If you’ve chosen a wacky screensaver, one that is complex, one that requires complex calculations, or one you’ve downloaded from a Web site that can’t be trusted to create efficient program code, you might be seeing the effects of running a system-intensive or poorly designed screensaver. When a screensaver is used, the computer must offer up system resources to run it. If you’re having problems with system performance, including slow response coming out of a screensaver, a screensaver that hangs or freezes up, or one that locks up the computer, you should switch to a non-system-intensive or a default Windows screensaver.
Even some of the Windows screensavers require a lot of system resources, though. Although one of our computers worked just fine when using the Windows XP Aquarium screensaver, when we upgraded, purchasing new fish and configuring seven of them to swim around on the office Desktop, it was just too much for for our computer. It would hang up and sometimes even lock up the computer. These are common problems.
If you’re having screensaver problems, select a screensaver that’s not so complex:
1. Right-click an empty area of the Desktop, and then click Properties.
2. From the Screensaver tab, select a new screensaver.
3. Click OK.
Note: These instructions are for XP. For Vista, right-click and choose Personalize, and click Screen Saver.
