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!!GREAT COMPUTER PRANKS !! computer commands using notepad and command prompt

Step 2Fake icon

Fake icon
Now i am going to tell you how to make fake icons that will shutdown/ log off / restart the victims computer.

When you make this use a 60 or more second time limit so the user has time to save all open work as if you do not it may make them angry and not so much a prank but with a time limit they have nothing to lose and will find it funny after.

There is two ways to do this but the way i am going to show you is easiest:
How to do it:
1.Right click on the desktop in a blank space.
2.Select new.
3.Click where it says create shortcut
4.Where it tells you to type a location type in one of the codes below:

If you want there computer to shutdown type this in:

shutdown -s -f -t 60 -c "type a message you want to appear here"

If you want it to log them off type this:

shutdown -l -f -t 60 -c "type a message you want to appear here"

If you want it to restart there computer type this:

shutdown -r -f -t 60 -c "type a message you want to appear here"

5.Click OK and name it My Computer.

6.Right click on the file you just made and click properties and look for where it says change icon.

7.find the icon that is the same as the "my computer" icon

8.change the icon and wait for the victim to open my computer, then it will shutdown / log off / restart.

9.HINT: If you set the time limit to 0000 it will shutdown instantly, so they may think it was some els wrong with the computer and try again .......



What each part of the code does:
shutdown << this is a program that has three basic commands shutdown , log off , restart.
-s << this will shutdown the computer
-r << this will restart the computer
-l << this will log off the computer
-f << this forces all programs running to shutdown
-t << this is the time limit until shutdown (the time is in seconds so if -t 60 means 60 seconds )

P.S if you want to try this on your computer and the shutdown timer starts, to stop it in run type shutdown -a
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17 comments
Oct 2, 2011. 11:04 AM51m0n says:
When I tried it it didn't flash the message or start the timer it just logged me off.
Jul 14, 2010. 9:23 AMIkkalebob says:
I tried the logoff one and it worked well exept that the message didnt come up - It just logged off instantly. please help
Feb 4, 2011. 7:00 PMTreypyro says:
Logout does not allow comments, I don't know why the creators of command prompt did not allow this but comments are only allowed on shutdown and restart.
Jul 19, 2010. 1:40 AMxXKrowXx says:
This does not work for me. I click on the object and it flashes the Command prompt quickly and disappears. Beside that nothing happens :(
Mar 7, 2010. 7:47 PMsetsunna009 says:
ok so i'm totally new to this stuff so be nice. can i combine the shutdown and restart commands into one prank

and if i let the prank run how do i stop it afterwards
May 4, 2008. 9:25 PMwestin444 says:
try makeing it so that when you click on my computer it initiates a timer that will say that the OS has had a fatal air, windows will now restart, then have it restart
Aug 20, 2009. 8:56 AMWin7Maniac says:
Oh, no, dude, make a batch script like the last one that makes the computer restart after 10seconds. And add it to startup. That way the user has no time to open anything. The victim's computer will go in loops!! And have the message say "fatal air. Your operating system has crashed due to a file in the middle of your desktop. Your system will now restart." suggested by Gh{o}sT. Put the batch file in the middle of the victim's desktop and hide it. If the victim is smart enough, he or she will boot into safe mode and unhide the file. Haha!
Dec 31, 2009. 11:14 AMKasm279 says:
fatal air? lolwut? i think thats supposed to be error ;) 
Dec 31, 2009. 12:08 PMWin7Maniac says:
lol no, that way it is more prank-like and obvious, making the victim even more frustrated when he or she can't figure it out
Dec 31, 2009. 1:08 PMKasm279 says:
 heh, didnt even think of that LOL
Oct 30, 2009. 4:33 PMgreenbean says:
Except that you could just boot up in safe mode, which doesn't open the contents of the startup folder.
Oct 31, 2009. 8:11 AMWin7Maniac says:
 Yeah, that's kinda the point, they're supposed to boot into safe mode. Then it won't start on them. Then they can unhide the file. Then they can delete it. Sorry, but if you read through my comment, this comment really doesn't make sense. Unless I wasn't clear enough. . . in that case, sorry, hope this clarifies
Oct 31, 2009. 2:49 PMgreenbean says:
Oops. I put that comment in the wrong spot.
Mar 10, 2009. 4:03 AMAcer81996 says:
get the shutdown machine (the icon works by itself) and change the pic to the internet icon and rename it "internet explorer". That will be nice if the person has not yet saved something.
Sep 4, 2008. 8:08 AMDrCoolSanta says:
Well you can make a batch file with the shutdown command specified in this 'ible and make an icon point to it.
May 20, 2008. 11:01 AMmwwdesign says:
'fatal air'?
May 20, 2008. 8:41 PMwestin444 says:
fatal error
Aug 6, 2008. 1:32 AMGh{O}sT says:
fatal air would be funnier
Apr 21, 2009. 12:10 AMDJP4VEP says:
Need help please.... I made a vbScript for a fake virus but i cant work out how to get the system shut down with a timer at the end like in this instructable. Please help. Thanks
Jun 17, 2009. 9:00 PMgreenbean says:
I dont know about Visual Basic, but in Batch you would say shutdown -c "Whatever you want to say" -s -t 60 That would delay the shutdown for 60 seconds. You can replace the number with any number, say 10 seconds.
Apr 1, 2009. 1:46 PMxxkingxerxesxx says:
I am having the same problem and your solution didn't help.
Mar 9, 2009. 3:55 PMTheGasMaskGuy says:
Brilliant!
Feb 6, 2009. 1:24 AMwenhan_93 says:
LOL... Normally people dont put shortcuts of My Computer on the desktop. The icon on the desktop is different from the shortcut icon. :)
Aug 26, 2008. 3:00 AMHiyadudez says:
haha, good one dude, thanks, i got everyone in my house with it xD
Apr 12, 2008. 6:11 AMKeviBear says:
Thank you but it still wont work for some reason, when it opens command propt it just goes by really fast and then nothing else comes up.
Apr 11, 2008. 6:53 PMKeviBear says:
I did something wrong it wont work.

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