Windows 98 Screen Saver Customization Options

Microsoft Windows 98 included a robust suite of built-in screen savers designed to prevent cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitor burn-in while offering users personalization and power-management tools. Accessed through the Display Properties control panel, these screen savers featured global settings such as idle timers and password protection, alongside deep visual customization options for iconic 2D and OpenGL-based 3D animations.

Access and Global Settings

To configure screen savers in Windows 98, users right-clicked the desktop, selected Properties, and navigated to the Screen Saver tab. This interface provided several system-wide controls that applied to any chosen screen saver:

  • Wait Time: Allowed users to define an idle period between 1 and 99 minutes before the screen saver activated.
  • Password Protection: Enabled a check box requiring users to enter their Windows password to dismiss the screen saver and return to the desktop.
  • Preview Mode: Offered a small simulated CRT monitor within the window to preview animations in real time, as well as a "Preview" button to test the screen saver in full-screen mode.
  • Energy Saving Features: Integrated Energy Star power management directly on the tab, allowing users to configure separate timeouts to place the monitor on standby, suspend it, or turn it off completely.

Customization Options for Built-In Screen Savers

Clicking the Settings button on the Screen Saver tab opened dedicated configuration dialogs specific to the selected module.

3D Text

  • Text Content: Users could choose to display the current local time or type custom text.
  • Typography: Supported system font selection, font size adjustment, and bolding.
  • Motion and Surface: Provided animation styles (such as Spin, Bloom, Wobble, and See-Saw), adjustable rotation speeds, and surface finishes (Solid Color, Smooth Shading, or Texture Mapping using custom .bmp image files).

3D Pipes

  • Pipe Style: Users could choose between traditional cylindrical pipes or stylized shapes.
  • Joint Types: Allowed selection of joint types, including elbows, balls, or mixed connections.
  • Render Mode: Toggled between solid colors, multi-colored segments, and textured surfaces.
  • Complexity: Users could choose single-pipe continuous generation or multiple simultaneous pipes.

3D Maze

  • Walls and Floors: Allowed users to set custom textures for walls, ceilings, and floors using standard Windows bitmaps.
  • Maze Complexity: Included settings to adjust maze size, corridor layouts, and viewing perspectives.
  • Overlay Elements: Enabled interactive elements within the render, such as floating geometric shapes and animated 2D sprite characters.

3D Flying Objects and 3D Flower Box

  • Object Selection: Permitted switching between various 3D meshes (such as spheres, cubes, and customizable ribbons).
  • Tessellation and Complexity: Offered sliders to adjust polygon density, distortion effects, and blooming transitions.
  • Color Schemes: Supported solid tones, two-tone color changes, and cycle palettes.

Classic 2D Screen Savers

  • Starfield: Included sliders to adjust warp speed and the total density of stars rendered on screen.
  • Mystify: Allowed customization of line counts, polygon colors, and the number of independent shapes bouncing across the display.
  • Flying Windows: Featured sliders to control the number of flying Windows logos and their movement speed.
  • Scrolling Marquee: Permitted custom text input, background color choices, font styles, scrolling speed, and screen positioning (centered or random).

Channel Screen Saver

Tied directly to the Windows 98 Active Desktop and Internet Explorer 4.0 integration, this screen saver allowed users to cycle through subscribed web channels, displaying cached web pages, news feeds, and broadcast content when the system was idle.