# How to uninstall a screensaver



## Eriksrocks (Aug 7, 2005)

OK - here's a useful tip if you want to "uninstall" a screensaver.

First, go to _Start > Search_ to start a search.
In the search box, type **.scr*. This will search for all screensaver files.
When the search is done, locate the screensaver you want to uninstall. You may need to look at the path to figure out if it's the one you want.
When you've found it, right click on it and choose *Delete*.
Tada! You're done!
Hope this will help someone!


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## Polly1016 (Nov 17, 2005)

Eriksrocks said:
 

> OK - here's a useful tip if you want to "uninstall" a screensaver.
> 
> First, go to _Start > Search_ to start a search.
> In the search box, type **.scr*. This will search for all screensaver files.
> ...


Thanks, Eriksrocks :up:

I've been wondering how to do that! I've never been able to find out how before I read your post!


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

That only gets rid of the screensaver itself. It doesn't get rid of the files that came with it - if it's one that you installed from a downloaded file or a purchased CD.

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## firestormer (Sep 16, 2005)

Its good but i cant relly see the need to ever unistall a screensaver. Unlesss....

Trying to et rid of the evidence ae?

Only joking. I suppose if your selling your PC you might have a bit of corperate stuff ect tuck on it.


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## Eriksrocks (Aug 7, 2005)

flavallee said:


> That only gets rid of the screensaver itself. It doesn't get rid of the files that came with it - if it's one that you installed from a downloaded file or a purchased CD.


Yes, that's true. But if the screensaver came with other files, it's most likely going to have it's own uninstall utility.

So, I should have mentioned earlier... If the screensaver has it's own uninstall utility, *use that!* If it doesn't, then this is really the only way to uninstall it.


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## Polly1016 (Nov 17, 2005)

firestormer said:


> Trying to et rid of the evidence ae?
> Only joking. I suppose if your selling your PC you might have a bit of corperate stuff ect tuck on it.


Huh????

There have been several instance's when I've created a screensaver (either through a CD or My Pictures) and then wanted to uninstall it. Not hiding anything, just want to get rid of the Christmas/Easter/Thanksgiving, etc screensaver once the holiday has passed. The list can get pretty long in there and if I don't plan to use it again, there's no point in hanging on to it.


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

If it's one that you created yourself and it has nothing but the filename with a .SCR extension in the C:\WINDOWS folder, that's all that you really need to delete.

However, when you install one from a downloaded file or a purchased CD, it needs to be uninstalled from the Add/Remove Programs list(if it places itself there) so that all the files can be removed.

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## Polly1016 (Nov 17, 2005)

flavallee said:


> If it's one that you created yourself and it has nothing but the filename with a .SCR extension in the C:\WINDOWS folder, that's all that you really need to delete.
> 
> However, when you install one from a downloaded file or a purchased CD, it needs to be uninstalled from the Add/Remove Programs list(if it places itself there) so that all the files can be removed.
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Thanks for the info, flavallee!

The one's I've deleted by the suggestions in this thread, didn't show up in Add/Remove programs.

It always bugged me that I couldn't just 'right click' and choose delete.

I'll try getting rid of them your way as well. A lot of the standard one's from MS or XP (whatever) are pretty lame and I would like to get rid of them because I don't plan on using them anyway. 

I like screensaver's but downloading them would be out of the question for me. Who know's what the heck you're downloading. I guess I'll stick with my own pictures and a few that I like from a CD. I wish there was a trustworthy place to download some.


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

Free downloaded screensavers frequently contain spyware, so stay away from them.

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## Polly1016 (Nov 17, 2005)

flavallee said:


> Free downloaded screensavers frequently contain spyware, so stay away from them.
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Yes, that's what I said. There's no telling what you're downloading.


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## Eriksrocks (Aug 7, 2005)

Good screensavers should come with an uninstall utility.  Unfortunately, the ones created by Google's Picasa don't.  I've uninstalled many with this method.


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