable this policy to turn off the feature).
8. Click Apply, then click OK.

Verify the Configuration Lockdown

To enforce the change immediately across the system without requiring a full reboot, open an elevated Command Prompt and execute gpupdate /force.

To verify the restriction is active, press the Windows Key, type Steps Recorder, and attempt to launch the application. Instead of the tool opening, the operating system will actively block the execution of psr.exe. Depending on your exact Windows build, it will either silently fail to launch, or a dialog box will appear stating, “This app has been blocked by your system administrator” (or a similar message indicating Group Policy interference). The workstation is now secured against this built-in screen capture vector.