Screen Saver - Toggle On or Off - Add to Desktop Context Menu

How to Add "Enable/Disable Screen Saver" to Desktop Context Menu​

   Information

This will show you how to add Enable/Disable Screen Saver to the Desktop context menu for users to be able to quickly toggle their screen saver on or off when say watching a movie or playing a game in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

While you must be logged in as an administrator to be able to add or remove this from the context menu, all users on the computer will be able to use the context menu item.

   Note

If you use the option (step 2) below that will play a sound, then it will speak "The Screen Saver has been disabled" to indicate the screen saver has been disabled (turned off), and speak "The Screen Saver has been enabled" to indicate the screen saver has been enabled (turned on).

When you toggle the screen saver to be enabled using this context menu item, Windows will still use the same screen saver that you had set to run before you toggled it disabled.

EXAMPLE: Enable/Disable Screen Saver added to Desktop Context Menu

OPTION ONE

To Add "Enable/Disable Screen Saver" to Desktop Context Menu

1. Do either step 2 or 3 below for the context menu item that you would like to add.

2. To Toggle Enable/Disable Screen Saver with Sound Played A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop, and go to step 4 below.
NOTE: When you click on the Enable/Disable Screen Saver context menu item using this option, you will hear the .wav sound file play only if Window Media Player is set as the default program for .wav files. If you do not have Window Media Player turned on in Windows Features, then you will get a error instead of the sound playing. Add_Enable-Disable_Screen-Saver_to_Context_Menu_with_SOUND.zip


Download


3. To Toggle Enable/Disable Screen Saver without Sound A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop, and go to step 4 below.
NOTE: This option is if you do not want to have the .wav sound play when you use the Enable/Disable Screen Saver context menu item, or if you get an error from using step 1 since you have Windows Media Player turned off in Windows Features. Add_Enable-Disable_Screen-Saver_to_Context_Menu.zip


Download


4. Double click/tap on the downloaded ZIP file, and extract (drag and drop) both the .reg and .vbs files below to your desktop.

5. Unblock the extracted .vbs file.

6. Right click on the extracted and unblocked vbs, and click on Copy.

7. In Windows Explorer, navigate to and open the C:\Windows folder. Right click or press and hold on an empty area in the C:\Window folder, click/tap on Paste, then click/tap on Continue and Yes (UAC) if prompted. Close the Windows Explorer window.

8. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

9. If prompted, click/tap on Run,Yes (UAC-Windows 7/8) or Continue (UAC-Vista), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

10. Enable/Disable Screen Saver has now been added to the context menu.

11. You can delete the download files left on your desktop now if you would like to.

OPTION TWO

To Remove "Enable/Disable Screen Saver" from Desktop Context Menu

NOTE: This is the default setting. 1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop. Remove_Enable-Disable_Screen-Saver_from_Context_Menu.reg


Download


2. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

3. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC-Windows 7/8) or Continue (UAC-Vista), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

4. Enable/Disable Screen Saver has now been removed from the context menu.

5. In Windows Explorer, navigate to and open the C:\Windows folder, right click or press and hold on the file below, click/tap on Delete, and Yes (if prompted). Toggle_Enable-Disable_Screen-Saver.vbs

OR

Toggle_Enable-Disable_Screen-Saver_with_SOUND.vbs
6. You can now delete the download reg file if you would like to.



That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change the Screen Saver in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Turn Screen Saver On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Screen Savers in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8

 

[pxfragonard]

What if I want to use VLC instead of WMP. Would it work to just change "windows media player.exe" to "VLC.exe?" Or would that screw things up?

 

[Brink]

Hello pxfragonard,

If you like, I just updated the .vbs file in step 2 of OPTION ONE. It will now speak instead of playing a sound to notify you of the change.

Please download the new version, give it a try, and let me know what you think.

 

[pxfragonard]

Hello pxfragonard,

If you like, I just updated the .vbs file in step 2 of OPTION ONE. It will now speak instead of playing a sound to notify you of the change.

Please download the new version, give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Siri's voice or yours?
But could it work with vlc.exe rather than wmp? or would that be a mistake to try that?

 

[pxfragonard]

Haha! Amusing!

 

[Brink]

LOL, glad you liked the new speak option. It's the default voice used for Narrator.

It won't hurt anything to try using vlc.exe instead. I've never tried it, but it'll either work or not with no harm.

 

[pxfragonard]

LOL, glad you liked the new speak option. It's the default voice used for Narrator.

It won't hurt anything to try using vlc.exe instead. I've never tried it, but it'll either work or not with no harm.

It's funny alright... I tried VLC soas not to conflict w wmp playlists and such... didn't work...

 

[Brink]

I was afraid of that.

 

[pxfragonard]

unfortunate. Oh well.

 

[Brink]

You could change the text in the new .vbs to have it say anything you like though.

 

[pxfragonard]

No kidding. Ah... it uses the "ease of access feature" for blind people? That's the voice?

 

[pxfragonard]

I would edit that file in the windows folder then, I take it.

 

[Brink]

You would need to edit the .vbs file with it on your desktop, then move it to Windows folder when finished.

 

[RolandJS]

A desktop way: c:\windows\system32 -- find the desired SCR file, create shortcut/place short on desktop.

 

[Brink]

A desktop way: c:\windows\system32 -- find the desired SCR file, create shortcut/place short on desktop.

Thank you Roland, but this is to be able to toggle to enable/disable the screensaver from running when say watching a movie instead.

 

[RolandJS]

Brink, now I see the value! Instead of having to change Personalization's Screen Saver, simply [dis][able] via context menu. Gonna download the above zips right now...

 

[pxfragonard]

You would need to edit the .vbs file with it on your desktop, then move it to Windows folder when finished.

Thanks!

 

[Brink]

You're welcome.

 

[RolandJS]

Brink, how would I need to edit which VBS file? I'm not using any of the zips which the number 8 in it.

 

[Brink]

Roland,

The .vbs file is in the downloaded .zip file from step 2 in Option One.

What would you like to have it speak instead? I'll be happy to make the change, and upload it as a custom .vbs for you to use instead of the one in the tutorial.

 

[RolandJS]

Brink, I used EditPlusPro to open that VBS file -- it looks like I can simply change a few words and save as VBS file.
I'll test, if I run into trouble, I'll hail you in here - in a separate thread