- For the desktop picture sometimes mistakenly called a "screen saver", see Desktop background.
A screen saver (or screensaver) is a program that blanks the display screen or fills it with moving images or patterns when the computer has been idle for a designated time. Microsoft Windows comes with several screen savers installed.
In Microsoft Windows, screensavers are Portable Executable files with the ".scr" file extension. This enables malware authors to add ".scr" to the name of any Win32 executable file they create, and thereby increase the likelihood that users of Windows will run the file without realizing it contains malicious code.
Setting
In Windows, the screen saver is changed in the Screen Saver Settings applet, which is found in the Control Panel in most versions. It is found in the Settings app in Windows 8 and later.
Options that can be set include what screen saver plays, how many minutes the computer must be idle to play the screen saver, whether the user must log in to use the computer again, and any individual settings the screen saver includes. Additionally, there is a link to Power Settings in the Control Panel. From Screen Saver Settings, a preview of the screen saver is shown. The screen saver can be seen in full by selecting the Preview button.
As with other personalization settings, screen savers can be set separately for each user, and can be saved as part of a Theme.
History
DOS-based versions
Screen savers debuted in Windows 3.1. It includes the following screen savers:
- Blank
- Flying Windows
- Marquee (Marquee Display)
- Starfield (Starfield Simulation)
Windows 95 includes the same screen savers as Windows 3.1, as well as:
- Beziers (Curves and Colors)
- Mystify Your Mind
Windows 98 includes these screen savers, along with the ones that debuted in Windows NT 4.0. It also adds "Channel Screen Saver".
Windows Me includes the same screen savers as Windows 98, along with the screen savers from Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95. It also added "My Pictures Screen Saver". However, the screen savers originally from Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 were removed, except for Flying Windows.
Early Windows NT
In Windows NT 4.0, the screen savers from Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 are present, except for Flying Windows. However, it adds "Login Screen Saver", as well as five new screen savers that make use of OpenGL to have 3D visuals. They are:
Windows 2000 includes these screen savers, as well as "Channel Screen Saver". It also updates the Login Screen Saver.
Windows XP
In Windows XP, most of the OpenGL screen savers were rewritten with Direct3D, changing their appearance. 3D Maze, however, was removed. Windows XP adds "My Pictures Slideshow", a renamed version of "My Pictures Screen Saver" from Windows ME. The "Logon Screen Saver" was updated to "Windows XP".
Windows XP Media Center Edition includes the same screen savers as other editions of Windows XP, as well as the screen savers from Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP.
Windows Vista and later
In Windows Vista, most of the screen savers seen in previous versions were removed. Instead, it features a new set of screen savers. The screen savers in Windows Vista are:
- 3D Text (an updated version of 3D Text as seen in Windows XP)
- Aurora
- Blank
- Bubbles
- Photos (an updated version of My Pictures Slideshow)
- Mystify (not to be confused with Mystify from previous versions)
- Ribbons
- Windows Energy
- Windows Logo
Windows 7 has the same screen savers, though Aurora, Windows Energy, and Windows Logo were removed. The remaining screen savers are included in Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11.
According to Microsoft, screen savers are officially no longer supported as of Windows 10.[1] The Lock screen feature is suggested in their place. However, screen savers are still supported and included in Windows 10 and Windows 11.