• Calendar
• A-Z Index

• Yale home
• About Yale
• Academic programs
• Admissions
• Health & medicine
• Working at Yale
• Yale & New Haven
• Yale & the World
• Yale Tomorrow
• News

• Prospective students
• Students
• Parents
• Faculty
• Staff
• Alumni
• Foundations & corporations
• Patients
• Visitors

Find it

• About ITS
• Policies
• Feedback
• Search ITS
• ITS A-Z Index
• System Status

Winexit.scr: Windows (XP) Exit screen saver tool

Winexit.scr is a useful tool in a cluster or multiple user Windows XP computing environment. It forces users to quit programs and log off after a specified period of inactivity. For more detail see:

• How To Force Users to Quit Programs and Log Off After a Period of Inactivity in Windows XP
• How to Configure the Windows Exit Screen Saver Tool

Winexit.scr is also available as part of the Win2003 Resource Kit Tools

With standard Windows locking screen saver implementations only the last NetID/password used to logon can unlock the screen saver. If a user walks away without logging out, a new user will not be able to access the computer since only the NetID/password of the person logged on will unlock the screen saver. In frustration, often the new user will resort to using a manual shut-down (on/off switch), so that they can logon using their NetID. When this happens, any database that the first person may have been connected to may be corrupted. Winexit.scr provides an automated process to safely quit programs and log off after a specified period of inactivity. It provides individual accountability and protects data integrity. Computer users should Save their work and log off whenever they leave a computer. If an individual walks away without saving their work and Winexit.scr times out, their unsaved work may be lost.