If you look into the registry, you will find that it is indeed possible to set options for the default screensavers in Windows 7 and Vista. You can alter the registry to enable screensaver configuration if you like, but using this application will make the task easier.

First, you will have to download the System Screensavers Tweaker from the following link:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/System-Tweak/System-Screensavers-Tweaker.shtml

This will enable you to adjust the registry settings for the screensavers graphically. It works with x32 and x64 versions. Set a System Restore point before you begin in case any unwanted registry changes are made. This usually does not happen, but it is better to be safe than sorry, as they say.

Download the application. It will arrive as a .zip file. Double-click the nt6srccfg.exe Application. The application opens immediately without any setup.

Now start making changes to one of the default screensavers to play around with it and get a feel for how this works and what you can do with it. In this tutorial, we will use Ribbons as an example. Switch to the Ribbons tab and make the changes that you want.

Click Apply and preview the changes to your screensaver. Open the Screen Saver settings in the same manner as you normally would. Right-click on the desktop and then select Personalize.

Click the Screen Saver icon in the lower right corner of the window. Select the modified screensaver and click Preview to see what the changes did.

It may be somewhat difficult to tell but the difference is definitely noticeable as the screensaver runs. If you want to turn the screensavers back to the default settings, simply go to the System Screensavers Tweaker and click “Reset to Defaults”.

Truthfully, these default screensavers are fairly boring overall. It is fun to tweak them, but there is yet another option that many users will love. You can get Screensavers that are based on fractals and algorithms that occur in nature. That’s right. It is called Electric Sheep and it is free. These screensavers actually grow, change, and reproduce over time and you can add your own to the mix. Go to the following link and download the program and enjoy:

http://community.electricsheep.org/

You get screensavers that look like this:

A word of caution. Not all screensaver repositories have your best interest in mind. Some sites distribute malware infested screensavers. Be careful and only download from respected sources.

Screensavers nowadays are more for showing off than to really save the computer screen. Many users prefer to turn off the computer monitor whenever they will leave the workspace for a longer period of time.

Still, if you like screensavers you might fall in love with the ones listed below. If you got or know of an extraordinarily cool nerdy screenshot let me know in the comments.

TwittEarth (Windows XP, Mac coming soon)

A Twitter world map mashup. The screensaver is displaying Twitter messages of random Twitter users in their correct location on the world map. Each user is displayed as a avatar on the world map which gets crowded pretty fast.

Mapped Up (Windows, Mac OS X)

Unfortunately dead since 2006 a screensaver at least what’s the latest blog post dating back to Aug 18, 2006 suggests. The screensaver is displaying a world map RSS feeds mashup that is showing updated news in the world. The original website allowed for customization for registered users. Registration is unfortunately not enabled anymore. The default news on the other hand are still displayed fine in the screensaver.

You can use the mouse to hover an entry to read the title. Clicking on a title will load the news item in the default web browser.

Twingly Screensaver

A visualization of the state of the blogosphere according to Twingly. If that does not sound nerdy enough I do not know what does. Twingly is a blog search engine. The screensaver displays updated blog posts in real time. It comes with an interactive mode which gives the user more control over the items and enough time to actually read what it happening.

System 47 (Windows, Mac OS X)

It is pretty common knowledge that Star Trek fans are some of the nerdiest humans in this planet. System 47 should be the best possible screensaver for their computer systems. It comes with sounds and all kind of schematics that they will surely love.

Cities of Earth

Geography seems to be another favorite topic among nerds. The Cities of Earth screensaver displays a wonderful rotating real time image of earth. It highlights cities on the planet and provides basic information such as names and the population count.