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Group Policy Screensaver setting isn't working in Windows

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This article helps work around an issue where the Screensaver doesn't start after a Group Policy is configured to enable it in Windows.

Applies to:   Windows Server (All supported versions), Windows client (All supported versions)
Original KB number:   2616727

Symptoms

A Group Policy is configured to enable Screensaver:

User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization\Enable screen saver

But there's no setting defining a ScreenSaverTimeout configured in Screen saver timeout.

The Screensaver won't start in such a configuration by default.

Cause

The default ScreenSaver Timeout is configured in the registry at this location:

  • Registry subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
  • Type: Reg_SZ
  • Name: ScreenSaveTimeOut

Since Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2, this key doesn't exist by default.

Without configuring a default timeout via Group Policy, the system doesn't have a timeout and therefore doesn't start the screensaver.

Workaround

There are two workarounds to solve this issue.

  • Configure the Screen saver timeout Group Policy under the following path to change the default ScreenSaver timeout:

    User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization\

  • Use Group Policy Preferences to configure a new default value for the following registry key in a Group Policy applying to users:

    • Registry subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

    • Type: Reg_SZ

    • Name: ScreenSaveTimeOut

      User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Registry

      New > Registry Item

    • Action: Create

    • Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER

    • Key Path: Control Panel\Desktop

    • Value Name: ScreenSaveTimeOut

    • Value Type: REG_SZ

    • Value Data: 600

      Using Item Level Targeting (Common Tab of setting) the appliance of this setting can be restricted to systems running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.