Vista Screensavers

When Microsoft announced that it would be releasing its Windows Vista, it indicated that Vista would be designed for customization of a screensaver. For some reason, that announcement prepared computer users for something that did not appear in the computer stores. The Windows Vista did not have the promised software, software needed for creation of a customized screensaver.

Microsoft did not want the obvious mix-up to slow sales of Windows Vista. Microsoft made a second promise it promised the release of either a service pack or a Power Toy. Either of those items was supposed to give a computer user the ability to customize a screensaver on a computer that contained Vista software. Computer users waited for the release of such items.

They waited and waited. When nothing came out, a number of different websites appeared .They offered a new type of software. They offered Vista software. A computer user could use that software to customize a screensaver on a monitor, whenever the computer connected to that monitor had been programmed to work on Windows Vista.

Those websites that offered computer users a way around the absence of promised materials from Microsoft were said to be operated by “registry hackers.”  The term “registry” referred to the registry of information in Windows Vista. A skilled hacker had the ability to recover that information.

By hacking into that information, a computer expert could design ways to make software that could substitute for the missing and desired materials, the materials promised by Microsoft. On their websites, such registry hacker promised to help computer users create “better and cooler” screensavers.

As more and more computer users took advantage of the software offered by Vista screensavers, they made some interesting discoveries. Some of those discoveries they shared with other computer users. Some of those discoveries were posted on various blogs.

One computer user made this entry about Vista screensavers: “This works on Windows XP too.”

Another computer user had these words of advice concerning Vista screensavers: “,,,not all video cards are supported by Windows Vista.” This statement was a warning that not all video cards could make use of the Vista features (the features designed for customization of screensavers). This helpful and observant computer user shared some other useful information:

“The registry tweaks work, but if your video card isn’t strong enough, it will not support…the screensaver.” 

That warning should be heeded by anyone who wants to use a Vista screensaver to put video footage against a desktop background. No computer user can assume that his or her video card will automatically work with whatever software has been obtained by seeking access to a Vista screensaver.

Posted in Screensavers