How to Turn On Screen Savers in Windows 11

For visual flair or just a pang of nostalgia

There’s no real need for screen savers anymore. It’s usually better to set your display to turn off when idle. But if you still want a screen saver Windows 11, here’s how to turn it on.

Key Takeaway:Head toSettings>Personalization>Lock Screen>Screen Saver. Select an option from theScreen Saverdrop-down menu. Use theSettingsbutton available on some screen savers to further customize.

How to Turn On Screensavers in Windows 11

How to Set Up a Desktop Shortcut or Hotkey for a Windows 11 Screen Saver

If you don’t like waiting for a screen saver to appear, you can create a desktop shortcut for it. Windows 11 stores screen savers in the following location:

In that folder, screen saver file names typically match the screen saver name and have a .SCR extension at the end. For example, the file for the Ribbons screensaver is namedRibbons.scr.

Once you’ve found the file you want, create a shortcut to the file just like you create any other shortcut.

Tip:The easiest way to create a shortcut for a file is to drag the file using your right mouse button to the desired location. When you release the button, chooseCreate Shortcut Herefrom the context menu that pops up.

Should You Enable Screen Saver in Windows 11?

Screen savers were implemented in older computers to protect the CRT display from burn-in. Modern LED displays no longer need such measures, which is why Windows 11 keeps screensavers disabled by default.

But that does not mean screensavers serve no purpose. You might prefer the aesthetics of a simple animation over a static screen, or find a screensaver to be a good tool to prevent your co-workers from peeking at your display when you leave your desk unattended.

Of course, you can justset your display to sleepafter a period of inactivity as well, serving the same purpose. The screen saver just adds visual flair – or evokes a pang of nostalgia.

Levin Roy is a software engineer who loves writing about technology. Whether it is Windows tips-and-tricks or in-depth guides about application development, Levin uses his practical experience and technical skills to create articles that can help solve tricky problems.Read Levin’s Full Bio

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