Screen saver timeout
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
Specifies how much user idle time must elapse before the screen saver is launched. When configured, this idle time can be set from a minimum of 1 second to a maximum of 86,400 seconds, or 24 hours. If set to zero, the screen saver will not be started. This setting has no effect under any of the following circumstances: - The setting is disabled or not configured. - The wait time is set to zero. - The "Enable Screen Saver" setting is disabled. - Neither the "Screen saver executable name" setting nor the Screen Saver dialog of the client computer's Personalization or Display Control Panel specifies a valid existing screen saver program on the client. When not configured, whatever wait time is set on the client through the Screen Saver dialog in the Personalization or Display Control Panel is used. The default is 15 minutes.
Registry
HKCU
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ControlPanelDisplay/CPL_Personalization_ScreenSaverTimeOut 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: Screen saver timeout
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop]
"ScreenSaveTimeOut"=dword:00000384More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Screen saver timeout
# 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 'ScreenSaveTimeOut' -Value 900 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ControlPanelDisplay/CPL_Personalization_ScreenSaverTimeOut
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="ScreenSaverTimeOutFreqSpin" value="900"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Screen saver timeout
# 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop' -Name 'ScreenSaveTimeOut' -Expected 900 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Screen saver timeout
# 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 'ScreenSaveTimeOut' -Value 900 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Screen saver timeout
# 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: Screen saver timeout
# 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop' -Name 'ScreenSaveTimeOut' -Expected 900 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Screen saver timeout
# 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 'ScreenSaveTimeOut' -Value 900 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.