Enable screen saver
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
Path in the GPO console
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization Description
Enables desktop screen savers. If you disable this setting, screen savers do not run. Also, this setting disables the Screen Saver section of the Screen Saver dialog in the Personalization or Display Control Panel. As a result, users cannot change the screen saver options. If you do not configure it, this setting has no effect on the system. If you enable it, a screen saver runs, provided the following two conditions hold: First, a valid screen saver on the client is specified through the "Screen Saver executable name" setting or through Control Panel on the client computer. Second, the screen saver timeout is set to a nonzero value through the setting or Control Panel. Also, see the "Prevent changing Screen Saver" setting.
Registry
HKCU
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop Value name: ScreenSaveActive
Enabled: ScreenSaveActive = 1
Disabled: ScreenSaveActive = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ControlPanelDisplay/CPL_Personalization_EnableScreenSaver Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Enable screen saver
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop]
"ScreenSaveActive"="1"More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable screen saver
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScreenSaveActive' -Value '1' -Type StringIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ControlPanelDisplay/CPL_Personalization_EnableScreenSaver
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable screen saver
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop' -Name 'ScreenSaveActive' -Expected '1' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable screen saver
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScreenSaveActive' -Value '1' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable screen saver
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable screen saver
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop' -Name 'ScreenSaveActive' -Expected '1' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable screen saver
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScreenSaveActive' -Value '1' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.