Screensaver is not working in OS X Mavericks

I have the same problem. Have set and reset standard screensaver settings (and entirely restarted the mac) several times; and screen continues to lock to black screen when 'sleeping'. This is after the upgrade to Mavericks last night on my 13-inch mid-2012 pro.

I 'cleaned the system cache' (User>Library>Caches) and restarted but that did not solve the issue. Does anyone have any other ideas?

Nothing else appears to be an issue with Mavericks, so far.

Wow, you have the exact same computer that I do! (And also the same problem). can anyone please help?

My screensaver seems to be working now, for most part...

After cleaning cache, which didn't seem to do anything...and after, based on a comment in another thread, trying to delete the apple.screensaver.pst file (which I was told by a pop-up that it was undeletable cause in use)...and *I think* I restarted again...

Now screensaver works. I'm stumped. But works may be a strong word. The initial problem is that screensaver didn't launch at all; instead I got a locked black screen. After the above, it impoved to: screensaver (default 'aerials', 2 minutes) kicking in appropriately but after a minute, the locked black screen kicks in. That is hit or miss. When I switched to a different screensaver choice (a pictures folder, or 'cosmos'), all seems well.

Until the next time. Don't know what to tell anyone. Strange.

The next issue now is, the delete key won't continually delete all text when pressed (just one at a time with a single press)

How do you do that in Mavericks? I know I can 'sudo' it but when trying to delete caches through Finder it tells me I don't have permission to do that. I'm an admin on my computer.

I had noticed I was having this issue too, and my screensaver never kicking in, and just going to sleep with it never kicking in.

I had gone in and checked to see if any of the settings had got changed or deleted in the system upgrade, but they were all still set at what I had them at prior... so, did as some attempted above also, and adjusted the times for it to kick in, and still nothing. Worked when I would hit 'Preview', but still not kick in at the interval time.

What I just did to get it to work, was just to simply go into System Preferences>Desktop & Screensaver, and just reselected the folder of images that I want to be used, in my case, a folder of images in my iPhoto. And it now works.

Apparently, it wasn't working, because, even though it was still selected to use that folder in iPhoto, something must have changed in the upgrades, which might of had something to to with the iPhoto update too, where it had to update my iPhoto library upon relaunch... and my screensaver settings were set to access that older directed to folder within Library, that was updated in the new release... and so, just repointing it to that folder now in iPhoto, got it to work.

At least, that is my figurin', and I'm stickin' to it! 😉

Just adding my voice as somebody that is also having this problem. I've tried most of what has been suggested here, and I haven't had any luck in getting the screen saver to boot up at the appropriate time reliably. The best I've been able to do is get it to do it once upon the first time I start up the computer - but any time thereafter, the screen saver never kicks on.

Hoping Apple pushes a patch soon that fixes this bug, as it seems to be impacting at least a decent number of users...

Yeah, scratch that for me again... yesterday noticed it never came back on again, and just went straight to sleep without the screensaver never kicking on.

So, I don't know what the heck the deal is, and will just wait for Apple to provide a fix in an update.

Okay, well scratch that too! I was just away from my computer for a few minutes, came back, and the flippin' screensaver decided to work and was on!

So, I even more so now really don't know what the heck the deal is!

This may seem wierd but my screensaver issue ie. not kicking in when it should regardless of time settings etc. WILL work only if I have a Safari page open (or any browser page) but NOT just desktop. For example if I am on Facebook and leave it open for 10 minutes inactive the screensaver WILL work exactly in 10 minutes or 5, (or 20 minutes) as I always have it set. Before Mavericks the screensaver would activate when I had just the desktop open which is what I expect. So if I want the screensaver to activate (at any given set time) I need to leave my browser open and not the desktop. Strange but at least it works!

Good eye, Dave. I have noticed, since Apple, per usual, has yet to fix this issue, that intermittantly my screensaver would kick in and work as normal, while all the rest of the time, it still won't. That is a good point though, when I have noticed that it doesn't go into screensaver, is when I have no screen open, and just the desktop showing... I will have to pay attention and see if it does the same for me, and when it does actually work and go to screensaver, I do have a Safari window open.

Hey, if Apple wants to have a bunch of people returning, and them having to replace burned-in retina screens because they fail to correct a simple screensaver bug, which is what it is for - to save the screen! so be it. More and more, I am simply becoming less and less enchanted with Apple, their products and service... which is sad for me to say, as I used to swear by them... they keep digging their own grave though in shoddy updates and products... looking more to be just simply novel, and not quality driven good anymore.

Ditto most of that! Personally I think there is an underlying fundamental problem with 10.9.1 or Mavericks where the screensaver and other system preferences are concerned. One moment things seem to be working as they should and the next we're back to square one again....

Ah! the good old days on my old trusty iBook G4 and Tiger...

I have the same problem with blankscreen screensaver, very simple app !!! But OS X Mavericks is the best system of the World, bof, bof !

I had a couple of issues after upgrading to mavericks one of which was an intermittent screensaver. To confirm your thoughts and whilst in conversation with Apple Support resolving my other issue they did confirm there is a glitch with mavericks screensaver although I gather there was a similar issue with M/Lion also.

Since the upgrade a couple of weeks the screensaver does seem to be improving and becoming more regular in it's timing, or is it me and wishful thinking?!

Seroposi,

It may be as Dave Jelfs pointed out, and what made me notice it's intermittent occurrence - that if one has a window open, doesn't matter which window, program, app, etc., then, more times than not, the screensaver does actually work and kick in. But, with no window open, and just your desktop showing, it never does kick in and turn on, screen just goes to sleep to whatever interval time you have it set for. At least, that is what I have noticed in my particular situation.

Mavericks 9.1 did absolutely nothing in resolving the issue... hopefully, 9.2, that is in beta, will actually address and solve it.