Since Updating Nvidia driver, shortcut keys to screensaver inoperative ...

Hi All -
I wasn't sure where to put this, or if this is even a Win 11 problem, but here it is: I updated my Nvidia RTX 3060 12GB video graphics driver today, as my video editing program, DaVinci Resolve, would not update without the updated driver. A few minor (hopefully temporary glitches happened afterwards, like the notepad program refusing to close, and a blank screen after the lock screen on startup for a scary amount of time), but otherwise everything seems to be happy but one thing. I have a shortcut on my desktop to trigger my ribbons.scr Windows screensaver (in system32), and use a keyboard shortcut of cntrl-alt-x to trigger it. The shortcut itself works if I double-click it, or click it and hit enter, but the shortcut keys for the screensaver now do not work. I have tried completely replacing the shortcut, and re-installing the shortcut keys, and starting and restarting the computer, to no avail. The results are the same. Is this a Windows 11 problem? Or an Nvidia problem? Is there a fix?

archfoto said:

Or an Nvidia problem?

Click to expand...

One way to find out would be to roll back the last update that you recall the shortcut stopped working.

archfoto said:

Is this a Windows 11 problem?

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Probably goes the same for the last Windows Cumulative Update, also.

I’d probably try the Nvidia update first.

Hi antspants-

Thanks.

I don't know if I had the problem after the last Win update (I've actually had 2 in 2 days) a short while ago. It is an automatic thing when I am leaving my home computer for a few minutes, I normally just use one hand to trip all three keys, and the screensaver shows up. So, I don't necessarily want to roll back the update. I can't roll back today's driver update as I will lose the update on my video editing program which is part of my workflow. Everything else seems to be working at the moment.

Here's what is strange: If I open properties on the desktop, like the screenshot I posted on the forum, the shortcut keys will work, but if properties are closed, then, no screensaver. If I am in Google Chrome (full screen or windows), or in my email client, or other programs, the screensaver will be triggered. This is the weirdest problem! It just won't trigger if I am on the desktop only!
While I would like a fix for this, I may just have to adapt to this weirdness. I was hoping someone had run across this strange problem before, and found a fix. Sometimes subsequent updates will fix these things, like for several months last year, I would get a momentary black and white small checkerboard showing up in some graphics, then disappear. I haven't seen that one for a while.

Thanks again.

Funny you mention this as I noticed my screen saver short cut key and the keyboard macro key with the same short cut keys in it won't work any longer. My last NVIDIA driver is 573.24 from the Dell Support Site though. The screen saver still functions fine on an idle timer though.

By the way to make it weirder I just discovered that while it won't work with just the desktop showing it will work if there is any open window on the screen when you hotkey. You may want to check if that happens with yours.

Edit: just had time to read your whole response and see yours behaves exactly the same way .

FrancoDT said:

By the way to make it weirder I just discovered that while it won't work with just the desktop showing it will work if there is any open window on the screen when you hotkey. You may want to check if that happens with yours.

Edit: just had time to read your whole response and see yours behaves exactly the same way .

Click to expand...

Hi FrancoDT -

Thanks for your input.

It's somehow good to know I'm not alone, because this anomaly sounds crazy. One of the reasons I had to update is because DaVinci Resolve has some new, powerful features that I think have to do with AI, and the old driver just wasn't adequate. I watched something on YouTube, suggesting this. I also wrote feedback to Nvidia, to see if they had the answer. If I get an answer, I will post it here.