# The World's Greatest "Reversable" Computer Pranks!! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221 "2002-08-16T17:11:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/1 "2002-08-16T17:11:47Z")
This thread is actually more of a _HOW-TO_ thread and less of a _check this prank out thread_. Basically, I would like to know, from all the internet-savvy, cyber-GOD worshipping, electronic leviathan masses who subscribe to this board, what is the best computer prank out there that is thoroughly reversable yet maximally horrifying? Basically, I have an ‘_acquaintance_’ who really needs to be brought down a couple notches because he is way to impressed with himself and knows absolutely nothing about sociocultural norms, and has a remarkably low intellectual acumen that puts him down with slugs and leecjes.🙂 Mind you who post to this thread, I am not an aggressive man, I consider myself a gentleman who simply needs some help from my fellow genlteman/gentlewomyn dopers… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/2 "2002-08-16T17:14:40Z")
:smack: I meant to say leeches, LEECHES!!! . not leejes…uuurrggh ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/3 "2002-08-16T17:48:57Z")
Download the Word Viewer from Microsoft. Change the default association for .doc files to the Word Viewer. He’ll go nuts trying to figure out why he can’t edit Word Documents he opens. You can do the same for Excel files and PowerPoint files using their associated Viewers. ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/4 "2002-08-16T17:52:29Z")
Aquire a screen-capture utility, and take a screen shot of your aquaintances computer desktop. Put all of his desktop icons into one folder and set the screen shot as the background image. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/5 "2002-08-16T17:54:31Z")
> [@](#): > > is thoroughly reversable yet maximally horrifying Sorry, I missed this part. The first suggestion was more of a water-torture, death-by-a-thousand-cuts kind of thing. For maximum horror, I know of no better gag than to change his home page to a [prank page](http://www.strangereports.com/fakesearch.htm). Or a really gory porn site, but you said you wanted gentlemanly solutions. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/6 "2002-08-16T17:58:50Z")
If his monitor has component inputs, swapping R, G and B around is always amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/7 "2002-08-16T18:51:04Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Emilio Lizardo_: > > Aquire a screen-capture utility, and take a screen shot of your aquaintances computer desktop. Put all of his desktop icons into one folder and set the screen shot as the background image. Expanding on this: Use the ‘print screen’ button to take a screenshot of the desktop and save it as a .bmp file in the wallpaper directory. Select the wallpaper you’ve created as the victim’s desktop, and then use ctrl+alt+del to lock down the workstation. Now use the mouse to drag the “workstation locked” window off the edge of the display. The desktop will appear normal but there will be absolutely no functionality (unless he hits ctrl+alt+del to check the task manager, which of course he will). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/8 "2002-08-16T19:14:05Z")
Try some of these: [http://www.computerpranks.com](http://www.computerpranks.com) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/9 "2002-08-16T22:24:47Z")
If you’re in a computer lab, one of the classics is to switch keyboards and/or mice. Not only can he not do anything, you can make mysterious things show up on his screen. Of course, this works best if there’s some way to make sure he can’t see you directly. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/10 "2002-08-16T22:29:38Z")
I always enjoyed turning the MS word autocorrect on and setting a few custom dictionary items so that semi-common words like are converted to: “Please help me, I’m trapped in my computer! Send help to 255.138.23.126, port 25 right now!” For the paranoid: “You think we can’t see what you’re doing?” “Why did you do that?” “We are watching you right now you know” “MUAHAHAH, FOOL!” For a soft porno version: “Ooh I love the way you stroke the keys” “Its nice but you don’t have to be so gentle” “Show me your “burst transfer rate” big boy!” “You know you want to access all my ports, and I hope you will” ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/11 "2002-08-16T23:13:01Z")
I don’t like this thread even a little bit. However, rather than close it, I’m going to move it to IMHO and let those guys deal with it. Fourth and long… Landeta’s back to kick… ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/12 "2002-08-17T03:07:00Z")
Oh Manny!!! Please!!! Anyway thanks all for posting… I hope to hear more. I particularly liked \*\* drachillix \*\* and his/her response. I’ll look for more, but I think I have a good base to work with so far… …calm down manny… ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/13 "2002-08-17T03:08:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > \*\*:smack: I meant to say leeches, LEECHES!!! . not leejes…uuurrggh \*\* Leeches? We ain’t got no leeches. We don’t need no leeches. I don’t have to show you any stinking leeches.!! My favorite is to subtly change the mouse orientation. No big deal to fix, and something that people may even check first if the change is drastic. But adjust it just a little bit so they don’t really notice and they’ll eventually get used to it. At this point I’ve moved it just a bit more, and sometimes put it back the way it was. Either way, once they get used to working with an angular mouse, it is also fun to watch them switch to an untampered PC. ---
