Can't delete/uninstall boring windows screensavers.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Machine messiah
  • Start date Start date
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Machine messiah

How do I get rid of the screensavers that come with Windows XP?
I think they are boring and have no plans to use them. I have a large
collection of screensavers and don't want to have to scroll through the
dull MS screens to get to the one I want.
There is no option to remove them from " add/remove windows components"
They are not listed in add/remove programs. If I delete them they are
instantly re-created.
I even tried renaming them without the file extension .scr, and set them
as read only, hidden. No luck, they are still listed in the screensavers
menu and still run.
I have been using XP since Tuesday. I am using XP Home that came with
slipstreamed with SP 2. I am logged as an administrator.
tia.
 
Machine said:
How do I get rid of the screensavers that come with Windows XP?
I think they are boring and have no plans to use them. I have a large
collection of screensavers and don't want to have to scroll through the
dull MS screens to get to the one I want.
Click to expand...

They are .scr files in windows\system32 (or possibly, if there are old
ones around, just in windows). Look for such files (Search on *.scr)
and delete as desired
 
They are .scr files in windows\system32 (or possibly, if there are old
ones around, just in windows). Look for such files (Search on *.scr)
and delete as desired
Click to expand...
Yes, I know where they are. As I said, when I delete them from that
folder they instantly re-appear. That's why I tried renaming them w/o a
file extension and changing the attributes to readonly/hidden.
 
Delete.scr file under %windir%\system32

regards,
ssg MS-MVP
Click to expand...
I tried that, it doesn't work. They instantly re-appear. That's why I
tried renaming them w/o a file extension and making them read only /
hidden. That's a Win9x trick to keep annoying folders like "my
pictures" from being recreated. Guess that's not going to work on Xp.
 
| > > Delete.scr file under %windir%\system32
|
| Which part of...
|
| > If I delete them they are instantly re-created.
|
| ...did you miss?


Apparently, ssg MS-MVP missed all of it, including the part
where they are also found in %windir%\system32\dllcache,
from which they should be removed first.
 
In
a nonymous said:
Apparently, ssg MS-MVP missed all of it, including the part
where they are also found in %windir%\system32\dllcache,
from which they should be removed first.
Click to expand...

*.scr files aren't saved in the dllcache directory.
 
Machine said:
Yes, I know where they are. As I said, when I delete them from that
folder they instantly re-appear. That's why I tried renaming them w/o a
file extension and changing the attributes to readonly/hidden.
Click to expand...

That suggests they are protected mode files (ones that came with the
system might be, though there doen't seem good reason). In that case
they are being copied back from windows\system32\dllcache Delete them
from there *first* and when asked to put in the CD because a file has
been changed, tell the dialog to get lost
 
Ron said:
*.scr files aren't saved in the dllcache directory.
Click to expand...

Hi, Ron;

Uhm....well, actually, they are. Delete one from System32 and see what
happens in \dllcache. :)
 
Frank said:
They aren't in dllcache on my machine, WinXP Home, SP2.
Click to expand...

Hi, Frank;

Nor in mine by default. I'm running XP Pro SP2, but not sure that would
matter. If I delete one of them from System32, it gets placed in the
dllcache folder (then replaced back into system32). Doesn't that happen on
your XP Home system?
 
Frank Saunders said:
They aren't in dllcache on my machine, WinXP Home, SP2.
Click to expand...

They appear in the ddl cache if you delete them from the sys32 folder, and
then replicate themselves back into the sys32 folder.
 
Sky King said:
Hi, Frank;

Nor in mine by default. I'm running XP Pro SP2, but not sure that
would matter. If I delete one of them from System32, it gets placed
in the dllcache folder (then replaced back into system32). Doesn't
that happen on your XP Home system?
Click to expand...

Yes, it does.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
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