Hello - we have a computer with a windows vista. The screensaver is the regular one that comes with windows vista [the one with the logo] and it is put to come on with 1 min. of "idle" mouse and/or keyboard.



Usually the screensaver goes on if they are idle for 1min. but we noticed that OFTEN for example if you are doing something at the computer like checking emails or visiting a webbsite with internet explorer - if the screensaver goes on and you do a "rapid dismissal" of it by moving the mouse or screensaver to take it off - OFTEN the other occasions that the screensaver should go in in the 1min. - it is quite inconsistent and it goes on in like 2min. or 2.5min. instead of going on the way it is put to go on in 1min. like it usually does.



Some people say that the computer itself or internet explorer assumes that because you did a "rapid dismissal" of the sreensaver by moving the mouse or the keyboard that you do not want it to go on right away and therefore does not let the screensaver go on correctly or something like that.



Therefore ....



A - why do screensavers [eg. 1min. 45sec. instead of 1min.] often not go on like they are put to go on?



B - is there a way to make them [eg. 1min.] always go on like you put them to go on?

On Tue, 29 May 2012 05:38:12 GMT, Tiger wrote:

Hello - we have a computer with a windows vista. The screensaver is the regular one that comes with windows vista [the one with the logo] and it is put to come on with 1 min. of "idle" mouse and/or keyboard.

Usually the screensaver goes on if they are idle for 1min. but we noticed that OFTEN for example if you are doing something at the computer like checking emails or visiting a webbsite with internet explorer - if the screensaver goes on and you do a "rapid dismissal" of it by moving the mouse or screensaver to take it off - OFTEN the other occasions that the screensaver should go in in the 1min. - it is quite inconsistent and it goes on in like 2min. or 2.5min. instead of going on the way it is put to go on in 1min. like it usually does.

Some people say that the computer itself or internet explorer assumes that because you did a "rapid dismissal" of the sreensaver by moving the mouse or the keyboard that you do not want it to go on right away and therefore does not let the screensaver go on correctly or something like that.

Therefore ....

A - why do screensavers [eg. 1min. 45sec. instead of 1min.] often not go on like they are put to go on?

B - is there a way to make them [eg. 1min.] always go on like you put them to go on?

One minute is a very short time, almost as short as the 9 seconds it
took you to send this post 4 times.

If the system is doing something that it deems important, it might not
start the screen-saver clock until some such process finishes up.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

"Gene E. Bloch" wrote:
On Tue, 29 May 2012 05:38:12 GMT, Tiger wrote:

[snippage]
A - why do screensavers [eg. 1min. 45sec. instead of
1min.] often not go on like they are put to go on?
B - is there a way to make them [eg. 1min.] always
go on like you put them to go on?

One minute is a very short time, almost as short as the 9 seconds it
took you to send this post 4 times.

If the system is doing something that it deems important, it might not
start the screen-saver clock until some such process finishes up.

There is a standard API (SystemParametersInfo) that can be used to suppress
the screen saver. Programs like audio and video playback applications might
set the option (and hopefully unset it on the way out) to maintain smooth
delivery of whatever media file is being used.

You can change the screensaver settings to an absurdly long period through
the API with the uiAction parameter set to SPI_SETSCREENSAVETIMEOUT.

I've seen references to (but never looked up the details of) an API that
simply suppresses the idle timeout counter in the kernel...but I can't
recall the name.

Joe