How-To Geek Forums / Windows Vista
Run your own movie as screensaver
(25 posts)
A. I use Home Premium. The Albums option should be there.
B. Here is how to use Photobucket:
1. Create your account at http://photobucket.com/ - real easy
2. Use the folder with your name on it or create a subfolder (recommended). You do that on the left side where it says "New Album" > Save
3.Go to "Upload Images and Videos", somewhere in the middle. Now click on "Choose Files". This will most likely bring up your "Pictures" folder (but you can select another folder). Double click on the file you want to upload. After a few seconds you will see it. Now single click on your picture. On top of the picture you will see “Resize”. The best size to pick is 640X480.
4. If you want to post this picture directly on the Forum, click on IMG Code (last link), then right click on that and COPY. If you only want to post the link to the picture, click on Direct link, then right click and COPY. Then you got it in your clipboard (from where you Paste).
5. Now you can paste this into your posting. If you chose IMG, the picture will only show up AFTER you posted. In the posting you will only see the link. If you chose "Direct link", it will just be a link.
Thanks, LH and WHS. I have a big album already on Pb, and that is where I stored the screenshot. But when I try to copy the IMG, I get a little short thing in the clipboard that does not even include photobucket. I'll go off topic and do some testing. When I get it working, I will post a shot of the settings page too.
In the meantime you could try Image Shack.
Okay, I switched to Image Shack, and here are the screenshots:
This is the settings page after I have chosen to display the video parked in a folder called Screensaver.
This is the final page after OKing the settings:
From the meassages here, I am thinking that my hardware is not good enough to do this. Would HP sell a computer with Vista Home Premium mounted that was incapable of performing a Vista feature?
Please ignor the Extras at the bottom of the first image. Capture caught a bit of my taskbar.
Ya, it's your graphics. See the mention on your settings window: "This computer's video card can't play themes". That's the problem. You probably have one of those older 6150's or 3100's on-board graphics. Those are weaklings. There is nothing you can do (short of buying a decent graphics card - if this is a desktop). Sorry.
The darn thing is only a year old, but it was a WalMart special. Sheeeeesh! Well!! Guess I wont be having a video playing on the screensaver soon. Just out of curiosity, what should I get if I want to upgrade. Dollars are dear, and I know zilch about graphics cards other than that you have to have one.
Thanks for the lead, though, WHS; I can at least set up a nice slide show.
The graphics card question would require a lot more study. At first it has to be compatible with your Mobo. But the prices for something midrange (not extreme gaming, of course) are below $50 - e.g. this one is nice: http://www.tigerdirect.com/app.....=E145-8634
I am guessing that MoBo is Geekenese for mother board. You are right, I have no way of judging whether or not the card you suggest is compatible. I do not even know what I would need to know to make that determination. Is there information I can send to the vendor and let him decide? I would not like to spend $40 and then find out it was a no go.
I suggest you open a new thread to clarify this question. First download and run Belarc. Then make a snip of the Belarc output and post it - about like the picture below. Then we would have all the info to assess your situation. (the arrow denotes my Mobo).
PS: when you post your Belarc, use a bigger format than 640x480 - that is hard to read. And make the snip in .png - not .jpeg.
I just discovered 2 more and different ways to make movie screen savers on this link. Those approaches are more involved, but they allow for other file formats than just .wmv.
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