Frequently asked questions (FAQs) and hints

I can't install the screensaver! What am I doing wrong?
To install the screensaver on your computer, you need "Main User Rights". If you don't have the necessary rights to install software on the PC, you are unfortunately unable to run the screensaver properly. To install the screensaver, contact your system administrator.

After installation, the screensaver doesn't display a news ticker. I can't see any news. Isn't the screensaver working properly?
The screensaver is working. However, after installation, a process of synchronization is necessary to provide the screensaver with the latest news headlines. If you're still not seeing a news ticker, either the screensaver has not yet completed this process of synchronization or has not yet begun it.
For the screensaver to display up-to-date content, an Internet connection must first be set up and the process of synchronization must be started. This should happen automatically during installation. If synchronization does not start, click on the "synchronize" button in the screensaver's menu list!

Do I need other programs like Flash Player or Acrobat Reader to display the screensaver?
No! Extra programs such as Flash are not required. You just need a web browser, which will open the relevant article when you click on a news headline.

After installation, the dial-up connection dialogue box appears. Why is the screensaver trying to set up an Internet connection after installation?
For the screensaver to be able to display up-to-date news content on the news ticker, it has to search the Internet for relevant headlines and then synchronize its local news cache. After installation, the screensaver tries to synchronize automatically. If you go on-line via dial-up, the screensaver tries to dial up an Internet connection and download news for the news ticker after installation.
The dial-up dialogue box will not appear if you are already connected to the Internet during installation. You can set further options for the automatic synchronization of fresh news content to the screensaver using the screensaver settings.

I've installed the screensaver, but when I don't use the PC, another screensaver starts up. Why is that?
Please check whether the entry "iSaver" is selected as active screensaver under "Screensaver" in the Windows-Dialog "Display Settings" (right-click on the Desktop). If this is not the case, select the entry "iSaver" out of the drop down list under "Screensaver".
If the entry is missing, the screensaver has not been properly installed. The best thing to do is to uninstall and then reinstall the screensaver. That should solve the problem.

I've installed the screensaver, but then selected a different screensaver as the current screensaver via "Display Settings". Every time the system starts up, "iSaver" becomes the current screensaver again. Can I prevent this ?
Of course. Open the registration card  General  in the dialogue box Settings. Using the "Advanced" button you reach the dialogue box Advanced Settings. Deactivate the option Make screensaver the system default saver


Does the screensaver open a permanent online connection every time it starts up?
No! The displayed news is input from a local cache. You can define whether and how often the screensaver downloads fresh news from the Internet using the settings. You can also, for example, set that only when you click the synchronize button on the screensaver's menu bar will new content be downloaded. Remove under LAN Settings all  options except for  Load message thumbnails if available. Select under Dial-up Settings the option  Establish dial-up connection automatically and choose "never".

Does the screensaver also work when there is no Internet connection?
Yes! When the screensaver is started up, it downloads news to be displayed from the cache. During news synchronization, new content is stored in the cache. Even without an online connection, the screensaver works and shows the content from the most recent synchronization.

Is the screensaver connected to the Internet when the status "online" is shown in the menu bar at the bottom of the screensaver?
No! The status is only there to symbolize whether or not the computer currently has an active Internet connection. When "online" is displayed, that only means that your PC currently should be connected to the Internet. When you are online and click on a piece of news or on the synchronization button, then the corresponding action can be carried out directly.  
If, however, the screensaver displays the status "offline", then you must expect that the Windows dialogue box for dial-up connection will appear first when you click on a headline or attempt to synchronize - or that the status will not be correctly conveyed due to an error in the operating system (see below).
You can tell whether the screensaver is currently using this online connection to synchronize new content by the status of the button "synchronize".

The screensaver is supposed to prevent a graphic from "burning" itself into the monitor screen. I thought that this would mean as animated a screensaver as possible. Does the screensaver actually protect the monitor at all?"
It is quite wrong to believe that a screensaver only protects the monitor when colored balls, Windows logos or scrolling text move around the screen! The most significant danger for "burning" is due to permanently visible graphics such as, for example, the typical elements of a Windows screen: the blue title bar, the grey menu bars or the permanently visible Windows start menu.
The effect of "screensaving" comes into play when elements other than these are displayed, for example when the user is taking a break from work. The only thing that is important, therefore, is that "another" surface is displayed thanks to the screensaver - it no longer has to be as animated as possible, in order to protect the monitor. And elements such as the news ticker, news windows or the clock are also "animated", i.e. mobile, after all.

When I click on a piece of news, the screensaver disappears, but the web browser doesn't come up. Why's that?
When the screensaver is running, the system status may be displayed as "offline", although there is a connection to the Internet. This can be caused by the fact that Windows only sets up the display correctly when starting up the screensaver.
The problem can be quite simply removed if you select the screensaver via its desktop icon or via the program entry on the Windows start menu. The screensaver should then work properly again and should open relevant articles when you click on a headline in the web browser.

The screensaver displays the status "offline" in the menu bar, even though the PC has an Internet connection. What do I have to do to make the screensaver use the settings for the automatic synchronization of new content?
The screensaver uses a function of the Windows operating system to convey the current online status of the PC. Unfortunately, this system function is not always problem-free and may display the status "offline" even when an Internet connection is in place.
The screensaver checks the online status via a LAN network when a connection is set up and only synchronizes new content when the system displays the status "online".
If your screensaver shows the status "offline", even though you are able to call up Internet sites with your web browser, you should activate the option "This computer has access to a permanent online connection" in the screensaver settings  (configuration) under "LAN Settings". Then the screensaver will ignore the conveyed system status during synchronization.

