• In most cases, deleting the ScreenSaveActive Registry key will be the most effective solution.
  • You should also consider updating or reinstalling the graphics driver, as some corruption with this device may trigger the problem.

Fix 1: Delete the ScreenSaveActive Registry Key

If screen saver options are greyed out in Windows, incorrect registry edits are likely causing the issue. You must access the Registry Editor and properly edit certain keys to fix the issue.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run tool, type regedit in the search bar, and click OK .

regedit command in the Run tool - 1

Step 2: In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop

Step 3: Right-click on the ScreenSaveActive string value > choose Delete .

Delete option in the LGPE - 2

Step 4: Click Yes to confirm your selection.

Yes option in the LGPE - 3

Similarly, delete the following string values as well if available in the same location:

ScreenSaverIsSecure

ScreenSaveTimeout

SCRNSAVE.EXE

Fix 2: Configure the Screen Saver Policy

Enable screen saver is an important policy that lets you change screen savers on your Windows PC. If you’ve mistakenly disabled this policy, you can’t change the screen saver and face various issues, including the one at hand. You may enable it from the Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run tool.

Step 2: Type gpedit.msc in the search bar and click OK .

_gpedit command in the Run tool - 4

Step 3: In the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following location:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization

Step 4: Double-click on the Enable screen saver policy in the right pane.

Enable screen saver policy in the LGPE - 5

Step 5: Choose Enabled > click Apply > OK .

Enabled option in the LGPE - 6

Note: The Local Group Policy Editor is exclusive to Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. You may take a few extra steps if gpedit.msc is missing on your PC.

Fix 3: Update or Reinstall Display Drivers

Another prime reason behind the issue can be a corrupt graphics driver. The best way to fix that is to update the graphics driver or reinstall it. Here’s a step-by-step instructions to do that:

Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon in the Taskbar > choose Device Manager from the Power User menu.

Device Manager in PowerX Menu - 7

Step 2: Double-click on the Display adapters .

Display Adapters node in Device Manager - 8

Step 3: Right-click on the installed graphics driver and choose Update driver .

Update driver option in Device Manager - 9

Step 4: Select Search automatically for drivers in the Update driver window that crops up.

Search automatically for drivers option in Device Manager - 10

Windows will now search for and download available graphics driver updates.

Alternatively, you may go through steps 1 and 2, right-click on the driver and click Uninstall device . Next, restart the computer to reinstall it.

You can also visit your graphics card manufacturer’s website ( AMD , NVIDIA , or Intel ) and download the latest update.

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