• Screen savers in Windows are configured to accept command line options.silicone screen saver image by feisty from Fotolia.com
  
  Screen savers are programs that fill an entire computer screen with images that move and change. They were originally designed to ensure that a stagnant image does not get "burned" into a computer monitor after being displayed for a long period of time. This is no longer an issue with current monitors. Screen savers are required to accept certain options, or switches, when run from a command line. They have an ".scr" extension and are usually located in "C:\Windows\System32."
  
  

Settings

• Some screen savers have detailed settings available to control appearance and behavior. To view and change the settings enter "<screen saver> /s," where "<screen saver>" is the full file name of the screen saver. A pop-up window will appear in the middle of the screen with various selectable options, which will vary greatly depending on the particular screen saver. A message will appear if there are no settings available for a particular screen saver.
  
  

Run

• There is an option to run a screen saver immediately, rather than waiting for it appear after the specified timeout period. This option must be entered as "<screen saver> /s," where "<screen saver>" is the full file name of the screen saver. You can exit the screen saver by either pressing a key or moving the mouse.
  
  

Preview

• There is an option used by software developers when testing screen savers, so they can preview them inside a separate window, rather than the entire screen. The option must be entered as "<screen saver> /p <HWND>," where "<screen saver>" is the full file name and "<HWND>" is the identifying number of the window to be covered with the screen saver.
  
  

Change Password

• There is a legacy option available for "Windows 95" screen savers, used by software developers when testing them, that allows the password to be changed when previewing the screen saver in a separate window. This is used in conjunction with the "/p <HWND>" switch. The option must be entered as "<screen saver> /a <HWND>," where "<screen saver>" is the full file name and "<HWND>" is the identifying number of the window that is being used to preview the password-protected screensaver.