How to Fix Windows 11 Screen Saver issues

Screen savers are a much-loved feature in Windows 11, adding a touch of visual flair to your desktop when your computer is idle. Using a screen saver on your Windows 11 PC not only adds aesthetic value but also prevents a blank, stagnant display. If you’re not yet familiar with this feature, discover how to set up a screen saver on Windows 11. However, it can be quite frustrating when your screen saver suddenly stops working without any apparent reason. Thankfully, there are various solutions available to help you restore the proper functionality of your screen saver. You can In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take you through a step-by-step troubleshooting process to fix the Windows 11 screen saver issue on your Windows 11 system.

Also Read: Effective Solutions to Resolve Windows 11 Crashing

Table of Contents

1. Customize Power and Sleep Settings

The power and sleep settings on your system dictate when your Windows 11 device turns off its screen. In some cases, incorrect settings can disrupt the functioning of your screen saver. By making minor adjustments to these settings, you can ensure that your screen saver has enough time to work correctly before your computer enters sleep mode.

To customize these settings:

Press Win + S and type “Settings” (Alternatively, press Win + I to open Settings directly).
Navigate to “System” and then “Power.”
Under “Power Options” in Settings, make adjustments to the sleep and screen timeout settings, setting longer durations or selecting “Never.” Under “Power,” ensure that “When plugged in, turn off my screen after” is set to “Never.”

Following these steps, your screen saver should reappear on your display after a few minutes of inactivity.

2. Check Screen Saver Settings

Screen saver settings determine which screen saver your computer uses and when it activates. These settings are crucial for ensuring that your chosen screen saver functions as intended.

To check and configure screen saver settings:

Open the “Settings” menu.
Navigate to “Personalization” and then “Lock screen settings.”
Click on “Screen saver settings.”

Make sure that the screen saver is enabled and set to a specific screen saver, and adjust the wait time before activation to a duration that suits your preferences. It’s recommended to have a waiting period of 1 to 2 minutes. Uncheck the “On resume, display logon screen” option. Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save your changes.

3. Update Display or GPU Drivers

Outdated graphics drivers can lead to problems with your screen saver’s performance. To address this, it’s recommended to update both your display and GPU (graphics processing unit) drivers.

Here’s how to update these drivers:

Type “devmgmt.msc” in the Run dialog box (Press Win + R to open it).
Expand the “Display adapters” section.
Right-click on your display driver and select “Update driver.”
After updating your drivers, make sure to restart your PC.

4. Troubleshoot Using the Power Troubleshooter

Windows 11 comes with a built-in power troubleshooter that can detect and fix issues related to screen savers. This tool can also be useful for addressing problems like “No Battery Detected” in Windows 11.

Here’s how to use the power troubleshooter:

Open “Settings” by searching for it in the Windows search bar on the taskbar.
In the search box on the left side of the pane, type “Find and fix problems with your computer’s power settings,” and click on it to open the Power troubleshooter.
In the Power troubleshooter window, select “Next” to initiate the troubleshooter.
If the troubleshooter identifies any issues, follow the on-screen instructions to resolve them.
Restart your PC after completing the troubleshooter.

5. Disable Hybrid Sleep

In some rare cases, hybrid sleep can conflict with the proper functioning of screen savers in Windows 11. To prevent such issues, it’s advisable to disable hybrid sleep.

Follow these steps to disable hybrid sleep:

Open the Windows Search box and type “Edit power plan,” then hit Enter.
Click on “Change advanced power settings.”
Navigate to “Sleep” and then “Allow hybrid sleep.” Set it to “Off.”
Click “Apply” and “OK” to save the changes.

6. Repair Using the System File Checker Utility (SFC)

The System File Checker (SFC) is a built-in Windows utility that can scan and repair corrupted system files. Running SFC can help resolve issues that may be causing problems with your screen saver, among other things.

Here’s how to use the System File Checker:

Press Win + S, type “Command Prompt,” and select “Run as administrator.”
In the Command Prompt, type “sfc /scannow” and press Enter.
Once the scan is complete, restart your computer.

7. Restore Power Settings to Default

If you’ve customized your power settings in Windows 11 and suspect that these configurations might be causing screen saver problems, you can restore the default settings to resolve the issue.

Here’s how to restore power settings to their defaults:

Type “Control Panel” in the Windows Search box.
Navigate to “Hardware and Sound” and select “Power Options.”
Click on “Change plan settings.”
Select “Restore default settings for this plan” on the Edit Plan Settings window.
Click “Yes” to confirm the restoration of defaults when prompted.

8. Switch to a New User Profile

Creating a new user profile can help determine if the screen saver issue is specific to your current user profile, possibly due to corrupted settings or components.

To switch to a new user profile, follow these steps:

Open “Settings” (Win + I is the shortcut for that) and go to “Accounts” and then “Other users.”
On the “Other users” tab, click on “Add account.”
Follow the on-screen prompts to log into the new user profile.
After adding the new account, check if the screen saver works properly in this profile.

9. Check the Group Policy Settings

For users who have enabled auto-lock on their systems, there is a Group Policy setting that can impact the functionality of the screen saver.

Here’s how to address this specific Group Policy setting:

Type “Group Policy Settings” in the Windows Search box and open it.
Navigate to Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization > Do not display the lock screen.
Double-click “Do not display the lock screen” and set it to “Not Configured” or “Disabled.”
With these changes, your screen saver settings should work as intended.

10. Modify the Registry Editor Settings

If the previous basic troubleshooting methods have not resolved the issue, modifying the Registry Editor settings is an advanced approach that allows for fine-tuning your screen saver’s behavior.

Please note that modifying the Registry Editor should be done with caution, as making incorrect changes can unintentionally affect various Windows features.

Here’s how to modify the Registry Editor settings:

Open the Windows search box and type “Registry Editor.”
Navigate to “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.”
Look for a value called “ScreenSaveActive” on the right-hand side. If it’s not there, create it by right-clicking and selecting New > String Value.
Right-click on “ScreenSaveActive” and set its value to “1” to enable the screen saver.
Find the “ScreenSaveTimeOut” value. If it’s not present, create it as a String Value.
Double-click “ScreenSaveTimeOut” and set the value data in seconds (e.g., 420 for 7 minutes).

After completing these steps, restart your computer and reconfigure your screen saver. This time, the screen saver should activate after the time period you set in the Registry Editor.

11. Modify Multimedia Settings

Multimedia settings can significantly impact the functionality of your screen saver. Adjusting these settings can help resolve screen-saver issues in Windows 11, especially if media playback is interfering with its operation.

Here’s how to modify multimedia settings:

Press Win + Q on your keyboard and type “Control Panel.”
In the Control Panel window, navigate to “Hardware and Sound” and select “Power Options.”
In the Power Options window, you’ll find a list of power plans. Click on “Change plan settings” for the plan you’re currently using.
Choose “Change advanced power settings.”
Scroll down until you see “Multimedia settings.”
Expand “Multimedia settings” and click on “When sharing media” to expand this option.
Select “Allow the computer to enter Away Mode.”
Once you’ve made these adjustments, click “Apply” and “OK” to save the changes.

Following these steps should ensure that your screen saver functions correctly, bringing your Windows 11 desktop back to life when it’s idle. The next time your desktop goes idle, your chosen screen saver will beautifully grace your computer screen once again.