Clever sabotage

GeorgeSkywalker

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I'm pretty sure my desktop computer system is sabotaged. Question is how...


The symptoms are:
No picture on monitor its completely dark.
However, all lights and sounds work as normal including desktop and monitor. So monitor light is on which probably means its receiving power.

Thought this would make a nice thought experiment in who can devise the cleverest sabotage ;-)
(and possibly resolve the issue however that is not the main intent as I'd write it off anyway)


So if you were a saboteur how would you go about it?

I had two ideas:
1) take computer monitor cable out. Open it up and damage the inside. Place it back including house dust on top :)

2) Press the function F7 key. This is probably different on different computers and not sure desktops have it. Laptops for sure have it as its marked. It toggles monitor signal from laptop monitor to external or both. Or some variant of this, like i know there is a special key combo to switch monitor signal sideways etc but forget the details...

3) had another one but forgotten it completely...


Prizes:
* Ninja saboteur badge for most original idea
* Clownfish saboteur badge for most amusing idea
* :coffee: saboteur badge for most thoughtful idea
etc
 
needle somewhere through the cable to make a short circuit and cut the rest of the needle. if done correctly its basically invisible.
 
Always consider cockup before conspiracy.

Is your graphics card blown? I had a symptom just like you describe years ago and that was the problem. Yet in hindsight it turned out that it was the jitter from a wonky contact at the video cable plug that caused it.

Do you have another monitor to test with your computer, another computer to test with your monitor, and a spare video cable to check that, too?
 
perhaps,

1) try another monitor on this computer.
2) try this monitor on another computer.
 
Alright, this is how i would do it.
I would change the background to black. Remove any login so when it boots it boots into black.
Go into the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS NT\CURRENTVERSION\WINLOGON
Go into shell and change the shell value from explorer.exe to progman.exe. This will basically disable everything, gets rid of icons, taskbar, etc... Disable the mouse pointer. Disable Ctrl+alt del because the only way to revert back to explorer.exe is the task manager.

Not sure how well this would work but its just funny. Even changing the shell value explorer to progman is hilarious because its just a blank screen with nothing
 
I think the arkadia devs did IT. They snuck in your house while you weer sleeping.
 
Many reasonable suggestions here.

If you are using DVI (or VGA) cable to you monitor it could also be as simple as a bent or broken pin after someone pulled the plug in and out. (I seem to recall that was the problem for me one time long ago)

Edit: Woops, I see now that you already covered that one :p
 
I think the arkadia devs did IT. They snuck in your house while you weer sleeping.

that explains why they have forgotten to manage the planet!
 
I'm pretty sure my desktop computer system is sabotaged. Question is how...


The symptoms are:
No picture on monitor its completely dark.
However, all lights and sounds work as normal including desktop and monitor. So monitor light is on which probably means its receiving power.

Thought this would make a nice thought experiment in who can devise the cleverest sabotage ;-)
(and possibly resolve the issue however that is not the main intent as I'd write it off anyway)


So if you were a saboteur how would you go about it?

I had two ideas:
1) take computer monitor cable out. Open it up and damage the inside. Place it back including house dust on top :)

2) Press the function F7 key. This is probably different on different computers and not sure desktops have it. Laptops for sure have it as its marked. It toggles monitor signal from laptop monitor to external or both. Or some variant of this, like i know there is a special key combo to switch monitor signal sideways etc but forget the details...

3) had another one but forgotten it completely...


Prizes:
* Ninja saboteur badge for most original idea
* Clownfish saboteur badge for most amusing idea
* :coffee: saboteur badge for most thoughtful idea
etc


Step 1:
If its an older monitor (non LED) i would open the front panel and disconnect cathode lamps. Monitor would still work but unless u use a flashlight and put ur face super close u wouldn't see anything on the screen.
Step 2:
Ask u whats wrong with your monitor and then offer you to fix it for a sixpack :)
 
I'm pretty sure my desktop computer system is sabotaged. Question is how...


The symptoms are:
No picture on monitor its completely dark.
However, all lights and sounds work as normal including desktop and monitor. So monitor light is on which probably means its receiving power.

Thought this would make a nice thought experiment in who can devise the cleverest sabotage ;-)
(and possibly resolve the issue however that is not the main intent as I'd write it off anyway)


So if you were a saboteur how would you go about it?

I had two ideas:
1) take computer monitor cable out. Open it up and damage the inside. Place it back including house dust on top :)

2) Press the function F7 key. This is probably different on different computers and not sure desktops have it. Laptops for sure have it as its marked. It toggles monitor signal from laptop monitor to external or both. Or some variant of this, like i know there is a special key combo to switch monitor signal sideways etc but forget the details...

3) had another one but forgotten it completely...


Prizes:
* Ninja saboteur badge for most original idea
* Clownfish saboteur badge for most amusing idea
* :coffee: saboteur badge for most thoughtful idea
etc

 
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