Why Won't My Screen Saver Stay On?

Screen savers usually are random visualizations or pictures.

While the screen saver is an effective means of protecting an idle computer from idle eyes, it's not perfect. Even the smallest nudge of a mouse can disengage your screen saver. Additionally, screen saver issues may be caused by hardware or software settings.

Power Settings

Power settings are especially important on a laptop, which often switches between outlet and battery power. Check to make sure that your power settings aren't putting your computer to sleep at the same time that your screen saver is engaging. You can access your settings from "Power and Sound" in the Control Panel.

Screen Saver Settings

The issue may be that your screensaver settings also have sleep settings turned on. Check your screensaver settings to make sure that you haven't set the idle time too low.

Computer Activity

A program on your computer may be causing the computer to wake up, perhaps a notification system or an update manager. When you screen saver turns back on, see if there is a program causing the wake up.

References

• Windows: Power Management
• Windows: Sleep and Hibernation: Frequently Asked Questions
• Windows: Turn Your Screen Saver On or Off