Filed under: Fun, Windows, Linux, Freeware, Open Source, Windows x64
7 desktop pranks for April Fools Day shenanigans
by Lee Mathews Apr 1st 2009 at 7:00AM
Don't forget to swap the M and N keys on someone's keyboard. It's subtle, annoying, and timeless.
With so many people sharing so many links on Twitter, the most obvious prank (and easiest to pull off) is a Rickroll or some variation. Tweet something intellectual sounding - heck, post it as an RT of something else and insert a short URL that points to something immensely annoying like any one of the YTMND Hobo Cruise videos (pictured above).
Set a coworker's wallpaper to an animated GIF
Again, YTMND clips are an excellent choice. Set an obnoxious animated GIF as your pal's wallpaper - tiled, of course. It's not only an assault on the eyes, but on the CPU as well - you may well bring their system to its knees, or at least make it painfully sluggish to change their wallpaper back to something more business-like.
Schedule all manner of mayhem with nircmd
Nir Sofer makes a ton of really, really useful applications. Seriously. He probably never intended them to be used as juvenile pranks, but nircmd just lends itself so well to harmless hooliganism. Schedule a task to open and close the CD tray, randomly turn the system volume all the way down and then crank it up full blast moments later, kill all IE process, display the start button on the system tray - the list goes on and on.
This one is pure gold, and it's actually quite handy the other 364 days of the year as well.
Truly one of the classic computer pranks, brought to you by the Sysinternals crew. Sadly but predictably, this one has wound up in a number of malware infections. Still, it's good, harmless (apart from sometimes causing a little panic) fun, installs quickly, and is pretty convincing. Oh, Microsoft. We lol'd.
Why be content using an actual remote control app like VNC to toy with someone's system remotely when you can employ a customized remote pranking app instead?
Assuming there's no policy restriction or overzealous security software to spoil the fun, Office Poltergeist is an awesome option. Install it, and your victim's computer will listen for your commands - make their screen shake, flicker, or move, send keystrokes, pop up alerts, or play one of the included sound files. It's open source, so even Richard Stallman can get in on the remote pranking.
Assuming there's no policy restriction or overzealous security software to spoil the fun, Office Poltergeist is an awesome option. Install it, and your victim's computer will listen for your commands - make their screen shake, flicker, or move, send keystrokes, pop up alerts, or play one of the included sound files. It's open source, so even Richard Stallman can get in on the remote pranking.
Upside-Down-Ternet
This one takes a little bit more time and dedication. If you're not familiar with this classic, here's the aim: create two groups of network users. Set up a Squid proxy server and use it in conjunction with mogrify to flip images upside down for the users you want to mess with. Swap -flip for -blur 4 to give users the sensation that their monitor (and/or vision) is going wonky.
The Desktop Screenshot - DIY
Sneak into your mark's cubicle while he or she is on a bathroom break. Screenshot the desktop, then set your newly-created image as their desktop background. Hide the any taskbars, toolbars, or sidebars. It's pretty convincing, easy to pull off, and works on just about any OS.
This one takes a little bit more time and dedication. If you're not familiar with this classic, here's the aim: create two groups of network users. Set up a Squid proxy server and use it in conjunction with mogrify to flip images upside down for the users you want to mess with. Swap -flip for -blur 4 to give users the sensation that their monitor (and/or vision) is going wonky.
The Desktop Screenshot - DIY
Sneak into your mark's cubicle while he or she is on a bathroom break. Screenshot the desktop, then set your newly-created image as their desktop background. Hide the any taskbars, toolbars, or sidebars. It's pretty convincing, easy to pull off, and works on just about any OS.
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Major4Play said 7:51AM on 4-01-2009
You seem to have confused April Fool's Day with Halloween Trick or Treat.
April fools is all about fake news stories, you must reel someone in hook line and sinker.
All you have mentioned are nasty pranks which if carried out in an office could get you fired.
Congratulations you are an idiot.
Reply
Lee Mathews said 7:54AM on 4-01-2009
I guess you're right!
Just because dozens of cultures have historically played pranks and jokes on each other on April 1st doesn't mean a tech site should do anything other than blog fake news stories like everywhere else.
*sad trombone*
Chan Eil Fhios said 8:06AM on 4-01-2009
You have to be kidding...how could you misunderstand April Fool's Day so badly? This is exactly what it's for...And this is a good example of why name calling is so stupid...you're the one who's an idiot...but now you also look like an asshole.
Victor Agreda Jr said 11:04AM on 4-01-2009
History is no joke:
http://wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm
http://www.april-fools.us/history-april-fools.htm
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080328-april-fools.html
Maff said 8:23AM on 4-01-2009
cheers but the day's nearly over or is over for most of the world
Reply
Malteserr said 9:07AM on 4-01-2009
The last one reminds me of sort by penis
Reply
edward said 2:13PM on 4-01-2009
If you work in a place where leaving your desk requires a log out put a space before their username.
Many computers have intel GFX drivers that allow you to flip the image on the screen.
And of course take a screen shot of the desktop, set it as the background and delete all the shortcuts.
Reply
Jordan said 2:04PM on 4-01-2009
for an extra annoyance on the 'screenshot' prank, take the screenshot, flip it vertically in paint, set it as the background then (works in xp anyways not sure about vista) press Ctrl-Alt-Down to flip the screen upside down (but with the fliped background it looks right side up, hide the task bar (it will be at the top now) and if your really mean adjust the monitor positioning so the little edge of the task bar shown when you hide it is off the screen. The only give away is the mouse cursor will be upside down... i guess you could make a cursor that is flipped in the first place and apply that too. This frustrates people for a good 10 minutes :P
Reply
ryzza007 said 8:35PM on 4-01-2009
I find it easier to use a simple app I made in VB
It's completely transparent and fills the whole screen. Users try to click on icons that they can see - but they're actually clicking on an empty Form of this app. The app doesn't show in the taskbar or anything. The only thing the user can do is press Alt+F4 or Alt-Tab, etc. I was too nice/lazy to block those keys from functioning. It's heaps quicker executing a tiny app than making all those changes listed above. I like you're thinking though, esp Jordan :)
Reply
Cheryl said 6:52PM on 4-03-2009
I think they are great Any Day pranks. I could not stop laughing as I
just sat here and read them. I plan on using them all year!
As for you Major4play (Idiot?), You're like a character on Mad TV...the uptight office guy that everyone dislikes. Relax dude and enjoy life. People like you die of heart attacks daily. When it's all said and done, You'll be sorry that you missed out on having fun!
~cheryl~
Reply