screensaver inhibitor

[TheBorris]

Dose any one know how I can stop the Screen saver from working while my code is running?

[Darin.K]

Turn it off in the OS.  The only screensaver I use is the power switch on the monitor.   Screen savers are a waste of energy IMO, and burn-in is such a 1980's problem.  Persistence is a minor annoyance in LCD screens, so if it worries you, turn the monitor off. 

A fun LV exercise would be to use property nodes to write a VI that moved itself around the screen every so often.  

[billko]

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Darin.K wrote:

Turn it off in the OS.  The only screensaver I use is the power switch on the monitor.   Screen savers are a waste of energy IMO, and burn-in is such a 1980's problem.  Persistence is a minor annoyance in LCD screens, so if it worries you, turn the monitor off. 

A fun LV exercise would be to use property nodes to write a VI that moved itself around the screen every so often.  

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Some places (like mine - argh!) require you to have screensaver + password on so if you forget and leave your workstation it goes into screensaver mode.  It's a PITA when someone was using a workstation and then goes home, locking everyone out.  😉

Bill

[TheBorris]

The PC we use have a policy forced on to them that there is a screen saver and it will start in 5 mins and will lock.So I want to stop windows form using the screen saver when the code is running so the data readouts can be seen at a glance.

[Darin.K]

In that case, try simulating a keyboard press every now and then (never tried it for this application).

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/epd/p/id/3711

(But still try to turn off the screensaver whenever possible) 

Message Edited by Darin.K on 08-26-2009 10:44 AM

[Darin.K]

And if you are looking for a hardware solution.

http://www.officeplayground.com/drinkingbird.html

[RavensFan]

I had this problem as well.  I couldnt' figure out a way around the operating system.  Anything I tried was a hack and really couldn't get underneath the security policy that was in place.

I discovered a little device called a mouse jiggler that works great.  It is a small USB plug that simulates a mouse.  It periodically simulates a mouse jiggle by a pixel back and forth every 20 seconds.  So as far as the computer knows, there is someone using the mouse and the screensaver never kicks on.  Even if a person is using the computer while this device is plugged in, you never notice any funny motion with the mouse.

I bought about 5 of them for different PC's that I have running test stands.  I plug it in whenever I don't want the screen saver lockout to come on.  If I'm not doing anything in the PC, I take it out and put it in a drawer.  If you use it, don't let your IT department know about it.

http://www.cyberguys.com/product-search/?keyword=mouse+jiggler

[RavensFan]

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Darin.K wrote:

And if you are looking for a hardware solution.

http://www.officeplayground.com/drinkingbird.html

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You've got to be careful with that device.  If you remember the episode of the Simpsons where they had one of those, the nuclear power plant almost melted down.

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

I have heard through the grapevine that theoretically putting a music clip in your startup folder, this will cause media player to start automatically. When media player is set to loop continuously, it prevents the screensaver from kicking in. At least using media player v9.0 on Win XP, but I know nothing of this 🙂

-AK2DM

[nathand]

This is the most amusing approach to this problem that I've seen.