Is there an easy way on XP to....

get rid of the Windows screensavers ?

On 98se I could simply delete them in Windows
and they would be gone from the CP/Display/Screensavers list, but on XP the
deleting of in Windows/System32 only results in an instant reincarnation.

For the first time ever in M$'s history I note a half decent Scr. (Bubbles) has been made for Vista and after a bit of mooching about I note that it is available
to run on XP, I would like to get rid of XP's rubbish lot first if someone knows how please ?

 

Do you have Windows XP ?

I'm not sure if I understand you, but go to the control panel, then to the ´icon´ for your monitor or viewscreen, there you should be able to do what you want ?

 

Just delete the .scr files you don't want to keep in C:\WINDOWS\system32.

 

Pinga -

Two issues I could use your help on...

1) Not all of the screensavers listed in CP are in \windows\system32 - some are but not all. Where are the rest? If I search my entire c drive, they don't appear. Are they hidden somewhere?

2) The screensavers in \windows\system32 are also contained in \windows\system32\dlcache and are listed in blue. Why is that?

 

Hi everybody,

# Micro : look to : Add Remove Prog / Add Remove of Windows components / Extensions Windows Media ...

Download : Windows Installer Clean Up ( version 3 ) ...

Look to Wilders : / software & services / thread : Your NEW BEST Free Softwares Anti-Malware and Windows cleaners ... Active participation in this thread please ...

PS. And delete : ReportingEvents.log ( C / Windows / SoftwareDistribution /...) and WindowsUpdate.log ( C / Windows / ...) . They will be recreated .
and other smart tip : Theme : Classic Windows ! YEAH !...

Thanks , PROROOTECT

 

Your fighting Windows File Protection. Windows tries to always restore key/critical files in an effort to ensure you don't need to reinstall unnecessarily.

dllcache is just a backup directory, which is why the files are compressed (in blue).

I believe if you delete them, then replace them with blank files with matching file names, Windows won't try to replace them.

Honestly, aside from a little neatness on the screen saver properties screen, I doubt there is much benefit to actually deleting them from the system. If you are really hurting for drive space, you could always just set them in the system32 folder to be compressed.

As for the screen savers not in the sys32 folder and otherwise "not findable," search the registry. If they are not in the sys32 folder, then they are probably after-market installed and should have an uninstall, but at the very least will have a registry entry.

 

Thanks JRV. - I was hoping to do the job manually if I could, but then you caused me to think maybe a freeware would be available - I am downloading
a .zip called 'Druid Screensaver' and will see if it can do the job, or else look to your try/buy.

 

Thanks PR. - If I could follow what you are saying with the above I might have a chance to do the job but it's a bit ummm ummm ummm, like that.

 

What the OP wants seems quite invasive. I would recommend to NOT mess with the registry or Windows OS files, unless you REALLY know what you are doing.

Negative effects can be immediate or cumulative.

 

Count me out then

I was just curious i'm not changing anything.

Thanks everyone - good insight.

 

Thanks JRV. 'snaps' is great for freeware, about 40 different Apps. from Snaps.
I have, without a hitch in use.

Well I was just about to install the 'Druid' when I decided to take one look at a Google search, several told how to lose the XP .scr's but none of them checked their own advice or they would have found the .scr's returned a second later -

But then a bit of persistence with the thought, a techie. must know, turned up,

http://www.tweakxp.com/article37487.aspx

They MUST be removed from the C:\Windows\System32\dllcache FIRST, and only THEN from System32 - the thing he omitted in that article was that one gets a M$ pop-up telling of Windows instability (File protection), should one delete those .scr files - I continued to delete and have not experienced any system instability upto now - I did send them to
the bin however, just in case I needed to recover.