Shut Off Your Monitor, Activate Your Screen Saver with a Single Key

With Windows 7, it's pretty easy to put your PC to sleep or lock the user account with a couple of clicks in the Start menu. But if you have an older version of Windows, it's not exactly a one-click affair.

And no matter what version of Windows you have, there are times when you'd like to activate the screen saver with a single click -- perhaps to obscure something confidential when a co-worker steps into your office. No matter what version of Windows you have, I've got a handy way to do all those things with a keyboard shortcut.

Monitor Off Utility is a free app that lets you turn off your monitor with a shortcut key. But that's not all: you can also kick off your screen saver with a separate shortcut as well. You can choose to simultaneously lock your PC, which could be handy for securing it when you leave your desk.

The app is tiny -- it's only about 400KB -- and it runs quietly in the background until you trigger it. There's no installation, either; the program runs from whatever location you download it to.

This app is similar to Monitor ES, but it is more configurable and has a few extra handy features. Monitor Off Utility is not the sort of app that will change your life. But if you often lock your desktop when you step away from the PC, Monitor Off Utility will simultaneously turn off your monitor, which is good for the life of the display and your electric bill. And the one-click screensaver is very a handy bonus.