While many screensavers for Windows are distributed as an installation program that takes care of placing the screensaver file(s) in the proper locations on your computer, and sometimes even opening the Screen Saver Settings panel automatically afterwards, others are shipped as a so-called 'ZIP archive' and require a few extra steps on your behalf.
It is an easetr egg with 3D Pipes screen saver. Change your screen saver to 3D Pipes(OpenGL). Click Settings 3. Change the settings to Multiple Pipes, Traditional joints, with Mixed joint type. Set the resolution to max. Watch Every now and again, a teapot is displayed instead of the normal ball joint at the corner of a pipe. Mouse button Action; Primary: Change view: Secondary: Clear pipes and restart: Primary (Drag) Rotate view: Secondary (Drag) (or arrow keys) Pan around: Middle (Drag or Wheel). A golden oldie, the 3D Pipes screensaver, also know as 'The plumber's nightmare' was included in most Windows versions until Windows XP. The original purpose of a screen saver animation was to prevent the burning of an image into the phosphor inside the cathode ray tube of the old CRT monitors after hours of the same image being shown.
What is a ZIP archive?
A ZIP archive, recognizable by the .zip extension, is a file into which one or more other files are packaged. You can compare it to a cardboard box that can contain any number of items that fit into it. Putting things inside a box makes it easier to move them around, and the same goes for a ZIP archive: by downloading one ZIP file, you are also downloading the files it contains.
Other benefits of ZIP archives include compression, allowing the archive to be smaller than the sum of its contents, and the possibility of protecting the archive with a password.
How to open a ZIP file
Windows has built-in support for opening and unpacking ZIP archives, so you should not need a third-party application. However, if double-clicking on a ZIP file for some reason does not show you the archive's contents, consider downloading and installing the 7-Zip utility.
Simply double-clicking a ZIP file, as you would with other files like Microsoft Word documents, application shortcuts and photos, will open the archive in the Explorer.
The above shows the contents of the 'Midnight Beach' ZIP file on Windows 10. As you can see, this particular archive contains only a single file of the type 'Screen Saver'.
How to extract the screensaver
Once you have opened the ZIP archive in the Explorer, right-click the file of the type 'Screen Saver', then select 'Copy'. You have now temporarily copied the file onto the Windows clipboard, so that you can paste it into another folder on your computer.
For Windows to automatically see them when you open the Screen Saver Settings panel, screensavers need to be placed into one of the below folders on your hard drive.
- C:Windows
- C:Windowssystem32
- C:WindowsSYSWOW64
Use the Explorer to navigate to one of these folders (an example from Windows 10 is shown below), then double-click the name of the folder to enter it and show its contents.
When you are in the Windows folder, or the 'system32' or 'SYSWOW64' subfolder, use the right mouse button to click in an empty white area in the folder, then select 'Paste' (as shown below) to copy the screensaver file from the clipboard to the folder.
You should now be able to find the screensaver file in the folder you extracted it to.
How to install the screensaver
As soon as the screensaver file is located in any of the mentioned folders, it will be recognized by Windows the next time you open the Screen Saver Settings panel.
Optionally, you can right-click the screensaver file and then select 'Install' to make it your default screensaver and open the Screen Saver panel right away.
As soon as you have confirmed to Windows that you want to install this screensaver, the Screen Saver Settings panel will open and your new screensaver will be selected.
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Colorful pipeline structures are formed in 3D on your screen in this classic animated screensaver for Windows. The screensaver's settings panel allows you to customize the style and joint type of the pipes, and to use a custom BMP image file as its surface.
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| Subject | Replies | Last post |
| 3D Pipes & Maze don't stay | 1 | 4 months ago |
| help me | 1 | 4 months ago |
| How to add more sceensavers on Windows 10? | 1 | 2 years ago |
| 3D Pipes does not show in Personalize/Screensavers | 1 | 3 years ago |
Help pages
Installation instructions
Microsoft Windows
- Copy the '3D Pipes' screensaver file to the Windows folder on your hard drive, then right-click it and select 'Install'.
- The Screen Saver Settings panel should open, and '3D Pipes' should be selected as your current screensaver.
Anti-virus report for 3D Pipes
Our editors have reviewed all files and found them to be safe, but they are also checked automatically using many different virus scanners. We are happy to share the results.
| Virus scanner | 3D_Pipes.zip |
|---|---|
| Avast | |
| Avira | |
| BitDefender | |
| ClamAV | |
| ESET-NOD32 | |
| F-Secure | |
| Kaspersky | |
| Malwarebytes | |
| McAfee | |
| Microsoft | |
| Panda | |
| Symantec | |
| TrendMicro | |
| Last scanned | 1 week ago |
We have 1 file for '3D Pipes'
- 3D_Pipes.zip (Windows)
| File report #1 | |
|---|---|
| File name | 3D_Pipes.zip |
| Target system | Microsoft Windows |
| File size | 251.83 kB (257,879 bytes) |
| File type | ZIP archive |
| Anti-virus | |
| Detection ratio | 0/13 (0%) View report |
| Popularity | |
| Total downloads | 73,561 |
| Last downloaded | 1 hour ago |
| File verification | |
| MD5 | 5e59b9a2743207456611c2581d5e1cf3 |
| SHA1 | 0416b822072370152d3239ef1c13dff578ae33d6 |
| SHA256 | 4ffcc9bd9ef9bcba990caec3463e2e4a1d4515d9e72f8745aea592e0fa26fa6b |
User reviews (61)
Love it :) Love the candy cane when 'textured' is selected but no texture is chosen. Can go super fast as well :) Excellently done, thank you so much!!
