How to Fix Windows 10 Screensaver Not Working 2020 [Solved]

What to do if Screensaver not working in Windows 10 even after restarting computer several times? Learn how to fix Windows 10 Screensaver not working properly.

Windows 10 Screensaver not working after the update or Windows 10 Screensaver won’t start after the upgrade is one of the most common situations among Windows users. And within a couple of months, many users have reported such screensaver issues.

As we all know that in order to keep the display of our laptops, computers safe from any damages we have Screensavers. A screen saver or screensaver is a computer program that becomes activated after the system has been inactive for a specified amount of time. Once the screensaver is activated, it blanks the screen or fills it with moving images or patterns.

windows 10 screensaver not working

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These animations, moving images, and patterns help you in making sure that no damage is done to the display no matter how long the display stays on.

Screensavers are available in all versions of Windows and having the same functionality. However, many users have reported that after upgrading their systems to Windows 10 from Windows 8 or Windows 7 operating system, they are experiencing Windows 10 screensaver not working issue.

How to Fix Screensaver Not Working in Windows 10

It doesn’t matter whether you have recently upgraded to Windows 10 from the previous versions of Windows or simply performed a clean installation of Windows 10 operating system, screensaver won’t start in Windows 10 problem might appear in anyhow because there are no any specific reasons why screen saver refuses to work.

In most of the cases, the Windows 10 screensaver not working problem gets solved upon a simple restart. But if it doesn’t work for you even after restarting the computer several times, you should follow the below-explained instructions to resolve the issue and get screensaver back on your computer. Here’s how:

Method 1: Disconnect Unnecessary Devices

According to plenty of users on various online forums, question and answer websites, Windows 10 screensaver problems can be also caused by certain connected devices, especially game controllers such as PlayStation Controller, Logitech Controller, Razer Gaming Controllers, and Xbox wireless controller for PC, etc.

It is possible that these devices are functioning in the background and are the main reason behind Windows 10 screensaver not working situation.

So, if you have connected any external devices to your computers such as flash drive, Gaming pad, or anything which you are not using anymore then disconnect them and check if the screensaver works after disconnecting the unnecessary devices.

If it does then you should re-connect your devices one by one and find out which one is the culprit.

Method 2: Check for Windows Updates

Before doing anything and making any changes to your computer, you should update Windows. Windows Update is used to keep the Windows operating system and various other Microsoft programs updated by providing service packs and patches.

If you are holding back and not installing the update regularly then it is also possible that the screensaver not working Windows 10 problem might appear due to the Windows Update. So, check and see if there are new updates available for your computer.

Here’s how to check for Windows Updates in Windows 10 and keep your device up to date with the latest features:

Step (1): First of all, go to Start > Settings > Update & security and then select Windows Update from the left menu.

Step (2): Now under the Windows Update section, click on the Check for updates button to start checking for the available updates.

check for updates windows 10

If any new updates are found during the scan, they will get downloaded and installed automatically. Once the updating is done, restart your computer and check if Windows 10 Screensaver is working properly.

Method 3: Fix Screensaver Not Working by Updating Drivers

Corrupt or outdated drivers are another reason behind screensaver not working in Windows 10 computers. So, you need to make sure that all Windows drivers are updated and there are no corrupt drivers available on your system.

Although, most of the Windows drivers should be updated after checking for Windows Updates and installing the available updates, but it doesn’t work for every piece of hardware available on your computer.

Some manufacturers use a custom hardware component that requires a custom driver. And in such cases, you will have to manually download and install them by visiting the manufacturers’ website.

Go to the official website of particular hardware driver you want to update and then head over to the Download or Support section. Finally, type your device’s model name and then download and install the latest driver available. That’s it!

Once all the corrupt and outdated drivers are gone, restart your computer. Now you should see that screensaver not working in Windows 10 issue is resolved.

Method 4: Reset Power Management Options

Since the Windows 10 screensaver is a power saving feature, so it’s decisively connected to your power settings. And if you have made any changes to the power management options of your computer lately then there’s a possibility your screensaver won’t work properly.

If that is the case, you will have to bring your power management settings back to default, and then hopefully, the screensaver will start appearing on your computer screen again. Here’s how to restore the power plan’s default settings in Windows 10 PC:

Step (1): At first, right click on the Battery icon available at the bottom right corner of the screen and then select Power Options option.

windows 10 power options

Or alternatively, you can also open Power Options window by going to Settings > System > Power & sleep > and then clicking on the Additional power settings link.

Step (2): On Power Options window, you’ll see your current power plan. Click on Change plan settings option which is right next to your selected plan.

change plan settings windows 10

Step (3): Next on Edit Plan Settings window, click on Change advanced power settings option.

Step (4): Now on the Advanced settings dialog box, click on Restore plan defaults button.

screensaver not working in windows 10

Step (5): In case, you are asked “Are you sure that you want to restore this plan’s default settings?” then simply click on Yes button to confirm the changes.

screensaver not working windows 10

Thus, you can easily restore power plans settings to default in Windows 10. And since your plan settings are now back to default, you should not face the issue screensaver not working in Windows 10 PC from now on.

Method 5: Make Sure Screensaver is Activated on Windows 10

As we all know, the screensaver is not enabled in Windows 10 by default because it’s completely up to you whether you want to use screensaver or not.

So, if the screensaver isn’t appearing even after a couple of hours on an idle computer, there’s a possibility it hasn’t been activated at all. In such case, you need to make sure screensaver is activated on your Windows 10 computer.

Follow the steps explained below and find out how to turn on screensaver in Windows 10 computer:

Step (1): First of all, right-click on your Desktop and then select Personalize option. Next, go to Lock Screen and then click on the Screen saver settings option.

screen saver settings

Step (2): On the Screen Saver Settings dialog box, if the Screen saver list showed “None“, that means your screensaver was disabled.

disable screensaver windows 10

Step (3): To turn On screensaver on your computer, select any screensaver from the Screen Saver dropdown list, set the wait time, and then save the settings by clicking on Apply and OK button.

activate screensaver Windows 10

Once you have enabled the Windows 10 screensaver settings, restart your computer and then check if the problem “screensaver not working” got solved. It should work properly now.

Conclusion

By following these step by step solutions, you should be able to fix Windows 10 screensaver not working issue. We recommend you to try out all these methods one by one and get rid of the situation of Windows 10 Screensaver won’t start after update or reboot.

We hope this detailed tutorial on “how to fix screensaver not working in Windows 10” helped you in troubleshooting the Windows 10 screensaver problems.

Do let us know using the comments section below – Which method helped you in fixing screensaver won’t work on Windows 10 computer?

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1 thought on “How to Fix Windows 10 Screensaver Not Working 2020 [Solved]”

  1. Disable presentation mode?

    By default presentation mode overrides the screen saver; its original purpose, and shows almost nowhere.

    Unless you un-check the relevant switch in the presentation settings. This though, nobody does, as it defies the whole idea of presentation mode in the first place, which is exactly that: turn the screen saver off.

    One may activate presentation mode by mistake or trying to sort other issues, forget about it and leave it this way.

    I know I did (trying to fiddle with HDMI). Took me 2 days and a lot of good articles in vain, till I remembered this not very popular, yet totally powerful setting.

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