Screensavers can be used to keep the computer safe when it is not being used if there is a password set for the different User Accounts. Click in the box labelled 'On resume, display Welcome Screen' and then on the Apply button. When the screens aver stops, the logon screen appears and a password must be entered to get back on the computer.

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The computer is still running as normal when the screensaver is on, so there will be no benefits from any power-saving options. Many animated screensavers, especially those that use 3D graphics in Windows Vista, may actually use more power than the computer does showing the Windows Desktop. With this in mind, it is a good idea to check the Power options on your computer and change them so that the screensaver switches to a blank screen after a reasonable delay.

There is a shortcut to the power options on the computer from the Screen Saver window; click on the Power button at the bottom. The actual options that can be changed will depend on whether the computer is a notebook or desktop. Notebooks will have more options as there is more need to conserve power.