How to Uninstall a Screensaver

Change Screensaver

Screensavers are a computer user's way of expressing themselves and hiding the desktop while they're away from their computer. You can install stationary, animated or slide show screensavers. When you install a new screensaver, you might want to uninstall old screensavers to save space on your hard drive. Another reason to uninstall a screensaver is if it interferes with other software on your computer. No matter the reason, you can quickly uninstall any screensaver on your computer.

Instructions

1. Disable the screensaver if it's currently your set screensaver.
   In Windows, right-click the desktop and choose "Display Properties" or "Personalization" depending on your Windows OS version. Choose "Screensaver" to display the active screensaver settings. Choose a different screensaver from the list, or choose "None" to disable the current screensaver. Click "Apply," and exit the screensaver settings and display properties screens.

2. Go to "Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs" to uninstall the screensaver. Use your arrow keys to scroll down the list of installed programs. Select the screensaver program and click "Remove." This will automatically uninstall the screensaver. You may be prompted to restart after the uninstall.

3. Uninstall the screensaver through the Programs menu if the above doesn't work. Go to "Start" then "All Programs" and hold your mouse cursor over the screensaver program. Click "Uninstall" from the program options to run the removal wizard.

4. Uninstall the screensaver by deleting the source file. Only do this if none of the above work. Go to "Start" then "Search," or just "Start" for Vista. Type the name of the screensaver into the search box. The search box for Vista is at the bottom of the Start menu.
   Delete any files associated with the screensaver. The file with an extension .src is the actual screensaver. Delete this file, even if you delete nothing else.

5. Restart your computer after uninstalling the screensaver.

Tips & Warnings

• If you can't find the screensaver in the search, change the search options by clicking "Advanced Options" and checking the "Search Hidden Files and Folders" option.

• If you're uncertain if a file is associated with the screensaver, don't delete it. You could corrupt another program or screensaver.

Resources

• Information on screensavers