How to Create a Fake and Harmless Virus

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Last Updated: August 8, 2024 Fact Checked

Do you want to play a trick on your friends? Try this shocking but harmless virus. Read on to find out how to execute it.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Writing and Saving the Code

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1
Run Notepad. Notepad will allow you to input text with very little formatting. Click Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Notepad.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- If you're on a Mac, use TextEdit.
2
Input a small batch file. Put the following into your text file (without the bullets):
- @echo off
- echo Message here.^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
- shutdown -s -f -t 60 -c "type a message you want to appear here."
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^{[3]
X
Research source}
.
^{[4]
X
Research source}

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Making a Fake Icon

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8
Choose an icon that the name of your file. Click on it and hit "OK" twice.
- Note that this will not work on Windows 7 Pro

Sample Virus

Sample Shutdown Message

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Question

Will this harm the computer at all?

Community Answer

No, this only shuts the computer down. The user may lose any open and unsaved files, but the computer itself will be unharmed.

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What do the characters S, F, T, and C signify?

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S is for shutdown, F for force, T for timer, and C to do a message.

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Will the PC that I run this on be able to turn back on?

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Yes, this only shuts down the computer. It will turn back on normally and nothing will be harmed.

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Tips

It's even better if you name the virus after an internet browser like "Internet Explorer" or "Google Chrome" and change the icon to match. Save it to your desktop and delete the old internet shortcut so if they click to go on the internet, it shuts down on them.

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Do not shutdown the computer too early. It may not scare the victim or may not look like a virus.

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Android is based on Linux so with root access you should be able to do something similar (.sh files).

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Warnings

Do not execute such viruses on computers that must be available 24 hours a day, such as the ones in hospitals.

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If you use a shutdown-countdown, you should have enough time to abort the countdown.

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Only do this to someone who can handle such a prank!

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Some antiviruses will detect this as a virus

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Once this virus has been clicked on, there is often no way to stop it. However, if you need to terminate the shutdown for whatever reason, go to command prompt and type in this following command: "shutdown /a". It will immediately terminate the fake virus.

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