# [SOLVED] Screensaver wont work?



## cml599 (Jun 29, 2000)

I'm having the same problem, no screen savers too. I tried all the help in this thread and am wondering if there are any other helps someone could post for me? The "read-only" box was not checked in my system.ini file... so that's not the problem. I too have lots of screen savers, windows and others, and all were working fine until recently. Now I have no screen savers at all.... They are all still there in my System folder, and also there when I go to set them and preview them, but they don't come on..... ?


Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, cml599


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Giving you a new thread for this and a link to the one you refer to.

http://forums.techguy.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62382

Good luck, I can't get screen savers to work any more either since I updated my video drivers, but then I don't really want to use them.


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## cml599 (Jun 29, 2000)

Thanks.... I've only used this site a few times, but it's obvious that there are some VERY intelligent pc users on here, and hopefully someone will be able to solve this problem for me!

Thanks again so much!
cml599


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## Mosaic1 (Aug 17, 2001)

I take it that your screensaver just won't kick in? Can you reset it and have that setting inplace? Or does the setting revert to none.

Do you have multiple user profiles setup? Haqve you made qny other changes recently?
What have you tried so far to cure it and how long has this been happening? What is running in the background. Sometimes a program like AV for instance will prevent the Screensaver from kicking in. If you can set a screensaver, try using CTRL+ALT+DEL to turn everything off other than Windows explorer and Systray.
See if works. If so, it's a process of elimination to find the culprit.


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2002)

Hello, I am also having problems. I have been sent a screen saver, but cannot find my system folder. It has gone!!

How would I get it back without having to reinstal Windows 98se.
Or would a reinstal be the option, keeping my files. I don't want to lose my system's tweaking if at all possible.

Thanks for any help.

T2


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## Mosaic1 (Aug 17, 2001)

If you are in Windows, you have a system folder. 

Go to Start>run and type System. Press enter.
The system folder should open. Look at the address bar to find the path. It should say
C:\Windows\System


Can you find it now?
If not, go to Folder Options>View and be sure Show All files is selected. 
Then after you have found the System Folder, right click on it and choose Properties. If Hidden is checked, remove the check. None of the attributes boxes should have a checkmark.


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2002)

Hello Mosaic1 - Yes I have the system folder, no of the attributes are ticked. What I really meant to say is that I can't find a screensaver folder there. Should there be one? What wold be its actual title. I have been sent Astrosaver (a slide-show screensaver) but cannot get it to operate.

Thank you,
T2


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## pyritechips (Jun 3, 2002)

Hello Penny!

I feel guilty for sending you a screensaver and you can't make it work! Sorry!

But what I understand from our previous conversation, the screensaver tab is missing from the Display Properties window?

Usually, on the screensaver tab, there is a dropdown menu of screensavers from which you can choose. Most screensavers, including the one I sent you, can be pasted into the windows folder and it will appear in that menu. Windows looks for *.scr files and lists them there.

I'm sorry for repeating what we have already discussed, but I'm mentioning it here again for the benefit of others who are following this thread. I hope this clarifies the situation. I have done a Windows and Google search but can find no reference to missing screensaver tab in Display Properties.

Can you go into Control Panel and find Desktop Themes? If you can, click the "Pointers, Sounds, etc..." button. Then see if you have a "Visuals" tab. If you do, click it and scroll down the list and see if "Screensaver" is listed and checked.

Try this and let us know what you find.

~Jim


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2002)

Hello Jim,

Please don't be sorry about the screensaver, I am happy to have received it. Now I can have fun learning a little bit more about the internal workings of my p.c. Yes, screensaver is on the Visuals tab but it not ticked, and refuses to be ticked. 

Thanks for contacting me about this.

Penny


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## Mosaic1 (Aug 17, 2001)

Tuppence2,
There is no screensaver Folder in System. Some of the screensavers are in The system folder itself. 
I am not clear on what you mean about ticking the screensaver. Do you mean you cannot change which screensaver you would like to use? 

Find system.ini in C:\windows and right click on it. Choose properties. If Read only is checked, uncheck it.


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2002)

Hello Mosaic1

Thanks. Ok, will find the ini file and come back to you.

I followed pyritechips instructions - Desktop Themes, Pointers etc.,
chose Visuals and under that there is a list included Screensaver,
which is the only item not ticked. Hope that is a little clearer.

Be back soon.

T2


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## pyritechips (Jun 3, 2002)

Hi Penny!

