Screen savers are programs that were initially designed to prevent the so called "Phosphor burn-in" on CRT and plasma monitors. Filling the screen with moving images when you did not use your computer was preventing the loss of image quality over time. Modern LCD monitors are not susceptible to burn-in because the image is not directly produced by phosphors. This is why nowadays, screen savers are used mostly for entertainment or security purposes.

Compared to Windows XP, Windows Vista changes a bit the way you configure your screen saver. In this short tutorial I will show you how to set your screen saver in Windows Vista and how to configure different parameters.

First, right click on your desktop and select Personalize. Alternatively, you can go to Control Panel -> Appearance and Personalization -> Personalization.

From the list of available personalization options, click on Screen Saver.

The Screen Saver window will now launch. Here you can change the active screen saver and configure different parameters.

To select another screen saver, scroll down the list highlighted below. When you make a selection, a preview will be shown inside the small monitor from the Screen Saver window. You can also preview it on your monitor. Just click on the Preview button and stop using the mouse and keyboard. Once you have viewed the selected screen saver, start moving your mouse and you will return to the Screen Saver window.

Some screen savers (such as '3D Text') have different parameters that can be changed. To configure them, click on the Settings button. A new window will appear in which you will find all the available configuration options. When you finished configuring it, click on OK.

After you have selected and configured (if possible) your screen saver, you can set the wait time after which it will be loaded. Type the desired number of minutes in the Wait text box.

For more security, you can also check the box that says 'On resume, display logon screen'. When this box is checked, you will always have to type your password in order to return to the desktop. This helps avoid your PC being used by unauthorized people while you are away.

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