allbery@ncoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery) (03/26/89)
I'd like to be able to leave my computer for a few minutes without having to
remember to turn off the monitor or risk burn-in of the screen. However, my
experience is that most screen blankers hook into INT 9 to detect keystrokes
-- and they don't work with Windows as a result.
Does anyone know of a screen blanker which *does* work with Windows? If it
matters (it probably does...) I have a Hercules-compatible display -- but
I'd also like to be able to use it on an IBM PS/2-50 VGA and on a Wyse 700
display on an AT386-type machine.
Please mail responses and I'll summarize if there's sufficient interest.
Thanks in advance,
++Brandon
--
Brandon S. Allbery, moderator of comp.sources.misc allbery@ncoast.org
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NCoast Public Access UN*X - (216) 781-6201, 300/1200/2400 baud, login: makeuserbeckman@dev386.UUCP (Zacharias Beckman) (03/28/89)
In article <13505@ncoast.ORG>, allbery@ncoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery) writes: > I'd like to be able to leave my computer for a few minutes without having to > remember to turn off the monitor or risk burn-in of the screen. However, my > experience is that most screen blankers hook into INT 9 to detect keystrokes > -- and they don't work with Windows as a result. There is a utility for Windows which performs screen blanking, among other things. Here is a summary of some of the features: * menu customization * no need to change directories all the time * nice, on-screen digital clock * customizes your environment (window size, etc.) and remembers it * window arranging and locating It does quite a bit more, too. Contact Wilson Windowware, 3377 59th SW, Seattle, WA 96116, or call 206-937-9335. It is available on Compuserve, also. The product is shareware, with a fee of $35.00. Zacharias Beckman.
jerryd@hpgrla.HP.COM (Jerry Donovan) (03/29/89)
Here is the "DOC" file from a shareware program that I think does what you want. I don't use it, because I've decided that I don't care for screen blanker programs, however it is interesting anyway. ---- FIREWORKS -- A Screen saver program for Microsoft Windows (c) 1988-1989 Kim Levitt -- Synergistic Enterprises version 4.30 -- 02/25/89 The enclosed program FIREWORK.EXE and it's accompanying dynamic link library file FIRELIB.EXE together make up a program for Windows which will blank out your screen after a specified interval of time and display a fireworks simulation to let you know your computer hasn't "died" and to entertain you. (It was inspired by a similar screen blanker for the Macintosh known as "Pyro".) (WIN87EM.EXE is included for those who lack this dynamic link library which is needed for Windows programs which can use 8087/80287/80387 math chips if present. Note that you need WIN87EM.EXE whether or not you have a math chip in your system.) This version (v4.30) includes a couple of fixes for bugs that occured when using Fireworks with Excel. One bug would crash Windows if you were running the Excel tutorial or feature guide and Fireworks blanked the screen. The other bug prevented Excel's graphing feature from working properly on some systems when Fireworks was running. The same bug fix may also allow Fireworks to work properly on some systems on which it did not work properly before. A new feature added to v4.30 includes the ability to turn the automatic blanking on and off. To turn blanking off, you hold down the ALT key and press the keypad minus key. To turn auto blanking back on, enter ALT and the keypad plus key. This is for temporary disabling of the auto blanking only. You can still set the delay time to 0 to disable auto blanking completely. Fireworks v4.30 also now compensates for the aspect ratio of systems (such as EGA) which do not have square pixels. This gives the fireworks better shapes on such systems. To install Fireworks, copy all 3 EXE's to your WINDOWS subdirectory. Edit your WIN.INI file LOAD= line to include FIREWORK. When you start windows, Fireworks will appear as an icon at the bottom of the screen. Double click on it to open the window and choose "Setup Screen Save Delay..." to specify the number of minutes of system inactivity you want Fireworks to wait before blanking out the screen. Then use "Alt-Spacebar N" to restore Fireworks to an icon. (Fireworks will only autoblank the screen when running as an icon.) Fireworks will not blank while there is keyboard activity or a mouse button is being pressed. It uses Windows GDI calls to blank the screen and should therefore work on any system running Windows. (No hardware specific code.) (This also means however, that Fireworks will not work when full screen "OldApps" are running.) Fireworks will NOT blank out any windows you may have (like the one in Command Post) which tries to keep itself visible. If you don't want the Command Post clock to show up, set it off (so it displays the program name and version number instead of the clock, (or with the latest version, so it only shows minutes and not seconds). In addition to the auto blanking feature, you can use a "hot key" to enable blanking at any time. Simply press "Alt-Control" (NOT "Control-Alt" by the way, which means "Control-Alt-Delete" will not cause the blanker to come on when you are trying to reboot). When the blanking is enabled, no cursor is visible. Press any key or a mouse button to disable blanking and Fireworks will return to icon state. When running in "normal mode" as a window, you may notice the cursor changes into an airplane.. (Cute huh?) Try pressing a button... Fireworks has only minimal system impact when running in icon state. It checks for system inactivity only once every 5 seconds. Fireworks is a shareware program. If you use it, please send a $5 registration fee per copy to: Kim Levitt Synergistic Enterprises 8033 Sunset Blvd. #975 Los Angeles, CA 90046 (Checks can be made payable to either Kim Levitt or Synergistic Enterprises.) Enjoy!! -- Mr. Kim Levitt 02/25/89 --- Jerry Donovan ...!hplabs!hpfcla!hpgrla!jerryd