I have my screensaver set to come on after 10 minutes, but sometimes it does not start. I also have the monitor set to turn itself off after 20 minutes; this does not happen either. The problem comes and goes, with no apparent pattern--I just sometimes notice that I've left or turned away from my computer for much longer than 20 minutes, and the screen is still on without screensaver when I come back. I'm assuming there's a process that is preventing the computer from thinking it's idle. So, my main question is this: is there any way to find out which process is doing this? Any utility I can download, or one that's built into Windows? I have experienced this problem in the past with (surprise) RealPlayer's realsched.exe--I'm not 100% certain that was the culprit, but I'm pretty sure because right after I uninstalled RealPlayer the problem went away. I think this time it might have something to do with Avira AntiVir, because it seems to have started since I installed that program, but I have no way of being sure. Thanks in advance.

p53_intact, suspect you're on the right track. A screensaver (no longer required on modern monitors BTW) is designed to come on after a period of idleness. A lot of things (Avast!?) run in the background and though not visible, count as activity? HTH. Ed in Texas.

"it might have something to do with Avira AntiVir" Do you have a daily scan scheduled that might be doing it?

Thanks, Ed and aegis, for your responses. "Do you have a daily scan scheduled that might be doing it?" No, I have a weekly scan. In any event, I'm more interested in finding a method or utility for definitively pinpointing the process. And why would a running process suppress the screensaver anyway? I don't care how intensely or how often a process is running--shouldn't the only things that can do this be keyboard and mouse?

Realsched or Avira cant be the culprits for it. Are u using an optical mouse? Sometimes, its slight movements may cause the screensaver not to come on. Anupam

Realsched or Avira cant be the culprits for it. Are u using an optical mouse? Sometimes, its slight movements may cause the screensaver not to come on. Yes about the optical mouse, but why would the problem come and go (for months at a time) with no change at all in the environment that the computer is in? I was having the problem yesterday, but I rebooted and it went away. I know this for a fact because I made sure the screensaver wasn't working by waiting for 10+ minutes, then I rebooted, and then right away I tested it again. I'm sure it will reappear, but obviously it's some process that kicks in after startup. Maybe it isn't Avira by itself, but could it be the way Avira interacts with something else?