Windows XP Screensaver Timeout Problem 1

[cc82394]

I recently installed windows xp pro. After installing the SP and other updates I realized the screensaver was not working. I can only get the screensaver to work if I set the timeout for 1 minute. How can I successfully get the screensaver to work at other timeout periods???

Thanks in advance!

 

[bcastner]

And old note from Gigahertz:

Check the registry:

In Regedit go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Check the following REG_SZ values:

ScreenSaveActive = 1 (this is probably your problem)
ScreenSaverIsSecure = 1 (for password protection w/ user PW)
ScreenSaveTimeOut = 600 (for 10 minutes)
SCRNSAVE.EXE = C:\Windows\System32\ssmypics.scr (or desired screensaver file name)

Note also these can be set under:
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop
for when no user is logged on.

 

[cc82394]

Is setting ScreenSaveActive=1 the solution? Any reason why this happened after a fresh install? Just want to make sure I avoid whatever I did/didn't do for future installs.

Thanks.

 

[cc82394]

I have modified HKEY_CURRENT_USER and HKEY_USERS and the problem still exists. ??

 

[bcastner]

An old note of linney's:

Check Group Policy (GpEdit.msc in Run Box).

Local Computer Policy/ User Configuration/ Administrative Templates/ Control Panel/
Click on Display and see if any of the Screensaver options are disabled.

It has been noted that several programs will interfere with the screensaver. MRU Blaster is one that has been noted.

For the value I noted above in the registry:
HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control
Panel\Desktop\ScreenSaveActive
set to a string value of 1 and not a DWORD value.

If Group Policy is then set to enable the screensaver it should then work, except for:

The next issue is to check for whether the screensaver executable exists on the XP machine. It should be scrnsave.scr not (scrnsaver.scr), a problem if you are upgrading from an earlier windows version.

Check that you are calling a valid screensaver executable that exists in the %windir%\system32 directory. If you are running XP SP1 then some of the fallback code that would automatically lock the workstation if there was no
or an invalid screensaver no longer runs due to performance issues.

If you have downloaded and applied the Directx 9.0a update, many older screensavers will not work. Use on of the plain vanilla screensavers included with XP. Note: some of the 3-D screensavers from the original distribution of XP will not run after the Directx 9.0x upgrade, as well as some from the original Plus! package.

 

[bcastner]

I should also note that there is a good chance that this is a video driver issue.

XP will install drivers as of early 2001. If the computer is more recent (likely) you should head immediately to the video manufacturer's website and obtain updated video display drivers.

 

[pete3000]

I have the same problem, but its been with me for 2 years.

ive looked and tried all these ideas and just releoaded XP pro last night and still have the SAME problem!!

I cannot set the screensaver to anything BUT 1 minute to get it to work. even with a fresh reload.

Im using a DELL XPS R450 (upgraded heavily)I also have a 64mb Nvidia graphics board. but it had the problem even before i went to that board.

 

[bcastner]

. Fast User Switching disabled?
. Logon with the Security Panel and not the Welcome screen with pictures?
. No empty or blank passwords?

Further suggestions:

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinXP/Q_20714557.html

 

[cc82394]

bcastner- These last suggestions did the trick, now the screensaver works. Thanks!

 

[themankinahan]

I also have this problem, i tried looking through all the options here, in group editor, screen saver is enabled, i have the setting for the registry set at
ScreenSaveActive = 1
ScreenSaverIsSecure = 0
ScreenSaveTimeOut = 60 (for 1 minute)
SCRNSAVE.EXE = C:\Windows\System32\Ati Caves.scr

PLEASE HELP ME JUST BOUGHT NEW MONITOR WANT TO PROTECT, also i can't get it to auto off the monitor in the power settings

 

[cc82394]

View bcastner's response from October 12th, 2 threads prior to yours. This was the final step to get mine working properly.

 

[themankinahan]

i turned off fast user switching
logon with security panel is that the thing that says like username password and locks up the system on control alt delete? thats on
and i as for blank passwords i set a password to logon to windows,


STILL NO LUCK, WHY DOES MY COMPUTER HATE SCREEN SAVERS

 

[bcastner]

First, the screensaver needs to appear in the registry as:
SCRNSAVE.EXE = "C:\Windows\System32\Ati Caves.scr"

(Note the quote marks. There is a blank space in your entry.)

Second, if you could rename that file to remove the blank space, I suspect it will work better. This is a guess made in the Newsgroups about strange doings with Third Party screeensaver names in XP:

"I also noticed something very peculiar and seems directly related. When I select the screensaver from the display properties and then check the registry, the whole path statement is in double quotes like this:
""c:\windows\system32\screensavername.scr""
and it shows up in the display properties as "NONE". When I remove the quotes, it shows up in display properties as being the correctly selected screensaver and works as long as I don't mess with it again."

My concern is that it appears the string may need to be a quoted string even in the absence of the blank space.

 

[themankinahan]

Tried the quotes and renamed it to aticaves.scr

I also tried non third party, ie. like pipes and windows XP
NUMEROUS times

STILL NO LUCK, thanks for all the suggestions

 

[bcastner]

. Set the timeout to something other than 1 minute.
. Try it unquoted.
. You should investigate whether the monitor driver being used is ACPI compliant. It may well be a monitor driver isssue.

 

[linney]

Some software like MRU Blaster by Javacool Software can cause Screensaver problems.

 

[Xaqte]

bcastner, you've done it again! I had the same problem and the fix you suggested:
. Fast User Switching disabled?
. Logon with the Security Panel and not the Welcome screen with pictures?
. No empty or blank passwords?

Worked great! It seems like this is a fix for alot of problems.

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