Ok I am at a loss why there is no screensaver tab on your Display Properties window!

What I am saying is, Mosaic is right: there is no actual "screensaver" folder. To clarify, when I manually install a screenaver I paste it into C\windows\{newscreensaver.scr}. Where is the screensaver on your computer as of now?

~Jim

P.S. I just read your new post. I only mentioned that visuals window to see if the system was recognizing screensavers in general. You can ignore that for now- hope I haven't confused you!


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2002)

Hello Jim - No more confused than usual!! I've got it my system folder and a copy on the desktop for luck!

but

Mosaic, a search for the system.ini file comes up blank.
I cannot find it. Is it possible it's gone missing? If so, how would I get it back?

Penny
T2


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Penny, try this, start button, run, then type sysedit
and press ok.......

is there a system.ini tab there?


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2002)

Hello Candy.

Yes there is. A group of windows cascaded and there is one called system.ini.

What next? This is fun 

Penny


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## pyritechips (Jun 3, 2002)

Hi Again Penny:

Are you just looking in C\Windows, or did you click Start > Find > Files or folders...? Also, when in C: click view > folder options > view > files and folders > hidden files. Select "show all files" just in case...

~Jim


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2002)

OK Jim, I will go have a look

(My dad was always known as Jim,
his real name was Frederick, but being a bit of a joker, he told my mum when he met her that his name was Jim! - a little like your "you can call me Jim"!)


Update - Yes, show all files is ticked.


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## Mosaic1 (Aug 17, 2001)

Go to Find files. Perform a search for System.ini

It is there. It should be located in C:\windows

Right click on it and choose properties. If Read only is checked, remove the check.


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2002)

Mosaic, I right-clicked and read only is not ticked. When I tried to open the folder I got a Notepad window containing the following:-

[boot]
oemfonts.fon=vgaoem.fon
shell=Explorer.exe
system.drv=system.drv
drivers=mmsystem.dll power.drv
user.exe=user.exe
gdi.exe=gdi.exe
sound.drv=mmsound.drv
dibeng.drv=dibeng.dll
comm.drv=comm.drv
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
keyboard.drv=keyboard.drv
*DisplayFallback=0
fonts.fon=8514sys.fon
fixedfon.fon=8514fix.fon
386Grabber=vgafull.3gr
display.drv=pnpdrvr.drv
SCRNSAVE.EXE=

[keyboard]
keyboard.dll=
oemansi.bin=
subtype=
type=4

[boot.description]
system.drv=Standard PC
keyboard.typ=Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
mouse.drv=Microsoft Mouse
aspect=100,120,120
display.drv=SiS 530

[386Enh]
ebios=*ebios
woafont=dosapp.fon
mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd
device=*dynapage
device=*vcd
device=*vpd
device=*int13
EMMExclude=C000-CFFF
PageBuffers=32
ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1
LocalLoadHigh=0
MinSPs=8
COMBoostTime=4
COM1Buffer=128
COM2Buffer=128
COM3Buffer=128
COM4Buffer=128
COM5Buffer=128
DMABufferSize=64
PagingFile=C:\pagefile.sys
keyboard=*vkd
MinPagingFileSize=485376
MaxPagingFileSize=485376

[NonWindowsApp]
TTInitialSizes=4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 20 22

[power.drv]

[drivers]
wavemapper=*.drv
MSACM.imaadpcm=*.acm
MSACM.msadpcm=*.acm
wave=mmsystem.dll
midi=mmsystem.dll

[iccvid.drv]

[mciseq.drv]

[mci]
cdaudio=mcicda.drv
sequencer=mciseq.drv
waveaudio=mciwave.drv
avivideo=mciavi.drv
videodisc=mcipionr.drv
vcr=mcivisca.drv
MPEGVideo=mciqtz.drv
QTWVideo=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MCIQTW.DRV
MPEGVideo2=mciqtz.drv

[vcache]
ChunkSize=16384
MinFileCache=20480
MaxFileCache=77824

(I have deleted the password entry for security purposes)

[foo]
wkey1=wval1
wkey2=wval2

[MSNP32]

[TTFontDimenCache]
0 4=2 4
0 5=3 5
0 6=4 6
0 7=4 7
0 8=5 8
0 9=5 9
0 10=6 10
0 11=7 11
0 12=7 12
0 13=8 13
0 14=8 14
0 15=9 15
0 16=10 16
0 18=11 18
0 20=12 20
0 22=13 22

