Screensaver won't start anymore

I can now answer my own question.

The problem is caused by having a pair of rudder pedals (used for simulating flight) made by a company called CH Products connected to my PC via USB.

Looking in Device Manager under Human Interface Devices, the pedals are referred to as HID-compliant game controller and their device instance ID is VID_068E&PID_00F2\7&306b5100&0&0000.

These pedals have been working perfectly fine until recently. So apparently something changed in one of the latest Windows updates that is now causing this issue where the screensaver including shutting the display off after a certain amount of time no longer works unless the pedals are disconnected or disabled in Device Manager.

If I recall correctly I and lots of other people faced very similar issues a couple of years back that were eventually acknowledged and fixed by Microsoft. I hope that is what will happen this time around as well.

So I was too fast thinking the problem was completely solved.

I actually came to think of one thing I did change to my system recently. I disabled the IN-GAME OVERLAY option in Nvidia GeForce Experience.

So I just tried re-enabling it and sure enough - having that option enabled plus having the CH Pro Pedals connected/enabled at the same time will stop the Windows screensaver from starting. Disabling one of them (either the CH Pro Pedals or the IN-GAME OVERLAY option in Nvidia GeForce Experience) will make the screensaver work normally again.

So I'll go ahead and try to show this now using the steps provided above to send feedback to MS. Not sure how that built-in capture tool works - if it's taking screenshots or if it's actually recording my screen. The latter I think would be the best method in this case to really see the issue but I'll give it a go anyway.

What I find VERY frustrating, is how Windows 10 is consistently getting worse.  When Windows 10 1st came out, I could have my x360 & PS3 controllers plugged in & the screen saver would work fine.  Then after one of the semi-annual feature updates (which they MAKE you download), I had to disc. the x360 controller for the screen saver to work.  NOW, with the latest 1803 update, I now have to also disc the PS3 controller for the screensaver to work.  I find this VERY FRUSTRATING!  Not just that this has happened, but that MS makes us download these stupid updates that we don't need, nor want!  I don't mind the security updates, but the feature updates shouldn't be mandatory and can often times just cause problems!

I've been a Windows user since 3.1.  Never really had a problem with Windows.  I didn't even mind Windows ME.  But I can't stand what MS has done with Windows & it sincerely hurts me to say, that I've taken more and more consideration into going with another OS.  Esp if they keep making us download the feature updates & not listening to there customer base

John_662+

I feel exactly the same way. I have the same exact issues and history and I am starting to really hate Windows 10...

• as a 'service' with unavoidable system crippling major and minor OS updates
• Schizophrenia about the split between Control Panel and Settings (always getting worse) Give me back the old CP any day
• Apps as a philosophy for software installation
• Intrusions on privacy as OS default settings
• Registry changes alluded to by Tech websites that do not relate to actual behaviour of Registry keys due to both major and minor 'quality'  updates, e.g. getting Search Box to have dark background without having to invoke Dark Mode
• ugly dialogs and graphics compared to previous Windows (like XP)
• and lastly, lousy technical support and poor ignorant and arrogant tech community contributors.

My memory was correct and I even found the old thread in this very same forum posted back in August 2015.

That time after some not very impressive responses from MS staff suggesting there was a problem with corrupt system files or user profiles MS eventually identified and fixed the issue in a patch. So it looks like MS now with the latest version of Windows 10 managed to wake this old issue up again.

Here's a link to the old thread describing the very same issue about 3 years ago...

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-start/screensaver-wont-work-in-windows-10-with-game/752b86d4-12f1-4649-b6d9-fb605e7e6766?auth=1