Why does my screensaver stopped working

Also, if your mouse pad is dirty with hair or lint then this can also cause the mouse to go 'haywire'. If you clean the mouse and the mouse pad, this will reduce the chance of the mouse becoming active and thus making your screensaver work properly. A misbehaving Windows Theme can result in a screensaver that doesn't work. For example, a third-party theme may have bugs; or, the desktop "slide show" part of the Windows Theme in Windows 7 and 8 may be configured incorrectly.

For example, if the background is set to change after 3 minutes, but the screensaver is set to come on after 5 minutes, then it may never activate because the slide show is overriding the screensaver. To rule out that your Windows Theme as at fault, you can reset it to the default Windows theme to see if that fixes the problem.

Important: please also note that every time you change the desktop theme, your screensaver settings will also reset to "None" default. As such, this is one of the most common reasons as to why the screensaver stops working -- so please take this into account! As I mentioned above, the screensaver settings are reset when the Windows theme is changed; as such, you will now need to adjust your screensaver settings. At this point you can also test if your screensaver will work by setting the screensaver to turn on after the 1 minute interval temporarily.

To do so:. If the Power Management Options on the computer have been changed, it can cause the screensaver to stop working properly. As such, you can reset the settings to default to resolve the issue. Video card and mouse drivers are notorious culprits for interfering with screensavers. As such, you should download the latest video card and mouse drivers from the manufacturer's website. You can determine which video card and mouse you have by opening up the Device Manager and reviewing the model names and numbers of each device.

Some devices that connect to and operate through the USB can prevent the screensaver from not working. There are many other devices that may also cause a conflict; as such, try unplugging all USB devices to your computer except for the keyboard and mouse, and then test your screensaver again. You should be able to isolate the device causing the problem by plugging in each device one at a time, then test the screen saver again. I need more computer questions. If you have a computer question -- or even a computer problem that needs fixing -- please email me with your question so that I can write more articles like this one.

I can't promise I'll respond to all the messages I receive depending on the volume , but I'll do my best. About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization.

For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service currently located at the bottom left of the screen ; optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.

Privacy Policy Terms of Service. Jump to Navigation. Search form Search. Infopackets Reader 'Tibby' writes: " Dear Dennis, For a few days now my screensaver won't start anymore on either my Windows 7 desktop and laptop.

Clean the Mouse Optical Lens On many computers, the mouse can wake up a computer from sleep and also the screen saver. To do so: Turn the mouse over and look at the optical lens for any lint or hairs around the eye. Blow the lens with your breath, compressed air, or use tweezers to extract any hair or lint. Use a lint remover to go over the mouse pad if the mouse pad made from fabric , then use tape to get the rest of the lint and hair off.

If you have additional peripherals or devices connected to the computer, disconnect them. They can disrupt the screen, causing the screen saver to not work properly. You know how the slightest disturbance on the screen can stop the screen saver from working. Dust particles or even dead insects in the keyboard or on the mouse pad can cause this error. If necessary, disconnect them and clean them thoroughly. Count this now as one of the last few resorts. Double click on Display adapters and right click on your graphics card to select Update drivers.

Repeat the same steps to update Monitor drivers as well. Check again if the screen saver problem is not working on your Windows 10 computer.

As soon as it turns out up, select Run as administrator in the right pane. Type the command below in the command prompt window and press Enter. If you laptop, make sure it is fully charged or connected to a power source. System File Checker checks and repairs damaged or corrupt system files that may be responsible for the screen saver error. Microsoft support recommends a clean boot to find out if there is a software conflict that causes the screen saver to break and not work.

Microsoft has developed a script that you must download and run on your computer to reset it. Now that you have fixed all possible Windows Update related errors, you can finally update Windows OS to see if that does not work the screen saver problem. Open Settings again and click Update and security. Microsoft has a dedicated troubleshooter app for when you see an error code while downloading or installing Windows OS updates. The last step recommended by Microsoft support staff is the DISM command to recheck the overall health of your Windows system.

Use the command prompt with administrator privileges and enter the commands below in sequence. Some people like their screensavers, but not all of us think that way. Make sure you set the right priorities. The next up Want an app to shuffle your favorite screensavers at will? Click the link below to learn how. How this tutorial helping you? What is actual time in which this method complete?

In general, these false signals of user activity makes the computer think it is still in use, which eventually stops the screensaver from showing up. Therefore, it is advised to clean the dust from your mouse optical sensor and unplug all external devices one at a time until you find the defective one. Windows 10 comes with an in-built troubleshooter tool that not only helps you figure out the cause of common Windows 10 problems but also provides potential solutions to fix them.

If your Windows 10 screensaver still refuses to work, then run the power troubleshooter to diagnose the problem. If your mouse is placed in an area where it recognizes any changes then it is running to keep your system awake. And, it will restrict the screensaver from being triggered and it will continue until you keep your mouse trivial.

Hence, you have to make sure that you are using a clean mouse sensor and dust-free mouse pad to fix the screensaver not working issue. Plus, keep your mouse on a flat surface where no uneasiness occurs. Maybe, you find it a bit simple comparatively but this can cause your system not to wake up accurately.

So, trying this method can prove helpful to you. So, this was all folks! This concludes our guide that will give you a clear insight on how to resolve Windows 10 screensaver not working problems. Sign me up for the newsletter! Published Date : Feb 01, Category : How To. Table of Contents show.