How to Download Free Screen Savers

A screen saver runs an image or animation across the screen when the computer has been inactive for a certain length of time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Hard Disks
• Modems
• Internet Access
• Web Browsers
• Search Engines

1. Go to a Web search engine, such as Google or Yahoo.
2. In the search box, type in, "free screen savers." You might also try "free screensavers."
3. Click the Search button and wait. You will probably see a tremendous number of hits. Choose a site from the list.
4. Download a screen saver from the site. If you don't find what you want, use your browser's Back button to return to the list of search results.
5. For Windows, place the screen saver in the System folder in your Windows folder. Then open the Display control panel and click the Screen Saver tab. Your new screen saver should be in the list.
6. On a Mac, you need a program to run the screen saver; After Dark is the most popular. Place the downloaded screen saver in the Modules folder in your Control Panels folder. Go to the After Dark or other screen saver control panel and highlight your chosen screen saver.

Tips & Warnings

• In the old days, you needed a screen saver to avoid having an image burn into your computer screen if it was static for too long. Monitors made in the 1990s and thereafter are estimated to require at least two years of uninterrupted power with the same image before you get screen burnout. Plus, most are Energy Star compliant: They power down after a certain amount of inactivity. This means that your screen goes black automatically, then turns on again when you press a key on the keyboard or use the mouse. So you don't actually need a screen saver anymore. But a lot of people like them.