12 Comments

Windows AlphaDim screensaver

January 16, 2006 by in Cool,Random,Tech with 12 Comments

A big hat tip to Jon Digital [via UNEASYforums] for pointing out this awesome Windows screensaver which goes by the name of AlphaDim.

With similar aesthetic appeal to the Apple Sleeper screensaver, the AlphaDim screensaver utilizes the transparency features of Windows 2000 / XP which makes your active window transparent based on the preconfigured settings, or lack of better words, “dims” your screen each time the screensaver is activated. Your entire screen is dimmed saving your precious screen pixels without annoying / obnoxious items flying around your screen.

  • Download the 1.4MB zip archive below and unarchive to the directory of your choice (ex. the Desktop)
  • Run the alphainst.exe
  • Right-click on your desktop and open the screensaver tab, AlphaDim will be in your dropdown menu. Adjust ‘Settings’ as needed and click ‘Apply’ to activate.

Thanks again to Jon Digital for procuring this little gem.

Download [1.4MB zipped installer]


  • http://www.cellantenna.com Jon from Ft Lauderdale

    Hey thanks for posting this guys! Glad I can contribute to Uneasy! Hope everyone loves this lil screensaver. One thing I noticed is if you would like to view whats going on on your desktop while the screensaver is running you must disable the ask for password when returning from screensaver. If you keep that enabled then you will simply see your wallpaper with no desktop activity (icons, open windows, etc)

    I love the feature to view your desktop so when my fat lazy ass is on my couch watching football on Sundays I can still see my fantasy score while the screen is dimmed and keeping my LCD safe.

    Thanks for hosting the file guys and keep up the good work!

  • alexdcd

    Hell yes! Are you telepathic? I was going to ask when you were goint to host the file while browsing the forums. Godsend.

  • Derek

    oh i planned on posting this as soon as jon shared the screensaver in the forums. i just wanted to wait until today [monday] to get it up on the frontpage.

  • Justin

    When I first read this, I thought it was about fading to the screensaver like OS X screensavers. Anyway, this is still kinda cool, even though it sorta flickers my screen right before it goes on. Is that supposed to happen, or is it just me?

  • http://www.cellantenna.com Jon from Ft Lauderdale

    I haven’t noticed a flicker at all. I think when you use it and keep ask for password box enabled it will load almost what seems like a transparent film over anything on the desktop except for the wallpaper itself. While I love the ability to keep my machine password protected while the screensaver is running, i keep this password feature disabled at home for when I still would like to see whats going on on my desktop. With that setting disabled I have never seen a flickr. This replicates the Sleeper scr as best as it can for Windows :)

  • Derek

    i haven’t noticed any sort of flicker either. hardware issue?

  • Justin

    Actually, I guess it was just in the preview. Its working fine right now, thanx.

  • http://doctorfrog.blogsome.com doctorfrog

    Here’s a fun little trick: set this screensaver to use your desktop background as the image it displays when run. The effect is as if your foreground applications are slowly melting into the desktop background, particularly if you have the ‘fade to black’ option turned on.

  • http://doctorfrog.blogsome.com/2006/03/08/alpha-dim-screensaver/ Doctor Frog’s Pontification Pad :: Alpha Dim Screensaver :: March :: 2006

    [...] Alpha Dim site and download. [...]

  • SB

    Help! The download link takes me to a missing page! Can anyone point me to another link or archive?

  • http://www.churchvideo.co.uk Andrew Hearn

    This is great, except it doesn’t seem to work with multiple monitors – only my primary screen dims, the secondary stays bright as normal. I’ll see if I can contact the developer…

  • http://www.gaehn.org/ René Fischer

    Did you have the alphadim installation file for me and can send this via mail (or upload the file anywhere)? Every download link i found isn’t still working :-(

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