How to Change a Screen Saver on Vista

A screen saver is a computer application that activates when your computer is idle, displaying a series of pictures or graphics to protect your computer's screen against damage from still images that may burn into the screen. In Windows Vista, you can choose one of the screen savers that come packaged with Vista, you can create your own screen saver by creating a slide show of your pictures, or you can purchase or download a screen saver to your computer. Regardless of the type of screen saver you want to run on your computer, you can change the default screen saver to another screen saver and change the new screen saver's settings through the Control Panel.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Open the "Personalization" menu. Click the "Start" button at the bottom left of the screen. The button is shaped like a circle and is decorated with the Windows logo. When the Start menu loads, click the "Control Panel" link found near the bottom right side of the Start menu. This will open a new window. In the new window, double-click the "Personalization" link or icon (it may be called "Appearance and Personalization," depending on your version of Vista).

2. Select a screen saver. In the Personalization window, click the "Screen Saver" link. This is the third link listed in the window. A new window will load that has only one tab. The window contains a simulated picture of a computer screen, which will run a mini-version of the screen saver you currently have selected to run on your computer. To select a different screen saver, click the drop-down menu and click a screen-saver title. This will display the new screen saver in the simulated computer screen.

3. Preview the screen saver. After clicking a screen saver from the drop-down menu, click the "Preview" button to activate the screen saver. The screen saver will display on your computer so that you can see how it will look full-screen.

4. Change the screen saver's settings and other options. Some screen savers have their own unique settings that allow you to customize the screen saver. For example, the "3D Text" screen saver allows you to type in your own text, select the size of the text, select a rotation type and change other settings. To customize a screen saver, click the "Settings" button next to the drop-down menu. Click "OK" to close the Settings window after making your desired changes. Back in the Screen Saver window, you can choose other options and also change the amount of minutes your computer must be idle before launching the screen saver.

5. Apply your changes. Once you have selected a screen saver and made any changes to its settings, click the "Apply" button to save your changes. Click "OK" to close the window. Your computer will now display the screen saver you chose, using the parameters you set.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are trying to use a screen saver that is operated by a separate program rather than use a screen saver that comes with Vista, check that the program is compatible with Vista before attempting to run the program.

References

• Microsoft.com: Windows Help and How To
• Microsoft.com: Windows Vista Help--Change Screen Saver

Resources

• Microsoft.com: Windows Vista Home Page
• Microsoft.com: Windows Vista Compatibility Center