To stop a Windows 11 screen saver from starting automatically, open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, select Screen saver under Related settings, and choose None. If the display still turns off or Windows asks you to sign in, that behavior is controlled by a different setting—such as a display or sleep timer, presence sensing, or an administrator-managed inactivity policy.
Turn off the screen saver
- Open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
- Under Related settings, select Screen saver.
- In the Screen Saver Settings dialog, choose None, then select Apply and OK.
This prevents the screen saver from launching. To keep a screen saver but change when it starts, choose it and adjust Wait instead. The separate On resume, display logon screen option determines whether returning from the screen saver requires sign-in. Microsoft’s screen saver instructions describe these choices.
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Identify which automatic behavior you want to change
A screen that goes dark, a computer that sleeps, and a session that locks are not necessarily the same event. Use the behavior you see to choose what to check:
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →| What happens | Setting to check | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| A moving image or blank screen appears after inactivity | Screen saver | Its own Wait interval and whether sign-in is required when it is dismissed. |
| The display goes dark, but the computer may still be running | Display-off timer | When Windows turns off the screen. Power settings can have separate values for battery and plugged-in use. |
| The computer enters a low-power state | Sleep timer | When Windows puts the device to sleep; this is distinct from turning off the display. |
| The screen turns off when you leave | Presence sensing | On supported devices, presence-sensing options can turn off the screen after you leave. |
| A sign-in prompt appears after waking | Sign-in after sleep | Authentication on return from sleep, which is separate from the screen saver’s resume option. |
| The session locks after inactivity, or settings keep reverting | Organization-managed policy | An administrator may enforce inactivity lock or power behavior. |
Adjust display-off, sleep, or presence-sensing settings
Display and sleep timers
Open Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen and sleep to inspect the available screen and sleep timing choices. If your device uses battery power, compare the battery and plugged-in values: the display or computer may have different timers for each condition. Microsoft documents display-off and sleep as separate power controls in its Power Policy CSP. The older Display settings overview also describes display timeout controls; Microsoft lists that page as last updated April 21, 2020.
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Presence sensing
On a device that supports presence sensing, check Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen and sleep for Automatically turn off my screen when I leave and its related options. Available controls can include a delay and an option concerning locking when an external display is connected. The options vary by device; see Microsoft’s guide to presence sensing in Windows 11.
Check sign-in behavior separately
If the sign-in prompt follows a screen saver, return to Screen Saver Settings and review On resume, display logon screen. If it appears after the computer wakes from sleep, check Windows’ sign-in-after-sleep preference instead. That preference is distinct from the screen saver checkbox, and its exact location or wording can vary, so use Settings search for sign-in if you cannot find it.
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What to do when the setting is missing or keeps changing
A work- or school-managed PC may have power and security choices set by its administrator. Microsoft documents a separate Interactive logon: Machine inactivity limit policy; its default is not enforced, and the policy applies to Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions. The screen saver timeout can also be managed by policy on applicable editions: Microsoft documents a range of 1 to 86,400 seconds, with zero preventing the screen saver from starting subject to the policy’s stated conditions. See the LocalPoliciesSecurityOptions Policy CSP and ADMX_ControlPanelDisplay Policy CSP.
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- If a setting is disabled, missing, or repeatedly restored, ask your organization’s administrator whether a policy controls it.
- On a personal device, first confirm whether the symptom is the screen saver, display-off, sleep, or sign-in after waking; changing the screen saver will not override a separate power or lock policy.
- Avoid registry changes as a first step when the policy owner or intended configuration is unknown.
Windows 11 wording and available controls can vary by version, device capability, and management policy.
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