I know it sounds strange. But I need to create a blue screen error (or some other failure) on my laptop and I'm not sure how to intentionally do it.

I will explain the reason I want this but please don't tear into me:

I need to keep my wife off the laptop and I don't want to do anything like change the login password. I'd rather tell her the laptop crapped out. Jeez that sounds pathetic . . . I'm not a man . . .

Anyway - I was hoping to create a hardware failure of some kind, maybe I can even flip a switch in the BIOS that throws the settins off enough for Windows not to load - either way I want to be able to undo the "damage" VERY easily.

Any ideas?

Po

Any ideas?
Grow a pair?

I WANT a BSOD
Well, you could grab this screen saver from Sysinternals. That might get you by.

If you want a legit BSOD, the easiest thing would be to create the registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters\CrashOnCtrlScroll

and give it a value of 1. After a reboot, you'll be able to crash your PC on command by holding down the right Ctrl and pressing Scroll Lock twice.

If you were only kidding about wanting the real thing, then try the BSOD screensaver instead. It's good enough to scare the hell out of your compurterolic wife (who isn't nowaday?)

http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/...

i_Xp/VistaUser

Both of those require can be fixed by simply restarting. You might try:

a) removing the memory. This will produce an error on boot up before windows even thinks about loading.

b) removing the hard drive.

-Ryan Adams
http://RyanTAdams.com

You could create a fake BSOD and use it as the boot image.

I am sure someone here can tell you how to extend the time on the boot screen until a certain key is pressed.

Both of those require can be fixed by simply restarting.
Then make a shortcut to the screen saver in the Startup folder.

Thank you everyone - very good ideas. I learned some stuff too. I'm going to hone in a little more on my request.

I really want the computer to be inoperable. The screensaver idea is great - except when she moves the mouse it goes away.

Boot screen is a great idea too except the computer will continue to boot.

I love the registry key method too - very cool, but Windows will have already started.

My personal best idea was also mentioned, pulling the RAM. It's my fallback idea. The more I think about it the more I think I can make it work.

I'm still interested in ideas about creating a BSOD OR freezing the laptop during boot up.

Thanks all

Po

I'm thinking the OP wants the BSOD to display on boot/login without any user interaction - in case the wife tries to start the machine herself.

I'm thinking using a BSOD image as the desktop background, removing icons from the desktop and hiding the task bar "might" work.

But, if you are this scared of your wife, your balls will be in a jar (if they aren't alread) if she finds out you are tying to dupe her.

Michael J

Here's another option. Change the login screen so that the user is required to press Ctrl-Alt-Delete (assuming you have the graphical logon screen with icons for each user).

Then change the graphic of that login screen to be a BSOD.

Now when the computer is booted the user will be presented with a BSOD. If they do not know to press Ctrl-Alt-Del to login they will be stock at that screen. (Although there might be a "shut down" button on that page, not 100% sure)

Michael J

Well, the BEST way would be to write a Kernel driver that BSOD's on load, but I doubt you're fluent in Win32 Kernel API.

After a second cup of coffee I see a bad senario. (misspelled)

Wife starts computer.
Sees BSOD.
Turns off computer (not through shut down)
System becomes corrupt.

Real BSOD comes up.

Pulling ram...time consuming and I wonder how many times it can be done before the case begins to fail from all the open/close operations.

New idea! Put all your personal stuff in a hidden folder.

Am I the only one seeing the REAL issue here is NOT a computer one?

Life's more painless for the brainless.

Ha - hide my stuff. No need. The problem really is my wife. Ever since we got the laptop she can't get off it. I've talked to her about it - she doesn't think she's on alot.

I can change the login password but I don't want the grief between us. Figured its best for the computer to just have "failed". She won't go to the desktop and I won't have to listen to BS about why nothing was done in a day.

She's not terribly saavy . . . say is there a way to turn the LCD off so it appears to be broken (meaning she can't wiggle the mouse and bring it out of sleep). She can't use what she can't see . .

