Screensaver does not work

Question

I have Windows 11. I cannot get the screensaver to work.

I have set up screensaver successfully on another machine, but it will not start on this one.

Answer 1

Dear Mary Katherine Blohm, 

Thank you for your question and for sharing the details into Microsoft Q&A Forum. 

I understand how frustrating it can be when the screen saver works on one Windows 11 PC but won’t start on another, even with the same settings. At this point, I recommend that you review and try the steps provided in both the AI generated answer and the Independent Advisor’s answer on your thread. Those replies typically include the most relevant checks for this scenario. To help narrow this down and provide the next step, could you please share a bit more information? 

• Does the screen saver run when you click “Preview”? 
• What is the Wait time set to (e.g., 1 minute / 10 minutes)? 
• In Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen and sleep, what are the values for: Turn off my screen after and Put my device to sleep after 
• Does the issue still happen if you leave the PC on the Desktop with all apps closed (no video, no full-screen apps)? 
• Is this PC managed by an organization (work/school account, domain, company policy)? 
• Any USB devices connected (wireless mouse receiver, controller, docking station)? 
• Please share your Windows build by running Win + R > winver (Version + OS Build). 

In the meantime, here are a few basic steps you can try: 

1.Confirm basic screen saver settings

• Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen > Screen saver 
• Set Screen saver to Blank (for testing) and Wait can set to 1 minute 
• Click Preview (confirm it displays) 
• Click Apply > OK 
• Leave the PC untouched for 1–2 minutes and check if it starts. 

2.Make sure Screen/Sleep timing is not preventing the screen saver 

• Go to Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen and sleep 
• Temporarily set for testing Turn off my screen after 10–15 minutes and Put my device to sleep after 15–30 minutes 
• Keep Screen saver Wait at 1 minute and test again. 

3.Check for apps  

• Close any apps that might keep the PC active (video playback, Teams calls or screen sharing, games, remote desktop sessions). 
• Leave the PC on the Desktop (no full-screen content). 
• Don’t touch keyboard/mouse and see if the screen saver starts. 

4.Rule out input devices generating small movement 

• Disconnect non-essential USB devices (especially wireless mouse receiver, controllers, docking station accessories). 
• Test again with only a basic keyboard/mouse (or even temporarily without the mouse). 

5.Clean Boot test 

• Press Win + R, type msconfig, press Enter 
• Services tab > check Hide all Microsoft services > click Disable all 
• Startup tab > click Open Task Manager > disable all startup items 
• Restart the PC and test the screen saver again 

6.Update drivers and restart 

• Go to Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates 
• Then open Advanced options > Optional updates > Driver updates 
• Install any available Display/Graphics, Chipset, and HID/Mouse/Touchpad driver updates 
• Restart the PC and test the screen saver again 

While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding. 

I hope these steps help your Windows 11 screen saver start normally again. Wishing you a smooth experience in getting the screen saver working as expected so you can use your device without interruptions. 

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Answer 2

Hi Mary,

Surely I can help you with that. To start with, could you take a screenshot of Screen saver settings and post in the next reply?

Please keep me updated.

Answer 3

On Windows 11, a common reason a screensaver does not start is that no timeout is effectively configured, or policy/registry settings are blocking it. Use these steps to troubleshoot:

1. Configure the timeout explicitly
   1. Open Settings → Personalization → Lock screen → Screen saver (Screen saver settings dialog).
   2. In Wait: set a value such as 10 or 15 minutes.
   3. Ensure On resume, display logon screen is optional, but Screen saver is set to something other than (None).
   4. Apply and OK, then leave the PC idle longer than the configured time.
2. Ensure a timeout exists in the registry (per-user) If the timeout is missing, the screensaver may never start.
   1. Open Regedit.
   2. Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
   3. Check for the value ScreenSaveTimeOut (type REG_SZ).
      • If it does not exist, create a new String Value named ScreenSaveTimeOut and set it to a number of seconds, for example 600 (10 minutes).
   4. Also confirm ScreenSaveActive is present and set to 1.
   5. Sign out and back in, then test again.
3. Check policy keys that can block or override the screensaver Policy-based values can prevent the screensaver from working or from being changed.
   1. In Regedit, check:
      • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop
   2. Look for these values:
      • SCRNSAVE.EXE
      • ScreenSaveActive
   3. If SCRNSAVE.EXE exists here and is pointing to an invalid or unwanted screensaver, delete the SCRNSAVE.EXE value.
   4. If ScreenSaveActive is set to 0, change it to 1.
   5. Close Registry Editor and restart the PC.
4. Reset screensaver-related user settings (if changes are not being saved) If changes in the Screen Saver Settings dialog are ignored or not saved, reset the relevant registry values.
   1. Open Notepad.
   2. Paste the following exactly (including blank lines):

            Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
            
            [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
            "ScreenSaverIsSecure"="0"
            "ScreenSaveTimeOut"="600"
            "ScreenSaveActive"="1"
            
            [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop]
            "ScreenSaveActive"=dword:00000001
            "SCRNSAVE.EXE"=-
            
            [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects\LocalUser\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop]
            "ScreenSaveActive"="1"
            
            [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
            "NoSaveSettings"=dword:00000000
            
            [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects\LocalUser\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
            "NoSaveSettings"=dword:00000000
            
            [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects\LocalUser\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
            "**del.NoSaveSettings"=-
      

   3. Save as screen-saver-fix.reg on the desktop.
   4. Double-click the file and allow it to merge into the registry.
   5. Restart Windows and reconfigure the screensaver in Settings.
5. If managed by an organization (work/school device) If this is a work or school PC, device management or Group Policy may enforce screensaver or lock policies. In that case, contact the administrator, as local changes may be overridden.

Always back up the registry before editing, as incorrect changes can cause system issues.

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References:

• Group Policy Screensaver setting isn't working in Windows
• Screensaver drop down menu greyed out
• Configure a Screen Saver in Windows
• You cannot change or save Screen Saver settings