Screen Saver start - hotkey or mouse

[salvinorum]

Is there a way to start a screen saver with a hot-key or a mouse gesture (or perhaps by putting the mouse into a certain corner for a certain amount of seconds)?

I would like the ability to start the screen saver on command without going to the display option and clicking the preview button. For example, when surfing the web or watching a video, I would like to push alt-s or something similar, or perhaps move the mouse to a corner, and the screen saver starts automatically, right away, then acts normally as if it started by itself (meaning, it is "on" until I move the mouse or push a key).

Any way to do this?

Win7U64

 

[gforce23]

You could create a shortcut to toggle the screensaver on and off and assign a key combo to activate that shortcut via "shortcut properties > shortcut > shortcut key". Something like this maybe?
Windows Tips: Toggle Your Screen Saver With a Single Click - PC World

 

[salvinorum]

Hmm, that is interesting but its not what I'm looking for. That article explains how to toggle the screen saver OFF and ON with two shortcuts. This is actually usable, but its not what I need.

I need a shortcut, hotkey, or mouse gesture that will actually start the screensaver, instead of waiting the assigned number of minutes (either/or).

 

[Antman]

Same thing - create a shortcut to C:\Windows\System32\SCREENSAVERFILE.scr

Assign hotkey

go.

 

[gforce23]

I need a shortcut, hotkey, or mouse gesture that will actually start the screensaver, instead of waiting the assigned number of minutes (either/or).

You could create a shortcut to toggle the screensaver on and off and assign a key combo to activate that shortcut via "shortcut properties > shortcut > shortcut key".

Well...

 

[salvinorum]

Same thing - create a shortcut to C:\Windows\System32\SCREENSAVERFILE.scr

Assign hotkey

go.

Oh yeah, of course, how simple, why in the world didn't I think of that, duh!

Thanx for the reminder! So simple.

Oh, one more thing. Should I use the .scr files in syswow64 directory or the system32 directory?

 

[Antman]

System32

 

[OEM]

Resurrecting b/c of a easier way...

...download below zip, unzip and move shortcuts to desktop.

View attachment 123445

Whats cool is you can choose any of the 4 ms default screensavers and it Won't change your default in themes!

Don't want to wait for SS to start,

...Just click and the screensaver shortcut will start and run for the pre-determined time.

Should be good for ALL Flavors of Se7en & 32/64bit.

View attachment 123446

 

[srosera]

Screensaver Shortcut

I have Windows7 64bit OS. The screensaver executable on my system is C:\Windows\System32\scrnsave.scr and not C:\Windows\System32\SCREENSAVERFILE.scr . Others might be in a similar boat. Just an FYI.

 

[Kari]

http://www.sevenforums.com/customiz...en-blanker-utility-there-one.html#post1109456

Kari

 

[srosera]

There are instructions on how to create a shortcut at http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/56880-screen-saver-settings-shortcut-create.html.

I created mine manually.

Keep in mind, when you create a shortcut for the screensaver, that any mouse movements or keystrokes you make immediately after you engage the screensaver shortcut will cause your screen to come back on. So, sometimes when you doubleclick on your shortcut, the screensaver starts and then pops back to a regular screen -- looks like the screensaver shortcut isn't working, but it is.

 

[Lykho]

does anyone know how to make a keyboard shortcut to activate the screensaver -- as opposed to merely displaying what the screensaver is. (the difference being you have to _wait_ for a password-protected screensaver to appear--shortcut to scr only displays the screensaver, it doesn't activate your screensaver preferences (e.g., 'return to logon screen')

 

[Kari]

First, create a shortcut for a screensaver as told here. Go then to Properties of your new shortcut and set a keyboard shortcut to launch it.



Notice that the post told above tells how to create a shortcut for "blank screen" screensaver but you can use the same method to create a shortcut for any screensaver of your choice.

To see names of the Windows 7 native screensavers open Explorer to be used when creating a shorcut, browse to Windows\System32 and type ext:scr to search box.



If you have some third party screensavers installed and want to use one of those, search for .scr files in respective program folder.

Kari

 

[claprade]

Hotkey for screensaver

Same thing - create a shortcut to C:\Windows\System32\SCREENSAVERFILE.scr

Assign hotkey

go.

Oh yeah, of course, how simple, why in the world didn't I think of that, duh!

Thanx for the reminder! So simple.

Oh, one more thing. Should I use the .scr files in syswow64 directory or the system32 directory?

Works great! thank you....

 

[ankrotachi]

You could create a shortcut to toggle the screensaver on and off and assign a key combo to activate that shortcut via "shortcut properties > shortcut > shortcut key". Something like this maybe?
Windows Tips: Toggle Your Screen Saver With a Single Click - PC World

What do you mean by "shortcut properties > shortcut > shortcut key"??? How do you do this?

 

[MourningStar]

another option ...

The Win+L key combo is used to lock the screen. This light tool will fire-up your screen saver using this same key combo (i.e. no need to create a new shortcut or assign key):

How to Make Windows Start the Screensaver Immediately When Locked

 

[MourningStar]

another option ...

The Win+L key combo is used to lock the screen. This light tool will fire-up your screen saver using this same key combo (i.e. no need to create a new shortcut or assign key):

How to Make Windows Start the Screensaver Immediately When Locked

If anyone knows of a way to do this w/o installing this app I would appreciate it much.

-thnx!

 

[hossj13]

What do you mean by "shortcut properties > shortcut > shortcut key"??? How do you do this?

1. Create a windows shortcut to the desired .scr file in C:\Windows\system32\ by right-clicking on the file then clicking "Create Shortcut" (It doesn't matter where the shortcut itself is located as long as you know where it is...you can either leave in .\system32\ or move to some other location, and can rename it as desired.)
2. Right-click on the just-created shortcut, click "Properties"
3. On the "Shortcut" tab, click in the "Shortcut Key" field, then press the key you wish to assign to actually run the shortcut.
4. Click "OK" to save your changes.
5. Pressing the assigned key/key combo should now start the screensaver.

• Character keys (A, B, C, 1, 2, 3, etc.) will require <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <key>; function keys (F1, F2, etc.) should activate the shortcut by themselves.
• Be sure not to assign a key that's already used for some other function...for example, F1 is pretty universally used to start HELP, so assigning it as the screensaver key would probably not be a great idea.
• Note that your keyboard or mouse may have the capability to have shortcuts assigned to various buttons/keys...that's typically doable via a KB/Mouse config utility and usually doesn't require a Windows shortcut be created. The key/button can generally be pointed directly to the .scr file desired.