Got PC pranked today

[kranky]

I appreciate subtle but effective pranks and I think this one qualifies.

Today when I tried to print from Internet Explorer or Outlook, I would get just a blank sheet of paper. No error messages and printing from other apps was fine. Tried three printers, no difference. Reboot, no difference. Remove and reinstall printers, no difference. Looked at print preview in IE - yep, it's showing me a blank page.

Googled for an answer but didn't discover anything useful except finding out that IE and Outlook both use the same printing engine. OK, that was kind of obvious given the problem.

The prankster had set the margins in IE page setup to consume the entire page - in other words, there was no space left for printing.

I'll get revenge someday.

 

[SunnyD]

Err, that's odd. Wouldn't that technically cause it to spit out infinite pages (or none at all) since it would try to "wrap" everything across the appropriate number of pages?

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

Why do you have to print webpages?

 

[Chiropteran]

Sounds like yet another reason to use firefox.

 

[rudeguy]

I still think changing the mouse buttons is the best prank. The person always has to stop and decide if they forgot how to use a mouse before they realize they are being messed with.

 

[tefleming]

Flip or rotate their video output (usually can be programmed to a soft-key combo).

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
Why do you have to print webpages?

You never print anything off the internet?

OP: that's a good trick. Margins would be one of the last things I checked when troubleshooting.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: tefleming
Flip or rotate their video output (usually can be programmed to a soft-key combo).

I did that to a guy in the office I used to work-- he was always really uppity and needed to lighten up. I flipped his screen in the display properties of the video driver CP when he was in the bathroom. He comes back and starts throwing a fit about how much work he needs to get done and what not... the yelling stops after a few minutes so I wander back to his office to see what's up and he says his screen was flipped but he fixed it. I glance at his desk and he has his monitor upside down. I pretty much lost it then and there. :laugh:

 

[OCGuy]

I like the one where you just remove all of the components.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: Chiropteran
Sounds like yet another reason to use firefox.

Yes, because FireFox isn't advanced enough to know what margins are or let the user change them :roll:

troll troll troll your boat...

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: tefleming
Flip or rotate their video output (usually can be programmed to a soft-key combo).

I did that to a guy in the office I used to work-- he was always really uppity and needed to lighten up. I flipped his screen in the display properties of the video driver CP when he was in the bathroom. He comes back and starts throwing a fit about how much work he needs to get done and what not... the yelling stops after a few minutes so I wander back to his office to see what's up and he says his screen was flipped but he fixed it. I glance at his desk and he has his monitor upside down. I pretty much lost it then and there. :laugh:

Screwing with people's personal computers is one thing. Screwing with a coworker's computer is another. People have things to do and being disruptive at work because you don't like another coworker should have gotten you fired.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: tefleming
Flip or rotate their video output (usually can be programmed to a soft-key combo).

I did that to a guy in the office I used to work-- he was always really uppity and needed to lighten up. I flipped his screen in the display properties of the video driver CP when he was in the bathroom. He comes back and starts throwing a fit about how much work he needs to get done and what not... the yelling stops after a few minutes so I wander back to his office to see what's up and he says his screen was flipped but he fixed it. I glance at his desk and he has his monitor upside down. I pretty much lost it then and there. :laugh:

LOL

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

Originally posted by: MrPickins

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
Why do you have to print webpages?

You never print anything off the internet?

OP: that's a good trick. Margins would be one of the last things I checked when troubleshooting.

Directions would be the only thing that i've printed in the past... these days I just send them to my phone

 

[nakedfrog]

I'll have to remember this one.
Of course, we're all pretty good about locking our PCs and rarely have to print anything.

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure

Originally posted by: MrPickins

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
Why do you have to print webpages?

You never print anything off the internet?

OP: that's a good trick. Margins would be one of the last things I checked when troubleshooting.

Directions would be the only thing that i've printed in the past... these days I just send them to my phone

What about sales receipts, confirmation pages and the like?

(you know the ones that say "please print for your records")

 

[tefleming]

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: tefleming
Flip or rotate their video output (usually can be programmed to a soft-key combo).

I did that to a guy in the office I used to work-- he was always really uppity and needed to lighten up. I flipped his screen in the display properties of the video driver CP when he was in the bathroom. He comes back and starts throwing a fit about how much work he needs to get done and what not... the yelling stops after a few minutes so I wander back to his office to see what's up and he says his screen was flipped but he fixed it. I glance at his desk and he has his monitor upside down. I pretty much lost it then and there. :laugh:

Screwing with people's personal computers is one thing. Screwing with a coworker's computer is another. People have things to do and being disruptive at work because you don't like another coworker should have gotten you fired.

What kind of office do you work in? Srsly, I want to make sure I don't work some place so stuffy they can't tolerate the occasional prank.

 

[QurazyQuisp]

My favorite thing to do is to take a screenshot of the desktop, set it as the background, hide the icons and the start bar. It's hilarious.

 

[WA261]

no doubt

 

[Goosemaster]

I like the more subtle "image their machine and put in the new HDD with all of their important stuff deleted."

Good times. Really shows them that I CareBear care.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: tefleming
Flip or rotate their video output (usually can be programmed to a soft-key combo).

I did that to a guy in the office I used to work-- he was always really uppity and needed to lighten up. I flipped his screen in the display properties of the video driver CP when he was in the bathroom. He comes back and starts throwing a fit about how much work he needs to get done and what not... the yelling stops after a few minutes so I wander back to his office to see what's up and he says his screen was flipped but he fixed it. I glance at his desk and he has his monitor upside down. I pretty much lost it then and there. :laugh:

Screwing with people's personal computers is one thing. Screwing with a coworker's computer is another. People have things to do and being disruptive at work because you don't like another coworker should have gotten you fired.

Sounds like you need someone to flip your screen.

 

[MrDudeMan]

A guy who used to work here did some of the best pranks ever. He would remap your keyboard (sysadmin - linux), hide your car keys in other peoples desk drawers (sometimes they would lock it and leave, hahaha), and tons of other good ones I can't even remember.

 

[911paramedic]

Adding some really often used mouse gestures is always fun.

 

[NoCreativity]

Tape over the mouse sensor works good too. Also tape on the login card.

 

[JeepinEd]

A few years ago, I had an employee who always kept the volume on her computer at a high level. Every time she got an email, the whole office would hear "You have mail!".
I decided to change the .wav file to something a bit more pleasing.... a rather long and loud farting sound.

At first, nobody in the office knew about it. Every time she received an email, the farting sound would play and everyone would just stare at her. I was laughing so hard, I had tears running down my face.

 

[NoCreativity]

Originally posted by: JeepinEd
A few years ago, I had an employee who always kept the volume on her computer at a high level. Every time she got an email, the whole office would hear "You have mail!".
I decided to change the .wav file to something a bit more pleasing.... a rather long and loud farting sound.

At first, nobody in the office knew about it. Every time she received an email, the farting sound would play and everyone would just stare at her. I was laughing so hard, I had tears running down my face.

Awesome. I would so love to be able to do this to the asshats who keep the phone ringer on "holy shit I'm deaf" loud.