Need help with Scheduling a task for Halloween

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Hoo!

by NickNielsen · 12 years ago In reply to Need help with Scheduling ...

This sounds like fun, but I don't think it can be done with a single command. I think you'll have to use a script, but I have no idea which commands would apply here. Let me do some research.

Hmm, change the startup sound...change the default log-in background...mumble...mumble...

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Think

by zlitocook · 12 years ago In reply to Hoo!

Local group policy.

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Spiders

by NickNielsen · 12 years ago In reply to Need help with Scheduling ...

This page is the first of many from a Google search for "spider close-up": http://tinyurl.com/k5rvs

Don't know where you could find a good scream

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Try these sounds

by jjrowan · 12 years ago In reply to Spiders

<a href="http://web.4-sale-in-jefferson.com:8090/sounds/ghostshrieking.wav">Ghost shreiking</a><br>or <a href="http://web.4-sale-in-jefferson.dom:8090/sounds/scream08e.wav">Scream</a>

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Here is one that blends into screen

by meshigemetore · 12 years ago In reply to Spiders

http://www.phyast.pitt.edu/~jim/pics/Cumberland_Isle_Nov02/tn/40_Asmus_and_Scary_Spider.med.jpg

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Scary spider...ooohhh

by Big Rod · 12 years ago In reply to Spiders

here's a couple shots of a wolf spider that should be nicely sized for a background
<a href="http://rodneys.us/pics/creatures/IMG_2372.jpg">http://rodneys.us/pics/creatures/IMG_2372.jpg</a>

spiders with frickin' laser beams <a href="http://rodneys.us/pics/creatures/IMG_2377.jpg">http://rodneys.us/pics/creatures/IMG_2377.jpg</a>

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Needs a script

by neilb@uk · 12 years ago In reply to Need help with Scheduling ...

If you have Admin rights to the user's PC, you can copy on a script and change the wallpaper at a preset time by remotely creating a scheduled task. You can also minimize all of the windows so you get the full effect. Then you change it back again.

I did this a few years ago to flash up a quarter second of a bit of soft porn on a colleague's PC at random intervals. Everyone else was in on the joke and denied seeing the change.

That was two jobs ago so I may have some problems finding the script as I'm off on vacation in a couple of days but I'll see what I can do,

Neil

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Here's a start

by neilb@uk · 12 years ago In reply to Needs a script

The following vbscript will minimise all icons, change the wallpaper to a bmp of your choice, wait 10 seconds and then put it all back. The example used is one of the windows bmps but I suspect that you'll change that...

'-----------------------------------------

Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
set oDesktop=CreateObject("Shell.Application")

' Minimise all of the windows for full effect

oDesktop.MinimizeAll

' Get and save the old wallpaper

sOldWallpaper = oShell.RegRead("HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\Wallpaper")

' New wallpaper
' Replace the following two lines with
' sWallPaper="Path to your gruesome file"

sWinDir = oFSO.GetSpecialFolder(0)
sWallPaper = sWinDir & "\Prairie wind.bmp"

' Update in registry

oShell.RegWrite "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\Wallpaper", sWallPaper

' Let the system know about the change

oShell.Run _
"%windir%\System32\RUNDLL32.EXE user32.dll,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters", _
1, True
'

' Play a sound

sSoundFile = "c:\windows\media\tada.wav"

sCommand = "sndrec32 /play /close " & chr(34) & sSoundFile & chr(34)
oShell.Run sCommand, 0, True

wscript.sleep 10000 ' Time to sleep in ms

' Put it all back
' Update in registry

oShell.RegWrite "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\Wallpaper", sOldWallPaper

' Let the system know about the change

oShell.Run _
"%windir%\System32\RUNDLL32.EXE user32.dll,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters", _
1, True
'

oDesktop.UndoMinimizeAll 'windows back

'-------------------------------------

You will need to set this as a task on the user's PC timed to go off several times during the day. That way, you can have the camera ready!

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cool!

by Tink! · 12 years ago In reply to Here's a start

I think this is what I"m looking for but here's a stupid question...where do I put the script?

Tink :)

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Stupid answer

by NickNielsen · 12 years ago In reply to cool!

In a file... :^0

Actually, since it's vbscript, I would say save it as a .vbs file (scream.vbs ?) and schedule it.

But vbs is not my forte, so Neil would probably be the better one to answer this question.

Take it away, Neil...

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