Po

Go out to your circuit breaker panel and flip the main circuit breaker. The TV will no longer work and after an hour or so the laptop will run out of battery. Problem solved, no more distractions.

-Ryan Adams
http://RyanTAdams.com

"Am I the only one seeing the REAL issue here is NOT a computer one?"

Probably. You're one of the few gals who post on computing.net. :-)

Us guys don't know how to look deeply into anything that doesn't have a circuit board, spark plug, or Windows registry in it. :P

The creme de la creme of Socket 939:
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3DMark06: 13896

If you change your mind & want to do the registry trick, think twice. The resultant BSOD generates the following screen that reads in the beginning:

STOP: 0x000000E2 (0x00000000...)
The end-user manually generated the crashdump.

If she is that savvy and she reads everything, be prepared to spend the night outside in the dog house with your dog.

i_Xp/VistaUser

An error within Vista usually generates a blank screen, not a blue screen. I don't think that's what you want. You could go into the BIOS and set the SATA mode to RAID, assuming the BIOS has that option and you're not actually running a RAID setup. That should give a BSOD before booting into Vista.

Maybe you just need a new Wife. Obviously, you don"'t respect her, if you think she won't figure out that the Laptop only works when you want to use it.

OR; maybe she needs a Husband.

Just buy her a Cheap Desk Top. It will be a lot cheaper than paying for all the lies you're trying to create here.

There is nothing to learn from someone who already agrees with you.

Get her a copy of Windows ME. That'll keep her from doing anything. :)

Coming home from very lonely places, all of us go a little mad: whether from great personal success, or just an all-night drive, we are the sole survivors of a world no one else has ever seen.
-

this idea is making me LOL!!
why does it need to be a bsod
why can,t you just hide the hdd or
change the boot settings
change the voltage to 220 onthe back of the psu (just do not actualy plug it into 220)
pull a power supply cable
or
wath ya tryin ta hide??
porno???

OK folks I have to admit this has been good for a chuckle. I appreciate all of the suggestions and most of the criticism but I still don't have anything that works.

Jennifer and dumbob are onto something but didn't provide a viable solution to the problem.

The problem is I need to temporarily disable my Vista LAPTOP rendering it inoperable. The solution doesn't have to be a blue screen or blank screen but it can't include cutting power to the house or making adjustments that can only be made on a desktop.

I did try just removing the HDD from the boot lineup but . . . maybe I didn't save my changes because she got on the laptop 3 minutes after I tried sabotaging it.

The best idea so far (changing the RAID setting) isn't available to me.

Anyway is there a way to point the boot loader to look for key files on a CD rather than in the system directory???? Not opposed to installing a 3rd party boot manager if it helps.

Po

"Jennifer and dumbob are onto something but didn't provide a viable solution to the problem" A non-computer question belies a non-computer answer.

So, since you mentioned it... Deal with the problem, which is your perception that your wife spends too much time on the computer. My question would be to ask her "Why?" Is there something perhaps you aren't doing that she feels the need to fill her time with computer surfing, game playing, chatting with others, etc.?

How much time are YOU spending on the computer?

I could go on, but this Forum is really for computer problems, not marital ones.

Life's more painless for the brainless.

"I could go on, but this forum is really for computer problems, not marital ones"

. . . you girls. If you really wanted to leave the relationship aspect alone you would have posted a computer solution not a comment on the real issue.

So I challenge you then to leave the marital problems out and offer YOUR solution to the computer problem posted in the computer forum ;)

Po

Seems you're a bit defensive, powlaz. Understandably so. As I stated; this is not a computer problem. If you perceive it as one, then get rid of the computer. My recommendation; seek counseling, or seek counsel.

Life's more painless for the brainless.

SIMPLE, try looking for a real time stopwatch type prog.this way if she is spending that much time on there she will see it .try a widget?

on the road again!!