No screensaver

[JM]

Screensaver won't work. Can preview fine, but it just
won't start on its own. Concerned about screen burn in
and wasted power.

Found several posts across the web, but no one seems to
have an answer.

Help appreciated.

 

[Thorsten Matzner]

Screensaver won't work. Can preview fine, but it just
won't start on its own. Concerned about screen burn in
and wasted power.

Burn-ins are no issue for years now. Modern monitors will protect
theirselves against this. Energy-saving, however, still is a good
idea.
Usually the screen saver does not activate because an application that
is running in the background prevents Windows from seeing the PC as
idle. Therefore check your startup settings to find out what is
causing this. Applications that start with Windows can be found here:
- the WIN.INI, section [windows], entries "run=" and "load="
- the Registry keys
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
- the folders
C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\ALL USERS\START MENU\PROGRAMS\STARTUP
C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\{username}\START MENU\PROGRAMS\STARTUP
See also "How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows
XP" (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310560).

 

[JM]

Thanks. It's a good theory. Problem is, how do I tell
which of the 20 or so startup items is making the non-
idle? Most of them, I don't even recognize. And it might
be one of the services too.

The only clue I can think of is that I've had the computer
for over a year, and the screen saver has never worked, so
it must have been an older app.

Is there a trick with perfmon or the task manager that
will help? Thanks again for the assist.

--J

-----Original Message-----

Screensaver won't work. Can preview fine, but it just
won't start on its own. Concerned about screen burn in
and wasted power.

Burn-ins are no issue for years now. Modern monitors will protect
theirselves against this. Energy-saving, however, still is a good
idea.
Usually the screen saver does not activate because an application that
is running in the background prevents Windows from seeing the PC as
idle. Therefore check your startup settings to find out what is
causing this. Applications that start with Windows can be found here:
- the WIN.INI, section [windows], entries "run=" and "load="
- the Registry keys
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio n\Run

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersi on\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersi

on\RunServices
- the folders
C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\ALL USERS\START MENU\PROGRAMS\STARTUP
C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\{username}\START MENU\PROGRAMS\STARTUP
See also "How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows
XP" (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310560).

 

[Bill Crawford]

Thanks. It's a good theory. Problem is, how do I tell
which of the 20 or so startup items is making the non-
idle? Most of them, I don't even recognize. And it might
be one of the services too.

The only clue I can think of is that I've had the computer
for over a year, and the screen saver has never worked, so
it must have been an older app.

Is there a trick with perfmon or the task manager that
will help? Thanks again for the assist.

--J

-----Original Message-----


Burn-ins are no issue for years now. Modern monitors will
protect

theirselves against this. Energy-saving, however, still

is a good

idea.
Usually the screen saver does not activate because an

application that

is running in the background prevents Windows from seeing

the PC as

idle. Therefore check your startup settings to find out

what is

causing this. Applications that start with Windows can be

found here:

- the WIN.INI, section [windows], entries "run="

and "load="

- the Registry keys
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
n\Run


on\Run


on\RunServices

- the folders
C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\ALL USERS\START
MENU\PROGRAMS\STARTUP

C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\{username}\START
MENU\PROGRAMS\STARTUP

See also "How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig

Utility in Windows

XP" (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310560).

The only solution that I have found is to start a program and leave it
on the desktop. I use IfranView since it does not need internet access.
I know that this sounds crazy, but it works for me. It is the only thing
I have found to work.

Hope it solves your problem.

Bill C.

 

[Thorsten Matzner]

Thanks. It's a good theory. Problem is, how do I tell
which of the 20 or so startup items is making the non-
idle? Most of them, I don't even recognize. And it might
be one of the services too.

Usually no, but this is valid only for the Microsoft services. I do
not know of a easier way than to disable all the items, check if the
screen saver works. If so, enable one item, check again and so on
until you have found out what happens here exactly.