Screensaver not working in Windows 8.1

Hi Dean,

To understand the issue with screen saver better, I would need more information from your end.

1.    What is the make and model of the computer?

2.    Do you get any error message while setting screen saver?

This issue may occur if display drivers are damaged or if there is any conflict between third party applications. Let’s try few steps to resolve the issue.

Method 1:

I would suggest you to uninstall the display driver and install latest display driver from the computer manufacturer website.

Step 1: Uninstall display driver.

a)    Right-click on the Start Button and click on Device manager.

b)    Double-click on Display Adapters to expand.

c)    Right click on the display adapter driver that is listed and select properties.

d)    In the window opened, click on drivers tab.

e)    In the drivers tab, Click on Uninstall option.

Step 2:

Install latest display driver from the computer manufacturer website and check if it helps.

Method 2:

If the issue persists, I would suggest you to set the computer in a clean boot and check if it helps.

Setting the system in a clean boot state will help to identify if any third party applications or startup items are causing the issue.

How to perform a clean boot to troubleshoot a problem in Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8

Note: After clean boot troubleshooting steps, refer to the section "How to reset the computer to start as usual after troubleshooting with clean boot" in the provided link to return your computer to Normal startup mode.

Refer to the article for additional information.

How to use screen savers

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IN/windows-8/using-screen-savers

Hope this information helps. Reply to the post with updated status of the issue to assist you further.

Since upgrading (?) from Windows 8 to 8.1 the usual screensaver does not come on at all.  I have tried everything I can think of and what suggestions I can get from whatever source to solve this problem, but have failed.  Does anyone know of a conflict that could be causing this problem.  Prior to the upgrade the screensaver was coming on as scheduled and I was able to change the view to whatever I wanted to.  Now there is no setting or combination of adjustments that work.  I would like to start a thread on this problem to see if anyone else has had this problem and was it solvable or is there any hope.  Yes, I have Googled the problem already and tried the suggestions there, but I am willing to try anything that anyone can think of.

=- =- =- 

I have had similar problem, made worse now that I have made the upgrade (?) to 8.1.  After showing a few photos from selected file (all in .jpg format), I get message telling there is an error in the file preventing screensaver from working.  This is intermittent problem, whether I remain with same photo file, or choose another.  Sometimes, the file will work just fine, showing photos till the end of 15 minutes period I have selected (screensaver starts after 2 minutes of inactivity) and other times will fail before even showing one photo, or perhaps after only showing a few.

This problem was occasional on Windows 8, perhaps once a week, now (in 8.1) is every day, several times.  It does not seem to make a difference whether I choose the random order option, or just show them sequentially, or switch to a different file of pics.

ALSO re SCREENSAVER: Is there any way to display filename on screen with the screensaver as each photo is displayed?  As it was in the good old days of XP Home?

Geethu:  This is a reply to your timely and appreciated response to my problem with the screensaver after I updated Windows 8.0 to 8.1.  I just learned something about Microsoft Community also.  I responded at length to you but I replied to the email notice I had received and not the Community site and therefore the message bounced back to me.  I will attempt to resend it.

The computer I am using is an HP model p7-1451 with more than adequate memory, etc.  It is new and came with Windows 8.0 installed.  I did not have a problem with the screensaver while using 8.0 until I updated to 8.1, downloading from the Microsoft website directly (it seemed to take a long time) and installing it per instructions.  I have made no changes to any programs that would seem to have anything to do with the screensaver, although I have had Windows updater download and install stuff that I did not need, etc. and I had to remove it. 

Thank you for the list of instructions you included in your reply.  I had already found and tried out each one of them previously when I found them by Googling this problem and reading what others have done.  I have tried numerous combinations of settings and alternative procedures to supplement those that you have listed, and yes, I have performed a clean start and tried to find conflicting things in Task Manager by testing each individual entry there.  I have read about the possibility that it is caused by an error in the registry but I have not tried anything there because I do not consider myself expert enough to mess around in the registry.  There are numerous so-called fixes available from online vendors who proclaim that it will fix the problem, but from experience I have avoided dealing with them because there is always a catch somewhere and it is extremely difficult to get rid of them.  And -  if they really had a solution that worked they would not be the only ones finding it and it would be more general knowledge. 

I am willing to try everything again, step by step hoping something will click, but it would seem that someone in the Community would have had this experience and found what the problem is.  What is Microsoft doing about it and has it been reported ?????    The screensaver program is an .exe executable one but it is not being triggered appropriately.  And - I realize I really do not need the screensaver anyway, but it would seem that since Microsoft says it is there I feel it should be working.

Hi Dean,

Thank you for sharing the information with us.

Try this and check.

Make sure you have the following power settings set on your laptop.

• In the Power options window, set "Choose when to turn off the display" to never.
• Set "Change when the computer sleep" to Never.

Set the Screensaver timing to 2 minutes and check.

Note: This setting is just to check if the screensaver works with this setting.

I would suggest you to try loading a different screen saver and check if the issue persists:

How to use screen savers

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/using-screen-savers

Download and install the chipset drivers from the computer manufacture’s website, this might help you.

Ganesh:   I followed your suggestions to the letter, but nothing changed.  I also played around with those settings to see if there were any combinations that would work, but no luck.  Others have suggested other things to try, but it has not worked on my computer.   By the way, I am using an HP desktop computer, not a laptop, if that would make any difference, but I do not think that is the problem.  Because of the many variations of the suggestions to solve this problem I am beginning to think that each case is peculiar to the computer being used and the programs that are being used at that particular time.  I think there is a conflict amongst the software someplace that does not allow the screensaver exe. program to kick in.  Whatever it is, I did not have it until I upgraded to Windows 8.1.  So someone with detailed information about the overall program is going to have to find the problem.  But since it is not uniform it probably is maybe a series of conditions that cause it.  In fact, with all my playing around with this problem I have actually had the screensaver working for a period of time but when I changed to do some work with another program it would not come back on.  This has happened twice, but in two difference cases with entirely different programs. 

If there are any "geniuses"  out there that profess to know everything about this technology, you should be able to logically arrive at a solution.   What is Microsoft doing about this and why has it gone on so long???  I know this is a non-essential gimmick, but why even have it if it does not work??????