There's no better way to welcome back your coworkers from the holidays, vacation, or that long sales trip than with an office prank. There is no need for pranks to be relegated to April Fool's Day; any day of the year is good for a small joke. A prescription for safe office pranks if often perfect for some fun lighthearted fun and/or well deserved payback.

In this day and age, Technology and the Internet rule, and most people spend their time online browsing, emailing or shopping. Why not try and play a joke on your friends where they spend most of their time…their computers and offices.

Remember, any prank you can easily play on someone could just as easily be used against you as well.

Insert Coin

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Hewlett Packards laserjet printers, a standard in most office spaces, have a customizable LCD display just waiting for  your creative spark.  Using the attached Perl script, you can forgo the ever-present and tiresome "Ready" and replace it with your own clever and witty phrase.  


While this is sure to work on any networked HP printer, it will also work for any other printer that uses the HPPJL.


It Looks Like You've Shaken the Insides Loose

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Named after the father of modern mechanics, the 'Newton Virus' introduces the concept of gravity causing your desktop to behave exactly as it would in the real physical environment. Desktop icons become susceptible to Newton’s invisible force and fall, roll and tumble in whatever direction gravity pulls them delivering a little bit of reality to your virtual environment. Perfect for spicing up your colleagues day or simply enjoying the marvels of Newtonian principles at work.

Who's Dvorak?

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The Dvorak keyboard layout, is an alternate keyboard layout that was designed to attempt to increase peoples accuracy and typing speed. By telling the computer that you are using a Dvorak keyboard layout, it will replace the keystrokes with the Dvorak keyboard equivalent.

On a Windows Computer:
  1. From the Start menu Select Control Panel > Regional and Language Options 

Hunt and Peck

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If your officemate looks at the keyboard to type, then this is the perfect prank.  It's a classic that has started to die off now that more and more people know how to type, but for those who are just digging themselves out from underneath a rock, feel free to prod them along by rearranging the keys on their keyboard.  All keyboard keys are designed to be removed (laptop keys are much more fragile and can easily break) with a small screw driver.
  1. Find a small screwdriver, that is strong enough for light prying, but small enough to fit between the keys on a keyboard.
  2. Gently lift the keys being careful not to bend the plastic.  They should pry loose with little force.

That Cracked Me Up

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Want to see your coworkers face drop?  Next time they step away to review their TPS reports, set their wall paper to the cracked screen wallpaper, hide their desktop icons, and turn off the screen-saver.  They will think something went drastically awry while they were away.
  1. Download the cracked screen wallpaper to your victims computer.
  2. On a Windows Computer:
      • Place the cursor anywhere in the Desktop area other than directly on an icon. Right-click the mouse and select "Properties" from the menu that appears
      • Select the "Desktop" tab, then press the "Browse" button on the right side of the window
      • Navigate to the wallpaper you downloaded and select "OK", to set it as the wallpaper.
      • From the "Position" drop-down, select "Stretch".
      • Press "OK"

Shutting Down in 5...4....3...2...

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If you enjoy friendly pranks, and have a co-worker that spends more time playing solitaire then they do filling out their TPS reports, then this is an easy prank that works with any version of Microsoft's Windows Operating Systems.  When they step away from their computer for a few minutes:
  1. Select an an icon from the desktop (games, office applications, or browsers are excellent targets as they are commonly used) and make a copy of it.
  2. Hide the original shortcut and rename the copy so it matches the original files name.
  3. Right-click on it and choose “Properties“. 
  4. In the properties window that appears, locate the "Target” field, replace what is written with:
    1. shutdown -s -t 0
  5. Switch to the "Customize" tab and select "Change Icon" from the "Folder Icons" section at the bottom of the tab.
  6. Locate and set the appropriate icon for your new shortcut.
  7. After the information is entered, press “Apply” then “OK“. 
Once you have done this, the next time they attempt to click on the shortcut you set, the computer will shutdown.

The Annoy-A-Tron

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ThinkGeek have unleashed a world of evil with these small electronic devices that do nothing more then hide and make noise.  About the size of a book of wooden matches, the Annoy-A-Tron, Annoy-A-Tron 2, and the Evil-Tron hide under a desk, behind a monitor, above a door frame, inside a computer case, or anywhere else you can slip them.  Once turned on, they proceed to produce a short, loud, and annoying noise (the noise varies depending on which piece of evil you deploy).  The sound is enough for people to hear it, but too short for them to have time to figure out what it is and where it is coming from.

The Mouse Jiggler

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The Mouse Jiggler is a product that is designed to:
Prevent a computer from going to sleep while you work or play. (The) constant mouse activity prevents sleep mode and screen savers (and their password prompts).
 Simply wait for your victim to step away from their computer for a few minutes and attach the Mouse Jiggler to one of the rear USB ports (to keep it from being immediately noticed).  When the victim returns to their computer, the mouse cursor will be jumping all over the screen.

Can You Hear Me Now?

