How To Install A Screen Saver In Windows 11

Have you downloaded a new screen saver for your Windows 11 PC? Would you like to install a new screen saver on your Windows 11 PC, but are not sure how? This guide shows you how to install a screen saver in Windows 11.

Installing a new screen saver file is relatively easy in the Windows operating system. All you need to do is copy the screen saver file to the System32 folder located in the Windows 11 installation drive or use the built-in install feature offered in the context menu.

IMPORTANT: It’s important to download screen savers from trusted websites, as screen savers are often used to spread malware. So, be sure to download the screen saver from a well-trusted place.

Once a screen saver is installed correctly, it will show up in the list of screen savers in the Screen Saver settings, the dialog where you can select and change screen savers.

Complete the directions given below to install a new screen saver in Windows 11.

NOTE: If the File Explorer is not configured to show file extensions, you might not see .scr next to the name of the screen saver file. To see file extensions, click the View button in the File Explorer toolbar, click Show, and then click File Name Extensions.

Method 1 of 2

Install a new screen saver in Windows 11

Step 1: Navigate to the folder containing the screen saver file (.scr) file.

Step 2: Right-click the screen saver file (.scr) file and then click the Install option to install it.

Step 3: Clicking the ‘Install’ option will bring up the ‘Screen Saver Settings’ dialog.

Step 4: Select the newly installed screen saver from the drop-down menu, specify the time interval before the screen saver is activated, and then click the Apply button to begin using it.

Method 2 of 2

Install a new screen saver from File Explorer in Windows 11

Step 1: Open File Explorer. Click the This PC link present in the left pane to switch to This PC.

Step 2: Here, double-click the drive where Windows 11 is installed. As you may already know, Windows is typically installed on the “C” drive.

Windows shows a Windows icon on the drive where Windows 11 is installed, so that you can easily know where Windows 11 is installed.

Step 3: Double-click the ‘Windows’ folder.

Step 4: Double-click the ‘System32’ folder.

Step 5: Copy and paste the screen saver file, that is the .scr file, to the System32 folder. If the screen saver file is in a ZIP file, please extract it to get the .scr file.

Step 6: Click the Continue button when you see the confirmation dialog.

Step 7: Now, it’s time to open the Screen Saver Settings dialog. Type Change Screen Saver Settings in the Start menu or taskbar search field and then press the Enter key to open it.

Step 8: Here, in the ‘Screen saver’ section, select your newly installed screen saver from the drop-down menu, select the wait time before the screen saver is started, and then click the Apply button to apply the selected screen saver. That’s it!

Uninstall a screen saver from your Windows 11 PC

Step 1: Open the File Explorer and navigate to the following folder:

C:\Windows\System32

Step 2: Select the screen saver file that you would like to uninstall and then delete it. Click the Yes button when asked for confirmation.

Windows 11 will remove the screen saver. That’s all!