Perfection doesn't have to exist for a 5 star review. Just dont leave reviews if you can't separate the ideal true perfection from 5/5 level satisfaction with a screen saver.
People like you cost hard working customer service workers their meager bonuses. Just dont leave a review.
i really enjoy this. i got kind of scared when the yellow pipe got really close but then i remembered that it was just a simulation -- that's how realistic it was. it's crazy i highly recommend this.
awsome,reminds me 2008
Won't download
What can I say, I'm old school and I love this screen saver. Download and install worked great. I am a little disappointed that I haven't seen a teapot yet. Can anyone remind me what the settings are to enable teapots? I'm not sure I've done it right. Tnx
good
YO! THIS IS MY DREAM SCREENSAVER! 10/5 STARS, IF YOU WANT A EASTER EGG: SELECT IT, GOTO SETTINGS, TURN ON TEXTURED BUT DONT ADD A TEXTURE, THEN EXIT
I think this screensaver is very nice
it didn't work. Win 7 kicked me out & it wouldn't load
This is nice! 10/10 I recommend it!
i don't like it ..... I LLlLLOOOOoOVVvvEeE IT
God i really did miss this. i do so love they way the pipes go crazy from the start to the end and mix with other pipes. after all, chaos loves company. although... i had to manually turn it on every time....
GR8! I found a Windows 10 Easter Egg! Xmas Pipe Screensaver
love it
nice
good
good
Doesn't let me use it as my screensaver, instructions don't work AT ALL.
This is NOT the Windows 98 version of 3D Pipes. This IS the Windows 7 version. The quickest way to tell is to look at the configuration page in the program. the Win98 version has a resolution setting, from coarse to fine. I was supremely disappointed when I lost the Win98 version as it is missing that fine setting.
Screensavers Planet: It's actually the Windows XP version (or Windows 2000, I'm not sure), which is a 32-bit application that can thankfully also be run on modern 64-bit versions of Windows like 7, 8 and 10, whereas the Windows 98 version of the screensaver was a 16-bit application that most of us would not be able to use today.
good
set the texture to a purple cloud file and it looks nice. would def recommend if you used to watch this back in windows xp era or if you like the neverendingness of the pipes.
works great for windows 7 home basic btw!
every time I see this I hear pyro say 'ASOT'
Nice! I missed my pipes. It's so nice to have them back. It's a classic. Thanks!
Just like the original, I love it.
Thank you so much! Exactly like the original that I miss!!!
Great if the thing worked. downloaded and installed twice but guess win 10 is not having it. sucks.
Awesome! Just like the original and easy to install and set up as screensaver.
Screensaver Filename: 3D Pipes.scr
VirusTotal: 0
Score: 4 / 5
Tested on: 2019-01-09
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro (full updated)
Perfection does not exist so I put the maximum score is 4/5.
Some of my clients will be happy with this screensaver.
Works for me on Windows 10. Just like the old dayz! Thanks
I loved having this screensaver as a kid except that its slightly different I'd have given it 5 stars
it don't work in any windows folder
So nostalgic XD
And also satisfying
I remember when my mother had had on Win XP pc
I was young and this I remember very well
Nice remake, would this be the original one I had given 10 stars for this screensaver!
Pipes Screensaver Download
good, it works. now i have a w98 on w7 :D
nostalgic but it won't work
good
@mantininc Try using the 'Print Screen' key on your keyboard
Love it. How can I take screen shots of the pipes. they disappear as soon as u move the mouse.
NICE
I like it, but for some reason it flickers and blinks. Is it because I use Windows 10? Other than that, it's a great screensaver!
Best.
Best screensaver
Its all right
I remember a version of the 3D Pipes had the 'flex' option, but this one does not?
Nice cool
Very nice, but on my system (Windows 7 Professional) it doesn't start itself. I selected that it should start after one minute, waited three minutes and nothing happend. If I start it manually it works fine.
Superb,works perfect on my Win 7 pro.
Nice
This one worked great on both of my computers,1 running Windows 10 and 1 running windows 7 that is running 2 monitors and separate 3-D pipes screensaver windows.
omg ive been wondering how to get thing thing forever!! thank you!! but its ironic that the fist time i saw this screensaver was on a mac, lol
NICE
Wonderful!
How well I recall the good old days of MS Windows NT.
Hmm... I downloaded the .zip file and dragged it to my desktop, there I extracted the file but nothing worked? Btw I am using windows 7, and I probably won't remember to check this so DM me on Instagram, @griffni
Screensavers Planet: For a screensaver to be listed in the Screen Saver Settings panel, you can either right-click the screensaver file where you saved it and select 'Install', or move the file to the Windows folder on your hard drive (usually C:Windows). Right-clicking the screensaver file and selecting 'Install' has the added benefit that it will automatically open the Screen Saver Settings panel, so you could try that even after moving the file to your Windows folder.
Does anyone know if this version has the teapots
Screensavers Planet: To the best of our knowledge, this is the Windows 98 version of the 3D Pipes screensaver, and only the Windows 2000 version contained the teapot easter eggs. Unfortunately, Microsoft allegedly has a 'no Easter Eggs' policy now.
flickers very badly. doesn't run smoothly.
I like the screensaver, only that it is not usable in windows 10. It flickers like hell.
Screensavers Planet: Unfortunately, there have been many complaints about flickering on Windows 10 for all kinds of full-screen programs, including games and screensavers. Please try updating your graphics drivers to the latest version.
Love it, but does not work properly on windows 10.
Great memories!
Pipes Screensaver For Mac
Not working properly on Windows 10, it flickers and its annoying. However, didn't have any problems with Windows 8.
Best screensaver ever. Used to have it back in the day on my windows XP, and now I can have it everywhere!
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