Changing Screen Saver to Default Setting

Question

Somehow, I changed the screen save on my laptop. It was the default setting that showed different things (animals, birds, buildings, bridges ect.) that was set when I first got my computer. It was great - loved it and it was interesting. How do I set it back to it's original setting when I first got my computer a few months ago? Email me [Moderator Note: Personal Info Removed] It's a laptop.

Moved from: Microsoft System Center | Other

Answer 1

1

Open the Settings App.

Go to Personalization - Themes.

In the list of available themes, do you see a PC manufacturers Theme available that you can reset your theme to.

2

Open the Settings App.

Go to Personalization - Lock Screen.

What is the 'Personalize your Lock screen' drop down menu set to, is that set to Window Spotlight, and if so, what other options do you have on the drop-down menu?

Answer 2

Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.

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Hi P Shanahan,

The above AI answer suggested reconfiguring the screen saver through Screen Saver Settings. Could you try those steps and let me know the results?

Besides, in order to help narrow this down, could you also clarify a few details?

• When you say the screen showed animals, birds, buildings, and similar images, did these appear after the PC was idle or on the lock/sign-in screen?
• What screen saver is currently selected in Screen Saver Settings?
• If you select Photos, do you see the same image slideshow you were seeing previously or are those pictures no longer available?
• Which version of Windows are you using (Windows 10 or Windows 11)?

Your answers will help me better understand which feature was being used originally and suggest the most appropriate steps to restore it. I look forward to your reply.

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Answer 3

To restore the default screen saver that cycles through images, configure the screen saver again in Windows settings. This uses the built-in Screen Saver Settings, not email.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to Personalization > Lock screen.
3. Select Screen saver (or use this shortcut if available: ms-settings:lockscreen).
4. In the Screen Saver Settings window:
   • From the Screen saver drop-down list, choose the one that matches what was originally shown. Common defaults include Photos (for a slideshow of pictures) or other built-in savers like Bubbles, Mystify, or Ribbons.
   • If it was a slideshow of pictures (animals, birds, buildings, etc.), select Photos, then click Settings... and choose the folder that contains those images (often a default Pictures or sample images folder, depending on how the PC was set up).
5. Set the Wait time (how many minutes of inactivity before the screen saver starts).
6. Optionally, check On resume, display logon screen if a password is required when the screen saver stops.
7. Click OK to save the settings.

If the Screen Saver Settings window was not saving changes before, reset the screen saver settings to default values using the registry fix from Microsoft, then configure it again:

1. Open Notepad.
2. Copy this text 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 the file as a .reg file on the desktop, for example screen-saver-fix.reg.
4. Double-click the .reg file to merge it into the registry.
5. After that, open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen > Screen saver again and reselect the desired screen saver.

Important: Editing the registry can cause serious problems if done incorrectly. Back up the registry before making changes and only follow the documented steps.

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References:

• Configure a Screen Saver in Windows
• You cannot change or save Screen Saver settings