Jigsaw 'Saw' Chrome Vs. Internet Explorer Prank

Pfffft, nerd alert. Open powershell and run this one liner...

gci "$env:userprofile\desktop" | where -FilterScript {$_ -like "Internet Explorer.lnk"} | Remove-Item

PowerShell fears not the troll.

Why the hell would anyone still have the need for any desktop icons? I have all my programs pinned to my taskbar, much less cumbersome and more neatly laid out. Background pic is also unobstructed by icons.

no0bs, Ctrl + A, Backspace/Delete, hit start, type chrome, hit enter, right click on chrome icon & select "pin to taskbar" no desktop icon required. You're welcome.

Really? Just burn your computer with fire. Beat repeatedly with baseball bat. Stomp on said computer until fire is out. Buy new computer and re-install chrome. Viola, all fixed. Super easy.

Open the desktop as a folder in Details view. Sort by size. The outlier is Chrome, all the IE ones should be the same size unless the friend was smart enough to manually edit every one and add random metadata in the Details tab.

Select half of them and choose properties. If it says 'Location: All in C:/Programs/Internet Explorer' then the real one isn't in that half, delete that half. If it says 'Location: Various', then it is in that half, delete the other half.

Continue until the real one is found. Never have to open one.

Ya know... like dont click shortuts and use the windows search... Ya know.

It's an oldie, but a goodie:

Use PRTSCRN to put a copy of the desktop, including all the icons, into clipboard.

Save it in Paint (or your preferred graphics software).

Set the image as the Windows wallpaper and delete all the icons on the desktop.

Watch your victim go nuts clicking on non-responsive icons.

Bonus points if he reboots the computer into Safe Mode to fix things.

To take this a step further, you can go into regedit and change the value of the background option so they can't change the background...

Any "prank" that involves opening regedit is no longer a prank, much in the same way that lighting a bag of dog poop on the front steps differs from burning the house to the ground.

...because anything done in regedit is permanent to the end that 1.) it can't be easily reversed 2.) requires a re installation of windows 3.) requires a brand new computer all together?

you sound like a blast a parties.

Whereas if you think taking a relatively harmless computer prank that the average user could easily fix and involving behind-the-scenes tinkering involving the registry (which most Windows users don't even know exists, let alone how to access and repair), you must be the sort that doesn't think a prank goes far enough until someone bleeds.

whereas, you think something that LITERALLY causes no harm to a computer is akin to making someone bleed and ruining someone's computer.

by your logic, CLTR+ALT+ARROW KEY would force your friend to buy a new monitor

actually u can just go and right click the desktop go to view and select show desktop icons and hide them so u dont have to delete the icons

Open your Desktop folder. Sort by date. The first one is probably legit and the rest copies.

honestly, reddit is the home of people who think they have a sense of humor....

In the picture, Top right, one down. Google Chrome (3) ... click it.

Really? The easiest thing to do is just delete them and make a new shortcut. But if you really wanted to play the game. Just look in properties. Till you find the chrome one. You won't have to risk loading IE.

Ctrl+R, 'chrome.exe', Enter.

If I were deadset on finding the right shortcut I'd highlight half of the icons and hit enter (assuming the computer can handle it). Since it's windows 7 all of the open IE pages will fall under one taskbar icon. If Chrome doesn't launch, delete those shortcuts. Continue halving the number of icons until you have found the right shortcut.