Screen savers

[Robert]

I run a dual-boot system with XP as my main os, & 98 as the other. I only
got a handful of screen savers with XP, but have loads on 98. I am trying to
copy some of these to XP. A few worked well by just copping the .SCR file to
XP's windows directory & installing it. But this just doesn't work with some
of the others, all I end up with is a blank screen. I recon I need more than
the .SCR file with these, so I found .DLL's with same name as screen saver &
copied these to windows directory, but still no joy. Can anyone help me out
here? All the screen savers in question are from Microsoft Plus on win 98,
some of which I downloaded from Microsoft & installed on 98 (as opposed to
being pre-installed) where they work ok.

 

[Dee]

I run a dual-boot system with XP as my main os, & 98 as the other. I only
got a handful of screen savers with XP, but have loads on 98. I am trying to
copy some of these to XP. A few worked well by just copping the .SCR file to
XP's windows directory & installing it. But this just doesn't work with some
of the others, all I end up with is a blank screen. I recon I need more than
the .SCR file with these, so I found .DLL's with same name as screen saver &
copied these to windows directory, but still no joy. Can anyone help me out
here? All the screen savers in question are from Microsoft Plus on win 98,
some of which I downloaded from Microsoft & installed on 98 (as opposed to
being pre-installed) where they work ok.

Hi...
If you have just the .scr files, then copy them to the C:\Windows\System
32 Folder in XP. If you have the .zip or .exe programs for the
screensavers, just right click and install or unpack and install them.

Here is info from Kelly's Korner (XP Help Pages):
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp.htm
Screen Saver Troubleshooting

Screen Saver Won't Start - Check your settings here: Go to Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop or: HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control
Panel\Desktop
ScreenSaveTimeOut = (set your preference)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop

ScreenSaverIsSecure
0 - Screen savers are not password-protected.
1 - All screen savers are password-protected.

Verify that the ScreenSaver has been placed in the C:\WINDOWS\System32
Folder. Make sure that the screensaver starts with " ss " e.g.. if the
screensaver name is " pictures " rename it to " sspictures".

Screensaver gets set to None

Check your settings here: Go to Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Scrnsave.exe =
C:\Windows\System32\logon.scr

Verify your Time while there as well and choose accordingly:
ScreenSaveTimeOut = (set your preference)

Also make sure none of the screensavers are wrapped in double quotes as
in: ""c:\windows\system32\screensavername.scr""
And try adding: ss in front of the screensaver name.

Screen Saver Disable and Screen Saver Enable (Line 51)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Restore: On Resume, Display Welcome Screen (Line 161)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Restore the Desktop and Screensaver Tabs (Line 128)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Deleting ScreenSavers

They are considered operating system files and are protected from being
deleted or overwritten. To delete them, delete the copy in
Windows\System32\dllcache first, then the one in Windows\System32.
You'll be given a warning that the files are missing/corrupt. Tell it
not to replace them.

And Microsoft Article: Screensaver May Not Start in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;326719

Take Care...
Dee

 

[Robert]

Thanks for the help, but I still can't get the screen savers to work. All I
get is a blank screen, it's as if the screen saver does start working, but
it's not getting the information it needs for the graphics, etc. That's why
I think some other file(s) are missing. The screen savers in question are
all 38KB so this must be some kind of template that should start the screen
saver from another file. I understand some screen savers (src file) will
start an .exe program, which is the actual screensaver. (The scr just starts
a program which runs as the screen saver). Hope that makes sense.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Robert,

Other than suggesting that you use XP Plus! instead......they are also
stored here: Windows\System32\dllcache

Added info:

It may be being set to None. Check your setting for the screensavers path.

Here are some examples:

Marine Aquarium 2.scr > rename it to > MarineAquarium2.scr

In the registry, screensaver will work correctly if it is listed as so:
c:\windows\system32\marine~1.scr

Screen Savers do not work correctly if listed as so:
""c:\windows\system32\marine aquarium 2.scr""

Also make sure none of the screensavers are wrapped in double quotes as in:
""c:\windows\system32\screensavername.scr""

And try adding: ss in front of the screensaver name.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

Is it October already? Either way, Happy Birthday if today is your
birthday!

 

[Robert]

Hi Kelly,
Had a look for Windows\System32\dllcache but don't seem to have it, is this
a problem? The screensaver I'm trying to get to work is called
Underwater.scr
I've put it in windows
I've also put it in windows\system32
Each time it's listed in "Properties" > "Screensaver"
Each time I can select it as screensaver, but when I preview it or allow it
to activate after the set time limit of no activity, all I get is a blank
screen. I've also renamed it ssUnderwater.scr as suggested, but still get
same result.
Is there anything else you can think of to help?
I don't have original .exe or .zip file to do a proper install, all I have
is Underwater.scr & Underwater.dll
I also tried renaming the .dll file with ssUnderwater.dll
But still same result.
Thanks for the help so far everyone.
Could it be that it just won't work with XP?

 

[Robert]

Just to add to my last post. Could it be that I might have to register the
dll file? (Underwater.dll). If so, & this might help, how do I register it?

 

[Kelly]

Hi Robert,

Underwater is a theme. The themes belong under Program Files and .scr
belong in the System32 folder.

Drop me a line and we can take it from there. BTW, they all work perfectly
via XP. )

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

Is it October already? Either way, Happy Birthday if today is your
birthday!

 

[Kelly]

Update: All is well....

How to use Windows 98 Themes and Screensavers in XP:

1. Place the Plus! folder in Program Files.
2. Copy the Screensavers (along with dll's) to the System32 folder.
3. Extract WL32DLL.DLL and WILDLB32.DLL from win98_65.cab and place in the
System32 folder.

All done.

*Note - Do not rename using "ss..."

Or see: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_t.htm#plus

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

Is it October already? Either way, Happy Birthday if today is your
birthday!

Hi Robert,

Underwater is a theme. The themes belong under Program Files and .scr
belong in the System32 folder.

Drop me a line and we can take it from there. BTW, they all work
perfectly via XP. )

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

Is it October already? Either way, Happy Birthday if today is your
birthday!