T 'n' T: Save Our Screens What's Playing When You're Not Working? Gregg Keizer
Mon 5/20/02 -- Screensavers don't do much these days except show a pretty picture. Way back when, they prevented CRT "burn in" -- phosphors lit for long periods could actually etch an image into the display -- but today's monitors don't have that trouble. Nor do screensavers save any energy, since the monitor remains on. But let's face it -- they're still cool.
So this week's tips 'n' tricks stick with screensavers: how to make your own (for free or not-so-free), turn them off with just a click, rid yourself of a substandard screensaver, or try an alternative that'll save you a few pennies on your electrical bill. Enjoy!
Switch off the screensaver. Some weeks ago I told you how to turn off your screensaver -- a smart move at times, since screensavers can disrupt long downloads or stymie a disk-defragging session -- and mentioned Screen Control as a way to turn any screensaver off or back on. I've since found a cheaper alternative: the $10 CT HotSpot, which lets you designate two hot spots on your screen -- one to turn the screensaver off, the other to turn it on. Moving your mouse cursor to the hot spot (the best places are the corners) activates or de-activates the screensaver. You can search for and download HotSpot from several sites on the Web, though the author's site oddly doesn't seem to have the latest version (2.2).
Make your own screensaver. In Windows XP, you can create your own screensaver using two or more image files stored on your PC's hard disk. Right-click anywhere on the desktop and select Properties. Click on the Screen Saver tab, and in the "Screen saver" drop-down menu, choose "My Pictures Slideshow." Click the Settings button to select the folder containing the pictures; click Browse under "Use pictures in this folder" and pick the folder from the ensuing dialog. To make small pics fill the screen, check the "Stretch small pictures" box. Click OK here, then OK in the next dialog.
Be a screensaver Spielberg. Want to build your own, more sophisticated screensavers? Windows 95/98 users should check out Image Carousel, a $10 program (a free trial download's available) that builds screensavers from digital images and supports accompanying sounds (in MP3 format, among others). The $30 edition comes with a slick wizard that lets you build screensavers for distribution to others such as family or friends.
Sayonara screensaver! Screensaver junkies quickly litter their systems with screensavers, good and bad. But getting rid of screensavers and their leftovers can be tough. Here's what I do.
Check Start/Programs to see if the screensaver created a program group of its own when installed. If so, look in the folder for an uninstaller. Can't find one? Select Settings/Control Panel, then Add/Remove Programs and browse the list for the screensaver's uninstaller. Still no luck? Then launch the Windows search tool, typing the string *.scr in "All or part of the file name" field. You can usually limit your search to the C:\WINDOWS and C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folders. Find the screensaver file you want to get rid of and delete it.
Remember to select another screensaver (or None) in the Screen Saver section of the Display dialog, so Windows doesn't return an error when it can no longer find the screensaver you just spiked.
Skip the screensaver. Rather than waste electricity with a screensaver keeping your monitor active, consider putting your screen to sleep for real. From the Start menu, choose Settings/Control Panel/Power Options (called Power Management in Windows 98); under "Settings for Always On power scheme" (or whichever scheme you've selected in the first field in this dialog), make a selection in "Turn off monitor." I use "After 10 mins" myself. After the specified period of inactivity, the monitor clicks off. To bring it back to life, just press a key or click the mouse.