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Imagine sitting at your desk getting your work done, when out of nowhere, all of the phones in your office/department start ringing at the same time. A sign of demonic possession you say? No, not quite, it's simply what Skype and $10 in Skype credit (the minimum you can purchase) can get you.
  1. Set up a Skype conference by clicking on the conference button on the main Contacts tab, then type in the numbers of the people you want to call. 
  2. Add all of your departments/offices phone numbers in the participants field (don't forget desk, fax, and personal cell numbers).
  3. When you press the "Start the call" button, Skype calls out to all of the numbers at once with Caller ID showing "Unknown Caller" or "000-000-0000"
  4. As people answer their phones they will be talking to each-other talking, all saying each-other called them.

Houston, Do You Copy?

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Want to include a personal message on everyone copies?  Not a problem, just write it on the copy machines' glass.  Most people don't look at the glass before they make a copy, and if you write small message, even if they look, they are likely to miss it.
  1. Using a fine tipped dry-erase marker, write a message on the copy machines glass copy surface.  Writing backwards will make your message legible after it has been copied.
If you are really lucky they will copy a whole stack of papers by using the document feeder trays and will walk off while the copier goes to work resulting in their entire stack of copies with your message all over it.


If you make your message small, perhaps a small heart with "I Luv You" in it, they are less likely to notice until after they have distributed their copies to people in the office.

Before executing this prank, it is highly advisable that you double check to ensure the marker is easily removable from the copiers copy surface.

The Never Ending Fax

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The never ending fax has been around for a while but isn't something people expect.  For the never ending fax to work, you need to make sure that the victims fax is a paper fax, not a fax number that gets forwarded to their email.

  1. Write a funny message or get a funny picture of the victim and print it out. Make 3-4 copies of the print out and tape the pieces of paper together so they form a long sheet of paper.
  2. On your fax machine, initiate a fax to your victim and as the beginning of your fax is read by the machine, securely tape it to the tail of the paper, forming an endless loop (like a belt).
  3. Your fax machine will endlessly scroll through the loop of paper, sending the same information over and over again to your victim.

Would You Like To Super-Size That?

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Do you have a coworker who is always loosing things?  Help them keep track of their mouse cursor by super-sizing it for them.

  1. Go to System Preferences > Universal Access
  2. Select the "Mouse and Trackpad" pane
  3. At the bottom of the window, adjust the "Cursor Size" slider to the far right, "Large"
With a cursor this big, you can be sure they will always be able to find it on the screen.

Can You See My Point of View II?

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In our earlier post we discussed how Apples "Universal Access" Preference Panel is designed to enhance the user experience for people with disabilities. When enabled, they can produce some pretty wild experiences for those who don't know what is going on.  But what if you want only a subtle change?  Something they notice but it will take them a second or two to figure out whats wrong?  The answer is simple, just turn their display to Grey-Scale.
  1. Go to System Preferences > Universal Access
  2. In the "Display" section, check the "Use grayscale" checkbox.
The "Enhance Contrast" slider will determine how bright the colors are, but "Normal" is good for a subtle change.  Depending on how bright your victim is, it may take them a few minutes to realize that they lost all of the color on their screen.


Can You See My Point of View?

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Apples "Universal Access" Preference Panel is designed to enhance the user experience for people with disabilities.  When enabled, they can produce some pretty wild experiences for those who don't know what is going on.

  1. Go to System Preferences >Universal Access
  2. In the "Display" section, set the radio button to "White on black"
This prank is completely harmless to the computer, an unsuspecting victim will likely be on the phone to tech support to get their displayed replaced in a matter of minutes.

It's Not Easy Being Green

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Is your boss going on vacation? Your coworker taking some time off for their honeymoon?  Are your underlings out of town for training?  If someone is going to be gone for a week or two, then why not show them how much you appreciate them by growing a garden for them, in their keyboard.

  1. Spray an old keyboard (one you don't mind ruining) with water. Make sure the entire keyboard is completely misted, including between the keys.
  2. Sprinkle cresscat-grass, or clover seeds in the cracks of the keys (cress is fast growing and will produce the best results).
  3. Place the keyboard inside a clear plastic bag, like a produce bag from the grocery store. Make sure the entire keyboard is nicely wrapped but also leave some room for it to breathe, creating a greenhouse type effect.
  4. Place the keyboard in direct sunlight, near a window is perfect. 
  5. Two weeks later, watch your co-worker come back and notice their keyboard with a full set of grass coming out of their keyboard.
Do not plug the keyboard into the computer.  While the likelihood of an electrical short is minimal and the voltage the keyboard uses is minute, electricity and water do not mix.

Your Mouse Is Looking a Bit Sluggish

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Know whats more frustrating then trying to find a needle in a haystack? Moving your mouse cursor across the screen when the sensitivity has been turned all the way down. This is especially cruel when you put the mouse cursor in the farthest corner of the screen, ensuring they will have to travel the farthest to reset it.


