How to Change the Screen Saver in Windows

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Screen savers were originally created to protect CRT monitors from burning fixed images, like your desktop into your monitor. But today, interestingly, they are still used. So this article shows you how to change the screen saver in Windows.

Now they are great to have something interesting on your monitor while you aren’t using your computer. It also provides an opportunity for your computer to stay on and have some sort of lockout procedure after it appears.

Please note, a screen saver is not the desktop background or wallpaper. You can see how to change that in this article.

How to change the screen saver

1. Open the contextual menu from the desktop

Press your right mouse button once you have moved your pointer to hover over an unused part of your desktop.

2. Click on personalize

Move your pointer to hover over ‘Personalize’ and press the left mouse button in the contextual menu.

click on personalize from desktop contextual menu

3. Click on the ‘Lock Screen’ option

Move your pointer to hover over ‘Lock screen’ and press the left mouse button.

select lock screen and screen saver settings

4. Click on ‘Screen saver settings’

Move your pointer to hover over ‘Screen saver settings’ near the bottom of the display area and press the left mouse button.

5. Open the screen saver list

Move your pointer and hover it over the Screen saver area’s combo box. Press the left mouse button over the down arrow to the right of the box.

choose screen saver from drop down list

6. Select your screen saver

Move your pointer over the one you want and press the left mouse button.

7. Set your delay time

Edit the value in the Wait box to suit the delay you want before the screen saver appears. This is the time from your last keyboard keypress, mouse movement, or touchscreen touch until it kicks in.

set wait time

8. Click on ‘OK’

Move your pointer to hover over the ‘OK’ button and press your left mouse button.

And that’s how you change it.

How to add screen savers

Generally, additional screen savers are added to your computer using a separate app install. An example of this can be seen in the Microsoft Apps store.

Another way is to download and add an SCR file to your Windows\System32 folder.

Then all you have to do is go and select it as demonstrated earlier.

How to disable the screen saver

  1. Press your right mouse button once you have moved your mouse pointer to hover over an unused part of your desktop.
  2. Move your mouse pointer to hover over ‘Personalize’ and press the left mouse button.
  3. Move your pointer to hover over ‘Lock screen’ and press the left mouse button.
  4. Move your pointer to hover over ‘Screen saver settings’ near the bottom of the screen and press the left mouse button.
  5. Move your pointer and hover it over the Screen saver area’s combo box. Press the left mouse button over the down arrow to the right of the box.
  6. Move your pointer to hover over ‘None’ and press your left mouse button.
  7. All of the extra settings like delay etc. will turn to a disabled grayed out state. Press your left mouse button while hovering your pointer over ‘OK’ to complete the disabling of the screen saver.

Your screen saver will now be completely disabled and won’t appear after the previously set time.

Conclusion

Whatever the reason for choosing a screen saver, it can add an extra bit of aesthetics to your computer when you aren’t using it.

I always wanted to get my hands on a one that makes it look like I’m computing away on some complicated equations or math problems. But, I haven’t been able to find anything like that as yet.

Enjoy using your screensaver, even if it simply saves you a little power when you aren’t using it.