3D Windows XP screensaver bizarre behavior

[andrew732]

I recently downloaded the spiffy "3D Windows XP" screensaver, which is
available on microsoft.com in the PowerTools for XP area. (Note, this is not
the "Windows XP" screensaver that comes installed with XP.) It works fine on
machine A running XP sp3, but does not on another very similar machine B
running XP sp2.

On machine B I go to the Screensaver tab of the Display Properties window.
From there I can select the "3D Windows XP" screensaver and view it
flawlessly with the Preview button. However, when I click "Apply" or "OK"
and close the Display Properties window, the screensaver never becomes
active. Reopening the Display Properties window and going to the Screensaver
tab shows that "3D Windows XP" is no longer selected ("None" is always
selected instead). All other screensavers work normally.

machine B's DirectX and graphics drivers are fully updated and the problem
clearly has nothing to do with hibernation, which is a known cause of
problems with this screensaver that has been mentioned in various places on
the web.

Any ideas from the assembled experts? Thanks!

 

[andrew732]

Nobody?

 

[Elmo]

I recently downloaded the spiffy "3D Windows XP" screensaver, which is
available on microsoft.com in the PowerTools for XP area. (Note, this is not
the "Windows XP" screensaver that comes installed with XP.) It works fine on
machine A running XP sp3, but does not on another very similar machine B
running XP sp2.

On machine B I go to the Screensaver tab of the Display Properties window.
From there I can select the "3D Windows XP" screensaver and view it
flawlessly with the Preview button. However, when I click "Apply" or "OK"
and close the Display Properties window, the screensaver never becomes
active. Reopening the Display Properties window and going to the Screensaver
tab shows that "3D Windows XP" is no longer selected ("None" is always
selected instead). All other screensavers work normally.

machine B's DirectX and graphics drivers are fully updated and the problem
clearly has nothing to do with hibernation, which is a known cause of
problems with this screensaver that has been mentioned in various places on
the web.

Any ideas from the assembled experts? Thanks!

Just a thought..
Try lowering graphics hardware acceleration slide. You can lower
graphics hardware acceleration in Display Properties, Settings tab,
Advanced button, Troubleshooting tab. If this helps, you probably need
a different graphics card or drivers.