If you are reading this on your own "personal" computer, you will agree that computers are indeed that—personal. Screensavers for many are maybe a thing of the past, once being needed to prevent phosphor "burn-ins" on CRT and plasma monitors. Today we use it mostly for visual appeal.

And that takes us to the download pages of the many screensaver sites out there. The one problem? They aren't too personal or one never knows which one could be a malware-pushing host.

To have the best of both worlds, why not make some of our own? Here are some ways to make your own screensaver without all the coding mumbo jumbo.

The Windows Way to Make a Screensaver

Did you know that Windows has its own built-in way of making a screensaver? It's a great way to avoid downloading anything and create a screensaver that is truly yours.

How to Create a Screensaver in Windows 10

Windows 10 Screensaver Settings
  1. Arrange your desired screensaver photos in a folder of your choice (or use the default My Pictures folder).
  2. Right-click anywhere on the desktop to access the Personalize applet. Select the Lock Screen tab and then drill down to Screen saver settings.
  3. In the window that opens, select Photos from the dropdown menu. To choose a different source than My Pictures, go to Settings>Browse and choose another destination before clicking Save.
  4. Configure the settings according to the options given, click OK or Apply, and your first self-made screen saver is ready to roll.

How to Create a Screensaver in Windows Vista

The route on Vista is similar. Follow them to find the tools to turn your pictures into a screensaver.

Related: Signs You Are a Seasoned Windows User

  1. Right-click and go to Personalize>Screen Saver>Settings.
  2. Choose Photos from the Screen Saver menu.
  3. The Settings for the screensaver allows you to further customize the display:

You may have a lot of media to go through, but there are ways you can customize what you do and don't see with a few easy clicks.

  • To show only pictures with a particular tag, type the tag in the With this tag box that is associated with the pictures.
  • To display only pictures with a particular rating, click a star rating on the With this rating or higher list.
  • To apply a slide show theme to your screensaver, select one from the Use this theme list.
  • To play your pictures and videos in random order, check the Shuffle contents box.

How to Make a Screensaver in PowerPoint

Saving PowerPoint Presentation for Screensaver

We all get those high-impact motivational PowerPoint attachments in our inbox sometime or another. You can turn these into engaging screensavers quite easily with the help of PowerPoint 2021.

I have one which shuffles around motivational quotes whenever my computer goes inactive. Here's how to make a screensaver from a slideshow:

  1. Open the presentation that will become your screensaver in PowerPoint 2021.
  2. Click on File>Save As to open the Save As window.
  3. Through the Save As window, select an empty folder or create a new one to hold the PowerPoint images.
  4. Enter any file name you want. In the Save As Type dropdown menu scroll down to select any of the image formats (GIF, JPG, TIFF, PNG, BMP). Click Save.
  5. PowerPoint gives an option to save every slide or the current slide only as an image. Select one to finish this part of the process.
  6. The screensaver can then be activated using the Personalization>Locks Screen>Screen saver settings tabs as mentioned earlier. Keep in mind that this method fails to retain any animations, transitions, and embedded rich media present in the original PowerPoint slide.

Related: Ways to Fix a Malfunctioning Screensaver in Windows 10

How to Make a Screensaver With Google Photos

Google Photos replaced Picasa as one of the best free photo management apps out there and it has a nifty feature that allows you to create and download a slideshow.

Creating Animation on Google Photos
  1. Open Google Photos and click on the Photos tab.
  2. In Photos, select the pictures your want in your screensaver.
  3. Click the Add to or create new plus icon at the top and then Animation.
  4. When Google Photos shows you the slideshow, go straight to More options>Download.
  5. Set the downloaded GIF file as your screensaver and you're done.

How to Make a Screensaver With Finalhit

Adding Images on Finalhit Screensaver Maker

If you're wondering how to create a screensaver with dedicated software, take a look at what Finalhit has to offer.

It's an app you can download and use to design screensavers in a bit more detail than your standard Windows options. It does come with a free trial, so you can try it out before spending any money.

Here's how to make your own screensaver with Finalhit:

  1. Launch Finalhit and choose your features—you can have images, videos, sounds, and text.
  2. In all of these tabs, you'll find an Add button. Use that to upload the files you want.
  3. Adjust the settings of each element, which can include pause, duration, size, and shuffle options among other things.
  4. Click on the Effects tab and select any extra flourishes you want.
  5. When ready, click the Create button and use the file as your screensaver.

How to Make a Screensaver With Blumentals

Another downloadable app to consider is Screensaver Factory by Blumentals. It works the same as Finalhit, including the free trial, but with a cleaner interface and more tools, especially for professional clients.

For example, in addition to photos, animations, and audio, you can add visuals like shapes, background patterns, and promotional features to market your brand.

Blumentals Screensaver Factory Windows App

So, here's how to put all this into a cool new screensaver:

  1. Launch Blumentals and click the New Project button.
  2. Use the Add or Add folder buttons to bring in all the audiovisual elements you need.
  3. Customize everything through the Properties button in some tabs, as well as the menu in Options.
  4. Click Create Screensaver to save the completed project on your computer.

You Don't Have to Make Your Own Screensavers

Even though the best screensaver is to power off the monitor, a self-created and personal screensaver is worthwhile. Not only is it fun to learn how to create a screensaver, but judging by the tools around, your results can be very impressive, even professional.

That said, it is time-consuming and not really necessary. Whether you just want a pleasant work environment or to wow people, readymade screensavers work just as well. If you would rather leave all the work to someone else, why not simply download awesome screensavers for Windows?