Screen Saver Does Not Start Even Though System Is Idle

• Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

Your screen saver may not start, even though your computer has been inactive for the specified amount of time.

CAUSE

This behavior can be caused by any of the following conditions:

• A key or mouse button is being held down.
• A menu (such as the Start menu) is active.
• A "system modal" dialog box is active. A "system modal" dialog box is one that requires user input before the system will continue.
• The active program is an MS-DOS-based program for which the Allow Screen Saver property has been disabled.
• The active program is an MS-DOS-based program that is using a high- resolution graphics mode or high-resolution text mode, or is a disk utility. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

        ARTICLE-ID: Q139473
        TITLE     : Cannot Switch Away from Full-Screen MS-DOS-Based Program
  
  

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use the appropriate method:

• Release the key or mouse button.
• Close the menu.
• Respond to the "system modal" dialog box.
• In the MS-DOS-based program's properties, click the Misc tab, and then click the Allow Screen Saver check box to select it.
• Quit the program that is preventing the screen saver from running.