[vwgtiturbo]

I have done some reading about Snow Leopard's screensaver, but the issues that are common right now don't apply here...
I used to have Leopard's screen saver setup as a hot corner, and a password was required to exit the screen saver. This way, if I were going away from my desk, I could push the mouse into the corner, and the screensaver would start. When I came back, I could move the mouse, enter my password and continue on my merry way.
With SL, however, my screensaver won't stay activated. After 5-6 seconds, the password prompt comes up (which is okay I guess... at least it's locked) but I don't want the system freaking out every 5 seconds, killing the screensaver, asking for a password, not getting a response for a minute, start the screensaver for 5 seconds, ask for password, lather rinse repeat... You get the picture). I thought it was something that I had hooked to my laptop, so I started taking everything off, one item at a time, to try and narrow down what was trying to wake the computer. I started with the mouse, then USB hub, then LAN cable, finally the external monitor. None of this solved the issue. The system still deactivated the screensaver after 5-6 seconds. I tried changing the setting for "Require password xxxxx after sleep or screensaver begins" to various values (from 'immediately' to 'x minutes'), but the system still comes out of the screensaver after 5-6 seconds (so if I had the above option set for 1 minute, the screensaver would deactivate after 5-6 seconds, and since that setting wouldn't apply for another 55 seconds, my system would be open).

Is there something I am missing? This is seriously, the only time I have ever been irritated at a screensaver...

[vwgtiturbo]

Further info I've noticed... I deleted both preference files for the screensaver, with no change in behavior. Also, the screensaver never actuates on it's own. If I set it for a ridiculous low value (e.g. 3 minutes), I can leave it for 20 and it will never come on. So, the only way for me to actuate it is via Hot Corner. An odd thing is that if I do the 'Test' in the screensaver preferences, it works like a champ, never falsely deactivating and taking me back to the screensaver preferences area. The screensaver test stays running until I move the mouse.

In a seemingly related note... display sleep. If I put the display to sleep (via Hot Corner), it will deactivate immediately in the same manner as the screensaver.

It looks like there is an issue with Hot Corners/Screensaver, Screensaver itself, and/or Hot Corner/Display Sleep...

*** UPDATE *** GOT IT!! Caffeine is the culprit. In Leopard, if Caffeine was activated, everything still worked normally if I activated it manually (by Hot Corner). In Snow Leopard, however, if Caffeine is activated, it must keep triggering to wake up/quit screensaver while trying to keep the system awake (therefore, not letting it sleep EVEN WHEN ACTUATED MANUALLY). That IS what it is supposed to do, but I am not sure why I could manually override it in Leopard but not in Snow Leopard...

[vwgtiturbo]

For anyone that might stumble onto this thread...
I just received an email from the dev of Caffeine, and he released Caffeine 1.1 today, which fixes the above issue. How's that for service!?