Share your computer pranks!

homeyg · Feb 7, 2005

Let's here your best pranks that you like to do, have done or whatever. Most computer pranks are pretty hilarious when you actually do them. Try to explain how to do them, or else this thread would be mighty pointless (which it pretty much is already).

I'll start off with one that pretty much everyone has heard of- the classic picture of the desktop as the desktop. 'prt scr' your desktop. Paste it in something like paint and save it. Set your background as that picture and move all the existing icons somewhere else. Drag down the task bar and viola! Frozen computer (not really)! :lol:

Let's hear yours!

elfangor801 · Feb 7, 2005

This may not count, but going to soundboard websites and using them for prank calls never, ever gets old :mischief:

.

homeyg · Feb 7, 2005

That doesn't really count. I'm specifically refering to the pranks that take advantage of people who have a lesser knowledge of computers.

SeleucusNicator · Feb 7, 2005

I once set the homepage on our computer to Spanish-language Yahoo, and then told my mother that Yahoo had been purchased by a Mexican billionaire.

She believed it for days.

ainwood · Feb 7, 2005

Moderator Action: Moved to computer talk....

Under windows 3.1, a good one was to change the setting in win.ini to "shell=clock.exe". User would start 'windows' and get a full-screen clock with no way to stop it.

homeyg · Feb 7, 2005

ainwood said:
Moderator Action: Moved to computer talk....

Under windows 3.1, a good one was to change the setting in win.ini to "shell=clock.exe". User would start 'windows' and get a full-screen clock with no way to stop it.

Could that be reversed?

CrackedCrystal · Feb 7, 2005

homeyg said:
Could that be reversed?

A boot disk would let you edit the file back.

ainwood · Feb 7, 2005

homeyg said:
Could that be reversed?

The move to computer talk?

Yes - just boot to MS-DOS instead of windows, then edit the .ini file from teh command line.

Naked Paladin · Feb 7, 2005

Wireless USB mice are always fun!

LLXerxes · Feb 7, 2005

teh good people at aim-prank[dot]com keep me entertained for a while :mischief:

ybbor · Feb 7, 2005

change shortcut directs, put a floopy in the drive when the computer's shut down (only for people reeeeeeaaaaally unknowledgeable with computers.

Chairman Meow · Feb 7, 2005

ainwood said:
Moderator Action: Moved to computer talk....

Under windows 3.1, a good one was to change the setting in win.ini to "shell=clock.exe". User would start 'windows' and get a full-screen clock with no way to stop it.

I've done that except with civ2.exe instead of clock. Hilarity ensues. There's still a registry setting in XP that allows you to change the shell... I forget exactly what it is, but I once changed the shell on an XP computer to Program Manager (the shell from Windows 3.1, which for some reason is still included in XP)

My favorite prank, though, is to take the keyboard, open it up, and rearrange the keys, in as riduculous of a configuration as possible. Even better with "ergonomic" keyboards where each key is shaped differently, and it's obvious where each key fits.

Comraddict · Feb 7, 2005

What I did in Best Buy: I closed explorer.exe and all opened windows. Then some poor guy came to check out PC.

There are no icons; no taskbar, nothing but background. And mouse would move, so it was not frozen. Poor guy was really confused. He couldn't do a thing.

Narz · Feb 8, 2005

On the Macs in my grade school (7th grade) they had a crappy game called Oregon Trail. I edited it with ResEdit so instead of "John has broken his arm" - "John sprained his wrist masturbating" and instead of "Jane has come down with the flu" - "Jane has come down with gonorrhea". Stuff like that. It was fun.

Masquerouge · Feb 8, 2005

1. Put an opening window sound completely stupid (a porn soundtrack, a corny movie dialog, whatever), turn on full volume, then shut down computer. When the computer's owner will start his/her PC, you're in for a big laugh. Works great at work in open space
2. On some computers, if you press ctrl-alt-down arrow, it will flip the screen upside down. If your victim does not know the reverse shortcut (ctrl-alt-up arrow), his neck is in trouble...
3. If there's a network at your workplace, there's a chance you can use the netsend command. Simply open a dos window, and type Netsend name_of_computer "Message"
The hard part is to get the targetted computer's name, but on most offices there's a sticker proudly displaying it on every computer... Then you can fake error messages or technical interventions for hours ! (well, until your victim notices the sender's reference is your computer's number, anyway :mischief:

)
Okay that'is for now.

Chairman Meow · Feb 8, 2005

Thinking of computer "pranks"....

Sometime before the end of the semester, I'm going to have to install Linux on my roommate's computer when he's not looking... I'm sure I could find a Gnome or KDE theme that's convincing enough to make him think he's still in Windows... Internet Explorer is another matter entirely... :mischief:

edit - Although a less dangerous prank would be to simply place a Knoppix CD in the CD drive... that would do the trick, and reduce the chance he'll kill me

Scuffer · Feb 8, 2005

If someone has one of those glare filter things over the screen, get a bit of black card, carefull put it over the screen. It'll look like the monitor broke.

IbnSina · Feb 8, 2005

In linux, when X services are not blocked, I like to make insulting images pop up on classmates' screens at random times during computer classes. ...John is madly trying to keep up with the instructor's discussion of dynamic memory allocation when suddenly an image appears saying, "Pay attention, you cretin!" Most unix newbies don't know how it's done, so it causes consternation.

homeyg · Feb 8, 2005

Masquerouge said:
1. Put an opening window sound completely stupid (a porn soundtrack, a corny movie dialog, whatever), turn on full volume, then shut down computer. When the computer's owner will start his/her PC, you're in for a big laugh. Works great at work in open space
2. On some computers, if you press ctrl-alt-down arrow, it will flip the screen upside down. If your victim does not know the reverse shortcut (ctrl-alt-up arrow), his neck is in trouble...
3. If there's a network at your workplace, there's a chance you can use the netsend command. Simply open a dos window, and type Netsend name_of_computer "Message"
The hard part is to get the targetted computer's name, but on most offices there's a sticker proudly displaying it on every computer... Then you can fake error messages or technical interventions for hours ! (well, until your victim notices the sender's reference is your computer's number, anyway )
Okay that'is for now.

Very well familiar with net send. I use it all the time in typing. I have every computer's number in the class even though they don't have the little stickers on it. There's a small program you can download that let's you change your computer name to anything you want when you send the message.

Comraddict · Feb 9, 2005

homeyg said:
Very well familiar with net send. I use it all the time in typing. I have every computer's number in the class even though they don't have the little stickers on it. There's a small program you can download that let's you change your computer name to anything you want when you send the message.

Proud user of net send since '96. Beat that!

Share your computer pranks!

Deity

So cold....

Deity

Diadoch

Consultant.

Deity

Where am I?

Consultant.

Chieftain

Space Travel is Boring

Will not change his avata

Class IV

C.IV

keeping it real

Deity

Class IV

Scuffer says...

Former Lurker

Deity

C.IV

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