Windows – Setting Windows 7 Screensaver from Command Line

windows 7windows-registry

I'm trying to deploy a photo screensaver to several Windows 7 machines. Due to some unique restraints, I can only do it from a .bat file (no group policy). I have come up with this script:

@echo off
mkdir "c:\photos"
copy *.jpg "c:\photos"
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows Photo Viewer\Slideshow\Screensaver" /v EncryptedPIDL /f
reg add    "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows Photo Viewer\Slideshow\Screensaver" /v EncryptedPIDL /t REG_SZ /d "FAAfUOBP0CDqOmkQotgIACswMJ0ZAC9DOlwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUAAxAAAAAAAdQ+ByEABwaG90b3MAADoACAAEAO++HUPNch1D4HIqAAAAF78BAAAAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAaABvAHQAbwBzAAAAFgAAAA==" /f
reg delete "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop" /v SCRNSAVE.EXE /f
reg add    "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop" /v SCRNSAVE.EXE /t REG_SZ /d  C:Windows\System32\PhotoScreenSaver.scr /f
reg delete "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveTimeOut /f
reg add    "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveTimeOut /t REG_SZ /d 60 /f
reg delete "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaverIsSecure /f
reg add    "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaverIsSecure /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f
reg delete "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveActive /f
reg add    "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveActive /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f
rundll32.exe user32.dll, UpdatePerUserSystemParameters

which is being run "as an administrator". The correct screen saver settings show up in the control panel dialog box, but the machines just go to the lock screen (and don't show the screen saver) when the timeout is reached. Is there another setting I'm missing? Can anyone help out, I've been struggling with this and can't make any headway. Thanks

Best Answer

Accidentally wrote:

C:Windows\System32\PhotoScreenSaver.scr

instead of:

C:\Windows\System32\PhotoScreenSaver.scr

Somehow, Windows still chose the correct screensaver in the properties dialog, but wouldn't actually work. It also added another entry called PPhotos?? My mistake just manifested very strangely.

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Windows 7 – Printing from Command Line

The print command uses the following synatx for the /d: switch:

Specifies the printer on which you want to print the job. You can specify a local printer by specifying the port on your computer to which the printer is connected. Valid values for parallel ports are LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3. Valid values for serial ports are COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4. You can also specify a network printer by its queue name (\ServerName\ShareName). If you do not specify a printer, the print job is sent to LPT1.

This means you can't use "CutePDF Writer" as an argument.

There are two ways that should work:

Assign a COM port to your printer.
1. Open Start → Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click the CutePDF Writer and select Printer Properties.
3. In the Ports tab, assign an unused port from COM1: to COM4: to your printer.
4. If you chose, e.g., COM3, print using the following command:
```
print /d:COM3 test.txt
```
Share the printer.
1. Open Start → Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click the CutePDF Writer and select Printer Properties.
3. In the Sharing tab, decide to share the printer and assign a share name to it.
4. If you chose, e.g., CutePDF, print using the following command:
```
print /d:\\%COMPUTERNAME%\CutePDF test.txt
```

Windows – (How) can I change the time until the screensaver kicks in from the command line

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveTimeOut /t REG_SZ /d 600 /f

The value 600 is in seconds, = 10minutes Interestingly, as pointed, this works only the first time. On next change, you need to make a new key like so :

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveTimeOutTemp /t REG_SZ /d 300 /f

Then delete the old one

reg delete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveTimeOut /t REG_SZ /d 600 /f

Then copy the new one to the right name

reg copy "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveTimeOutTemp "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ScreenSaveTimeOut

Hopy this works, and you do not destory your computer, but since you did not have this registry value, i don't think deleting it can be that horrible.

REG documentation here: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/reg.mspx?mfr=true

Best Answer

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Windows 7 – Printing from Command Line

Windows – (How) can I change the time until the screensaver kicks in from the command line

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