For an Apple Desktop:
  1. Open System Preferences and click "Keyboard & Mouse" to display these preferences. 
  2. Click the Mouse tab. These controls let you set the mouse sensitivity to control how fast the arrow flies across your screen when you move your mouse. Under "Tracking" set the slider to the far left, "Slow", and close the window to apply the settings. 
For an Apple Laptop:
  1. Open System Preferences and click Keyboard & Mouse to display its preferences. 
  2. Click the Trackpad tab. These controls let you set the trackpad sensitivity to control how fast the arrow moves across your screen when you move your finger across the trackpad, and also adjust for your double-click speed.
For a Windows Desktop:
  1. Open Control Panel by clicking Start > Control Panel
  2. Click the Mouse icon to open the Mouse Properties Control Panel.
  3. In the Mouse Properties window that appears, click the "Pointer Options" tab and locate the Motion section at the top of the window.  Adjust the slider to the far left, "Slow", and then press "OK" to apple the settings.

Parlez-Vous Français?

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When a co-worker leaves their computer unattended for a minute, quickly go to Google's home page and click on "Preferences." There, you can choose the interface language of the search engine and test their skills at foreign languages. Klingon, Hacker and Yiddish are all excellent choices, but Elmer Fudd is definitely a winning choice for anyone. As Elmer, you can use the Google Diwectowy, perform a Google Seawch or find out if you're ‘feewing wucky.'

Furthermore you can set their search results language preference to return search results in select languages and helping them expand their horizons.

It crashed again

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The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is so ubiquitous with MicroSoft Windows, that at everyone who has used Microsofts operating systems for any period of time has encountered it at one point of another.  Microsoft has turned this infamous problem into a screensaver that is perfect for when your boss has been working on the year end reports and steps away to get more coffee.  The screen saver not only authentically mimics a BSOD, but will simulate startup screens seen during a system boot.  Simply
    1. Download the screen saver from Microsoft's website
    2. Follow the directions included to install the screensaver.
    3. Open the Control Panel > Display and select the "Screen Saver" tab.
    4. Locate the BSOD screen saver and set the screensaver start timer to the lowest setting.
    When setting executing this prank, you should ensure that any open documents are saved as the victim may try to immediately restart their computer, especially if you disable the "Wake on mouse" settings.

    Dear Mr. Dipshit....

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    Microsoft's Office suite is ubiquitous in offices around the world and its plethora of features helps us all be more productive.  One feature that most of us rarely pay attention to is Offices' ability to automatically correct common typing errors with "Autocorrect".  To pull this off, you will need about 5 minutes in front of your victims computer and an evil heart.

    1. First make sure that AutoCorrect is turn on
    2. In the "Replace Text as You Type" section of the AutoCorrect options, add your own custom entries.
    3. Save your custom entries and watch as chaos ensues.
    There are a couple of different approaches you can take with this one.  For example if you want to be:
    • Frustrating, you can change it so common words get changed to make their work turn into gibberish:
      • the -> thet
      • that -> then
      • me -> cow
      • to -> two
      • how -> howl
      • can -> box
      • when -> slippery
    • Evil, you can inject inappropriate language into their work:
      • Sir -> Mr. Dipshit
      • Sincerely -> Fuck Off and Die
      • you -> you stupid fucker
      • *bosses name* -> fuckface
    Remember, the prank is most effective when they don't notice it immediately so the more AutoCorrections that exist, the more likely it is they will catch it.  Also, it is good to note that this is one of those pranks where you need to know your victim and what they are working on.  Having a CEO receive the quarterly report with your corrections in it wont be good for anyone.

    Of Mice and Men Part II

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    While the classic prank is great for "ball" mice, most new computers are using laser mice which lack a ball you can remove.  Fortunately there is an alternative prank you can pull that is just as quick, (if not quicker) and results in the same frustration. This will take about 15 seconds to execute, perfect for when someone run off to the copy machine, or refill their cup of coffee.  When they are out of sight, simply
    1. Take their computer mouse and turn it over so you can see the bottom of the mouse.
    2. In the center of the mouse, you will see the bright LED "laser" that the mouse uses to track movement.  Using a 1/2" to 1" piece of scotch tape, cover the light ensuring your firmly apply the tape.
    3. Put their mouse back on their desk and watch them struggle to get their mouse to respond to them.
    If the tape is not firmly stuck to the bottom of the mouse, the tape can accidentally come off.  With the laser covered, the mouse will not be able to give accurate feedback regarding mouse movement resulting in a dead mouse.  To end their misery, simply remove the tape.

    Of Mice and Men

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    This classic prank is simple to pull of and only take about 15 seconds to execute, perfect for when someone run off to the copy machine, or refill their cup of coffee.  When they are out of sight, simply

    1. Take their computer mouse and turn it over so you can see the bottom of the mouse.
    2. In the center of the mouse, you will see the trackball that registers the mouses movements, there is a circular piece of plastic that surround this, the "ball cover".  Using your fingers, rotate the ball cover until you feel it rotate about 90 degrees. (Depending on the brand of mouse, this could be clockwise or counterclockwise.)
    3. Pick up the mouse and flip it over into your other hand. The cover and mouse ball should fall out of the mouse. If not, give it a little shake until it comes loose.
    4. Hide the mouse ball (don't loose it) and replace the ball cover (so your evil work is not as obvious).
    5. Put their mouse back on their desk and watch them struggle to get their mouse to respond to them.