Pranks do not have to be limited to April Fools’ Day. It’s fun to mess around on your friend’s computer every now and then! For the sake of a good laugh among your mates, you can catch them off guard by playing computer pranks on them.
We’ve compiled a list of amusing things to do with your friend’s computer. These naughty practical jokes are ultimately harmless, but you should be prepared to undo their ‘damage’ before things become too irritating.
Physical humor
Wrapping things in foil, covering them with post-its, or hiding that beloved red Swingline stapler is age-old office pranks and decidedly low-tech. Some that continue to work to this day are things like sticking a piece of post-it note over the optical sensor on a mouse, or better yet, plugging in a second wireless keyboard or mouse and haunting their machine at random.
Change autocorrect
Computer pranks that really annoy the victim – that’s exactly what we want. This simple but aggravating prank can be played in a variety of ways, and depending on your victim, you could tamper with his computer or smartphone. The basic idea is to add a custom entry to the AutoCorrect keyboard feature to replace a frequently used word (or the spacebar) with something else entirely.
You can be subtle by simply substituting a typo for a correctly typed word. You can also go for shock value and include something that makes you laugh out loud, such as changing “Hi” to “I love watching Jersey Shore reruns.” Simply be prepared to deal with any fallout that may occur.
Change the mouse pointer to look busy
This one is just for fun and has no negative consequences. Make busy their default mouse pointer. To find the “change mouse pointer display or speed” option, press the Windows key and search for the pointer. Open it, then click the pointers tab at the top. Change the default pointer in Windows to “Working in Background.” The pointer will now appear to be constantly moving as if the machine is constantly doing something.
Set the screen saver to the blue screen of death
Nothing is worse than believing your computer is doomed, and Windows’ Blue Screen of Death is the most visible manifestation of that fear. You can change a coworker’s screensaver to the BSOD to make his or her heart race. When they return, they’ll believe their computer has vanished forever… until they move their mouse.
Move desktop icons, take a screenshot, set it as the wallpaper
Take a screenshot of the victim’s current desktop, set it as the desktop wallpaper, and then hide the icons and taskbar. At first, everything will look normal, but nothing will respond to any mouse clicks. Another approach is to take a screenshot of their desktop, set it as their wallpaper, move some icons around, and take another screenshot. Repeat until you have a very cluttered desktop with only a few icons that actually work, and the victim is left to search to find what’s usable.