Should I be worried that the screensaver will run up high online costs, e.g. if I leave the PC on when I go out?
Don't worry! Firstly, the screensaver is not permanently online, even when it seems to be. The displayed news is input from a local cache. So the screensaver is not online from the moment it starts up (even if the status "online" is displayed in the menu bar!)
It is possible to set the frequency with which the screensaver picks up fresh news content from the Internet, thus updating the local cache, via the screensaver settings (configuration). According to the rules defined here, the screensaver automatically collects new content from the Internet. It is also possible to ensure that no automatic synchronisation takes place. Fresh news is only collected in this case if you click on the "synchronise" button in the screensaver's functions bar. In this way, you can define for yourself via the settings (configuration) how often the screensaver downloads fresh news and, in so doing, sets up an online connection!

Does the screensaver still work when the password protection option is activated?
Yes! If you set up a password for the screensaver using the Windows dialogue box "Display Settings" (right mouse-click onto an empty space on the desktop), Windows will first show the login dialogue box again after the screensaver ends, and you will have to log in with your password.
If the password protection option is activated and you click on a piece of news on the screensaver, the web browser will be started up in the background. However, you first will need to enter your password in order to access the Windows desktop. Then you can read the relevant article in the browser.

A piece of news that I am interested in has just disappeared from the screen. Can I bring it back or do I have to wait for it to appear again ?
In the screensaver's menu bar you will find buttons which may remind you of the controls of the remote control of your video-recorder or your tape-deck. With these control buttons, you can stop and start the news ticker, or wind backwards or forwards. The control buttons for the news ticker are usually at the bottom left of the menu bar.

Can I control the speed of the news ticker?
Yes - quite simply, by using the screensaver settings. You can locate these either via the screensaver configuration or the registration card  "Screensaver" in the Windows dialogue box "Display Settings" (right mouse-click onto an empty space on the Windows desktop).

The news in the news window changes so quickly that I can't read the entire contents. Can I control how long each headline is displayed in the news window?
That's no problem, either. Using the screensaver settings, where you can also fix the speed of the news ticker, you can specify how long each piece of news - in seconds - is displayed in the news window.

The news ticker is jerky, making it difficult to read the news. How can I get rid of the jerkiness?
Jerky scrolling of the news ticker occurs when the repetition frequency of your monitor and the scrolling speed of the ticker are not running in harmony with each other. Usually, the problem can be resolved by changing the speed of the ticker, using the screensaver settings (configuration).

The screensaver is showing the wrong time. How can I set the clock to the right time?
The screensaver relies on the system time of your PC. If the displayed time is wrong, then your computer's clock is also wrong. You can change the time by clicking on Start / Settings / Control Panel / Date and Time.

I use the screensaver in order to protect the computer, using a password, from unauthorised use during breaks from work. Does the screensaver impair the security of the system?
No ! The screensaver behaves in an identical manner to other Windows screensavers. If you have activated password protection after the screensaver has finished, the Windows login screen will in any case appear first - however the screensaver was finished. This also applies when a piece of news is selected. It will be impossible to access the Windows desktop without a password.

Why is there the option "download mini-graphics" in the LAN and dial-up connection settings ?
With this option, you can specify whether the screensaver should download headlines only or headlines plus mini-graphics during synchronisation. If you deactivate  this option, no additional graphics will be downloaded with future news.
However, you only really need to deactivate the downloading of mini-graphics if you have an analogue modem with a very narrow bandwidth (<33.6 Kbit/s) or you go online using a mobile phone with GPRS or GSM. Additional loading of mini-graphics per se does not place any particular strain on the bandwidth. If synchronisation takes a very long time, it can, however, be advisable to try deactivating the loading of mini-graphics.

How do I recognise whether the screensaver is looking for new content and is downloading it?
When the screensaver is in the process of synchronising new content, the appearance of the button "synchronise" changes. You can try this out by clicking on the button "synchronise".
Tip: it is possible that you may not see any difference in the appearance of the synchronise button. As news is stored in a local cache, the screensaver only downloads new content if this is absolutely necessary. If the screensaver has only just synchronised some news, then the next synchronisation happens so quickly that you may hardly be able to notice the difference to the "synchronise" button.

Why are there separate settings for dial-up and LAN connections?
Via the LAN settings, you can set the synchronisation behaviour of the screensaver, if you use a local network to go online. The dial-up settings are only effective if the PC on which the screensaver is installed does not have a direct connection to the Internet, but dials up using a modem or an ISDN connection.
We have consciously made the difference between these connection types for the settings for the synchronisation behaviour of the screensaver, so that users who are using a laptop with differing connection options (e.g. LAN connection via a docking station in the office, dial-up connection while travelling  or at home), can configure the synchronisation behaviour separately.

Viruses can infect the PC via Email, mail attachments or active web content. Is there a danger of transmitting viruses during the synchronisation of fresh news?
Not usually, as only text files in XML format are transmitted and interpreted by the screensaver during synchronisation. Active web content such as ActiveX elements, Flash or other executable programmes are not transmitted during synchronisation!