**Author:** ![frazeb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@frazeb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frazeb)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/14 "2002-08-17T03:46:43Z")
The best prank I pulled was on a cow-orker that went to [IWon.Com](http://IWon.Com) everyday. One night I grabbed the source code for the page that shows the daily $10000 winner and changed the HTML to be his name. Another friend of mine knew how to set up the computer so that when our target went to the fake page we had saved locally it still showed up in his browser as a web page. In addition this friend knew how to send an email message with whatever return address we wanted. So, the next morning the victim got an email (complete with an authentication code I made up :D) from [IWon.com](http://IWon.com) telling him he was the daily winner. Then he went to the winners page and saw his name on there! I was going to let him go for several hours but my friend who helped me told him what we did after only about 30 minutes… He had it coming though! ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/15 "2002-08-17T04:39:35Z")
I’m too stupid to figure out how to link to a specific post in a thread (I’ve hovered on the “quote” button and obtained the postID# and added "&postid="plus postid# to the URL, doesn’t work for some reason)…but go [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=105302&highlight=monitor+AND+mouse+AND+Desktop) and scroll down midway to my post about what we did to our poor server tech 🙂 Entirely reversible, I assure you! (Except for a few dignity scars, perhaps, heh heh heh…) ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/16 "2002-08-17T04:41:06Z")
Edit the system.ini and change shell=explorer.exe to shell=calc.exe Hijinx ensue. (Definitely works in 95 and 98, and probably ME, I don’t think it’ll work in NT, 2000, or XP though.) (To fix it you have to boot to command prompt and re-edit the system.ini, so since ME can’t boot to command prompt (I don’t think, I gave up on ME some time ago) I wouldn’t try it. Even Safe Mode doesn’t work, he, he!) ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/17 "2002-08-17T05:29:53Z")
At last, a chance to tell my tale… A few years ago, my Dad and I were visiting a local Macintosh-only (At the time) computer store, and were checking out the display model Power Macs. Many of them had “After Dark” installed on them, though it was either turned off or set to “Flying Toasters” or a fractal pattern, or some such. After viewing the various After Dark modules (“Bugs” was a favorite) I discovered a module called “DOS Shell,” which simulated a DOS operating system’s command-line interface going through some busywork. (It even had options for Green, Amber, or White text.) So, I simply turned After Dark “On,” set the module to DOS Shell, and the timer to five minutes, finished my window shopping, and left the store… On the way out from the parking lot, I glances through the window, and saw the computer I had used running the screen saver…And a salesman staring at it the screen in horror (This is a Mac, remember), bracing both hands on the desk in front of it. The next time we went back, “After Dark” had been taken off all of the machines. 😃 Very fun, and completely undamaging. Ranchoth ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/18 "2002-08-17T05:38:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > \*\*:smack: I meant to say leeches, LEECHES!!! . not leejes…uuurrggh \*\* Leeches? We ain’t got no leeches. We don’t need no leeches. I don’t have to show you any stinking leeches.!! My favorite is to subtly change the mouse orientation. No big deal to fix, and something that people may even check first if the change is drastic. But adjust it just a little bit so they don’t really notice and they’ll eventually get used to it. At this point I’ve moved it just a bit more, and sometimes put it back the way it was. Either way, once they get used to working with an angular mouse, it is also fun to watch them switch to an untampered PC. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/19 "2002-08-17T07:36:46Z")
Another good one is to create a text document on the desktop and then go to the command promt and type: ren \ “this is an amazingly long file name and you cannot delete this file.txt” Except, for on of the spaces, type ALT + 255 instead of space. Windows will not recognise the charecter and refuses to delete the file. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221/20 "2002-08-17T08:26:20Z")
remove the ball out of the mouse. If it’s an optial mouse, place a small piece of clear tape over the LED. Switch the mouse buttons (left to right) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-greatest-reversable-computer-pranks/124221.md?page=2)