A well-executed computer prank on April Fool’s day is almost an obligation; people are more careful about locking their computers on this day more than any other, and for good reason. If you happen to forget to lock your computer, don’t be surprised when you find your mouse not working or randomly moving. For our part in celebrating this important day, we have gathered a list of our favorite computer pranks with instructions for executing them yourself.
Be aware that most of these instructions apply to Windows 7 and Windows 8. If your mark happens to use Windows XP, they could be used to more malicious software and security problems. Most of these pranks do not require Administrator mode rights.
High Contrast Surprise
Most people have never heard of this useful Windows feature, which has actually been around since Windows XP. High Contrast mode heightens the color contrast and turns white backgrounds black for better text and image visibility. For April Fool’s though, it is a great tool for computer pranks. Works better if the person uses Internet Explorer instead of Chrome.
How to do it
Bait your mark to press Shift + Alt + Print Screen and click Yes in the pop up window.
The Ghost Mouse
Windows allows the use of multiple input devices simultaneously, which is great 364 days a year. For today though, it is a feature that can be exploited to frustrate. Plug in the USB receiver for wireless mouse in one of the USB slots in the rear (for better concealment) and you can now move their cursor whenever you want. Of course they may catch on after a while, so it is best to do it sporadically throughout the day.
How to do it
Plug in a wireless mouse and go ham.
The Dead Mouse
Computer users from the ’90s likely already know the trick of putting clear tape underneath the mouse. However, these are different times and optical mice can still work despite the tape. So we need to kick it up a notch.
First, you still should put tape underneath the mouse, but tape over a shred of paper to block the optical sensor. Then open up the Mouse Properties window and move the double-click speed slider to the fastest setting. This will make it much more difficult for them to double-click to open files in Windows.
How to do it
Tape and paper to block the optical sensor, and open Mouse Properties by searching for “mouse properties” in Windows.
Microsoft Word has Tourette’s
Auto correct is an extremely useful feature that can reduce time spent proofing documents. For instance, it can turn “teh” into “the” or “wya” into “way” with no extra effort needed. You can also customize it to turn correctly spelled words into anything you wish.
How to do it
- Click File or the Office Symbol depending on which version of Word you have, and select Options.
- Press the AutoCorrect Options… button
- Enter the word you want automatically replaced and the word you want to appear.
Flip Ya For Real
Yet another relatively unknown Windows feature is changing the orientation of the screen. Not only is the screen upside down, but the mouse movements are reversed. This one can truly frustrate people with only a single monitor, as it can be difficult to reverse.
How to do it
Method 1
- Open the Screen Resolution menu.
- Change the orientation from Landscape to Landscape (Flipped) and confirm the changes.
Method 2
Press Ctrl + Alt + any Arrow Key (This may not work for all computers)
Blue Screen of Death
We all have our own experience dealing with the blue screen of death at work or home. We can all agree though, it’s a roller coaster of emotions ranging from anger and sheer terror of losing all your files. Download the bluescreen screensaver to a co-worker’s computer and rejoice. But do make sure no files were harmed during this prank.
How to do it
Download a BlueScreen of Death Screensaver and set it as the screen saver. You can also unplug the keyboard and mouse for the realism.
If you do just one of the pranks mentioned above, your mark may just be annoyed. To cause serious chaos, do all of the pranks and sit back to enjoy the April Fool’s mayhem. Do you have a go-to prank? Let us know what you’re doing for April Fool’s in the comments below.
Get a picture of a car air freshener and make it your wallpaper, then put the same “flavor” air freshener under your keyboard. My boss told me no one would fall for it, but I had folks sniffing my screen all day. They were all impressed with my new “computer air freshener.”