How to Enable or Disable Changing Screen Saver in Windows


A screen saver is a moving picture or pattern that displays on the screen(s) of your PC after you have not been active on the PC for specified period of time to wait. Screen savers were originally used to save older, monochromatic monitors from damage, but now they are mainly a way to personalize your PC or enhance its security by offering password protection.

Screen Saver Settings allows users to turn on or off screen saver and password protection on resume in Windows.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable changing screen saver for specific or all users in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable changing screen saver.


 CONTENTS:

  • Option One: Enable or Disable Changing Screen Saver in Local Group Policy Editor
  • Option Two: Enable or Disable Changing Screen Saver for All Users using a REG file


EXAMPLE: Changing screen saver enabled and disabled
Enable or Disable Changing Screen Saver in Windows-screen_saver_settings.png Enable or Disable Changing Screen Saver in Windows-screen_saver_disabled.png






OPTION ONE

Enable or Disable Changing Screen Saver in Local Group Policy Editor



In Windows 7, the Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.

In Windows 8, the Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Pro and Enterprise editions.

In Windows 10, the Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two.

1. Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2. In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, click/tap on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Control Panel, and Personalization. (see screenshot below)

Enable or Disable Changing Screen Saver in Windows-prevent_changing_screen_saver_gpedit-1.jpg

3. In the right pane of Personalization, double click/tap on the Prevent changing screen saver policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


 5. To Enable Changing Screen Saver

A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Not Configured is the default setting.


 6. To Disable Changing Screen Saver

A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Enable or Disable Changing Screen Saver in Windows-prevent_changing_screen_saver_gpedit-2.png

7. When finished, you can close Local Group Policy Editor if you like.






OPTION TWO

Enable or Disable Changing Screen Saver for All Users using a REG file



The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry keys below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

NoDispScrSavPage DWORD

(delete) = Enable
1 = Disable


1. Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


 2. To Enable Changing Screen Saver for All Users

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_changing_screen_saver.reg

Download


 3. To Disable Changing Screen Saver for All Users

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_changing_screen_saver.reg

Download

4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. You could now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials



  • Windows 11 Tutorials