Computer pranks are becoming increasingly popular in homes, schools, and workplaces. Simple pranks include flipping the screen, adjusting brightness and contrast, slowing down mouse operation, and switching mouse buttons. Downloadable pranks also exist but carry the risk of containing viruses or spyware.
Computer pranks have become a fun and easy way to brighten up the mood at the office or for a memorable April Fool’s Day. As computers have proliferated in homes, schools and workplaces over the past decade, computer pranks have become more popular and increasingly complex.
A computer prank that is easy for the prankster to orchestrate and confusing for the prank victim is the upside-down screen prank. This involves holding down the Alt and Ctrl keys simultaneously with one hand and pressing the down arrow key with the other. On most computers, the screen image will flip and can easily be returned to normal by pressing the Alt and Ctrl keys again, along with the up arrow key.
Another prank that can cause a lot of frustration and time-consuming troubleshooting is the blank screen prank. This can be achieved by bringing the brightness settings of the computer monitor up to the maximum level, while turning down the contrast settings to the lowest level. The resulting effect is a disconcerting combination of a screen that appears to be lit judging by the power light, but is otherwise blank.
Computer mouse manipulation is a common basis for many simple computer pranks. A prank that will slow down mouse operation can be done by setting the mouse pointer function to the slowest speed in the mouse settings. Another frustrating mouse prank involves placing a post-it note directly over the ball on the bottom of the prank victim’s mouse. This disables the mouse, which is otherwise plugged in and looks like it should be fully functional. Another mouse prank that renders the mouse nearly unusable involves switching the primary and secondary mouse buttons, so that a mouse set for left-handed use is now set for right-handed use, or vice versa .
Computer pranks can also be downloaded from the Internet, but are not as popular as manual pranks, as downloads always carry the risk of containing viruses or spyware that could harm your computer. A downloadable prank that can easily be found in an online search replicates the infamous “Blue Screen of Death” error message. The pranksters can start the program after download so that it is running when the victim of the prank gets to the computer, or rename the program to another program used by the victim, so that the blue screen appears when the victim tries to open the program.
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