[drivers32]
msacm.lhacm=lhacm.acm
VIDC.VDOM=vdowave.drv
msacm.msg711=msg711.acm
vidc.CVID=iccvid.dll
VIDC.IV31=ir32_32.dll
VIDC.IV32=ir32_32.dll
vidc.MSVC=msvidc32.dll
VIDC.MRLE=msrle32.dll
VIDC.IV50=ir50_32.dll
msacm.iac2=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\IAC25_32.AX
msacm.msaudio1=msaud32.acm
msacm.sl_anet=sl_anet.acm
msacm.voxacm160=vct3216.acm
msacm.l3acm=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\L3CODECA.ACM
VIDC.YUY2=msyuv.dll
VIDC.UYVY=msyuv.dll
VIDC.YVYU=msyuv.dll
MSACM.imaadpcm=imaadp32.acm
MSACM.msadpcm=msadp32.acm
MSACM.msgsm610=msgsm32.acm
MSACM.trspch=tssoft32.acm

Penny.

p.s. I am away to bed now, as it's getting late. I will check back tomorrow. Thank you all for your help.


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## Mosaic1 (Aug 17, 2001)

There's no Screensaver set to run according to what I read there. Could you please explain to me exactly what happens when you try to set a screensaver? Step by step.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Mo, can't that screensaver line just be edited with the location of the screen saver?

Something like this:

SCRNSAVE.EXE=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\3DFLOW~1.SCR


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## Mosaic1 (Aug 17, 2001)

We could try and edit your system.ini file to set a screensaver.

See this line? That actually tells Windows which Screensaver to load. 

SCRNSAVE.EXE=

Here's a line to load The Flying through Space Screensaver. 

SCRNSAVE.EXE=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\FLYING~2.SCR

It's pretty straightforward. Give this line a try and see if the screensaver loads.

EDIT: Candy, 
You posted while I typed. Yes. It can. It's a workaround. But I wonder what is going on?


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2002)

Hello Mo and Candy,

What happens is: I go to display in Control Panel (as I always did before), but there is no screensaver option there.

I have never edited the ini. file before. Do I remove the existing entry the and then type exactly what you have posted? On searching my system I did see there were individual screensavers there, but then I cannot get to them.

Hope this is the information you require.

Thanks,
Penny


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## Mosaic1 (Aug 17, 2001)

Do you mean you do not have the Screensaver Tab?

Look in the Registry here:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
And here HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

In the right pane of these two keys, look for this entry. IF you find it, delete it. Reboot.

*NoDispScrSavPage*


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2002)

Hello Mo,

Yest, that is correct. There is no screen saver tab. I will do as you say now and come back to you.

Penny


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2002)

Hurrah, I have the screensaver tab back in display in Control Panel. How do I add Jim's Astrosaver that he sent me, please?

Thank you to you all for your help. It was present in the first location you gave me, but not the second one.

T2


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Penny, open up explorer, and find the file jim sent you...it should have a .scr extension, no?

Drag it to the C:\windows\system folder, then go back to the screen saver tab, it should appear there as a choice.........


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2002)

Hello Candy, hope you are well Did that but it didn't show up.
I tried re-naming it Astrosaver.scr. The one I found had an arrow on it, so presume it was a shortcut. Will find the original (in My Documents, I think) and rename that and try again.

 Penny.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

I think you better ask jim to send it again......sounds like he sent you a short cut, and not the whole file.......how large is it?

Can you email it to [email protected]


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2002)

Candy, it's OK. SUCCESS! I found the original Jim sent and renamed is with an SCR extension, rebooted and there it is!
I haven't yet left the computer long enough to see if it works - will have to drag myself away. I am most grateful to you and Mo and everyone who helped. 

Wow, glad that's over. Do you still want a copy of the screensaver?

Penny


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

No, thanks, anyway, I don't use screensavers, I'm happy just seeing a black screen when I walk in 

Glad you got it working...........


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2002)

OK - Thanks again....Bye for now

Penny


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## dogeddie (Dec 22, 2004)

hey mosaic1,, i have been reading some of the posts about a file called system.ini,, i can't seem to find it, in my windows folder,, and my screen saver won't work either


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Hi and welcome. Start, run, type sysedit and hit ok, is it there?


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## dogeddie (Dec 22, 2004)

a window came up and said:: 16 bit windows subsystem,, that was on top of window,, it then said,,c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt. the system file is not suitable for running ms-dos and microsoft wndows applications. choose close to terminate the application,,???


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