Drops is a Windows screensaver.
- Wide compatibility: Works on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11 (32 & 64-bit).
- CPU-Only Rendering: No GPU or hardware acceleration required.
- Customizable: Edit displayed text, graphics frequency, and more to tailor the experience.
- Lighweight: Less than 100KB.
- Eficient: Low CPU and RAM usage.
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I wanted to make something for Windows, and screensavers are one of the few areas of Windows where I can implement my own code.
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I was interested in learning about low-level platform-specific toolkits, exploring Windows features and creating software compatible with multiple Windows versions.
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A screensaver could be made compatible as far back as Windows 95. I chose to start from Windows XP because it was the first version fully based on the WinNT architecture, removing dependence on MS-DOS.
To download, go to https://github.com/FelipeRT98/Drops/releases/tag/Latest
To preview the screensaver, right-click on Drops.scr and select Test.
To set it as the screensaver:
- Place the Drops.scr file inside the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
- Choose the screensaver:
- (XP, Vista): Use the Control Panel → Display → Screen Saver settings.
- (Windows 7 and later): Search for Screen Saver in the Start menu or Settings.
Drops was developed in Visual C++ 2008 on Windows XP, using C++03.
To build the project yourself:
- Recreate the original development setup.
- Open the project in Visual C++ 2008.
- Compile and build the screensaver executable.
- Change the extension of the Drops.exe to Drops.scr