ScreenSaver Works

Initially designed to prevent CRT monitors from getting damaged while not used, screensavers have lost their primary function a long time ago. Now they’re mainly used for entertainment, or to display different kinds of information. To create a custom one, various specialized applications like ScreenSaver Works can be used.

After installing the application, there’s a high chance you end up scratching your head for a while, because the executable file is nowhere to be found. This is because it needs to get triggered from the Windows Screen Saver Settings panel. Once there, it’s visible among existing screensavers, and only after selecting it and pressing Settings can you take advantage of its features.

Once up and running, a compact main window is put at your disposal, with a simple, intuitive set of controls. The visual design is decent, with a custom-made frame, clearly visible font, and several panels to choose items, and even get a preview.

In order to create a screensaver, you need to specify a folder where the images you want to add are located. Multiple folders can be added at a time. Once a folder is added, the application automatically extracts all JPG, GIF, and BMP files it can find and places them in a list.

Moreover, you get to choose from three different display sequences, such as normal, inverted, or random. The amount of time it takes for the next picture to come out is chosen from a drop down-down menu, with values representing seconds. Multiple configurations can be saved, which act as different screen savers.

Unfortunately, the application can only be used on your own computer, because it integrates a bit too well in your system. What’s more, there’s no option to export screensavers, which has a major impact on practicality. No effects can be applied to images, or any other editing option for that matter, which means your pictures need to be prepared before bundling them inside a slideshow presentation.

All things considered, we come to the conclusion that ScreenSaver Works is a simple application that integrates in Windows and lets you easily create slideshow screensavers out of various pictures. Sadly, the set of features leaves a lot to be desired, and as easy as it may be to create one, it lacks features like export that keep it from being a pro, or close to one.