Alert boxes

[Nick C]

Does anyone know how to make an Alert box pop up when an icon is clicked on the desktop?

My daughter uses Trillian (instant messager program). Well she managed to get herself grounded from the computer. I just wondered if I could make an alert box pop up and say:

Sorry Megan, You are grounded until March 15th!

I would like it to pop up when ever she clicks on the Trillian icon.
I am using Windows98

 

[jw7]

Well, with windows 98 it is a bit tough, since I don't believe scripting was bundled until W2K, but if you are dead set on it - you can do this with a little bit of work:

1) If you don't already have a C:\temp directory, create one

2) Go here and download messagebox.zip, save it to C:\temp

http://optimumx.com/download/#MessageBox

3) Unzip the files into c:\temp\MessageBox

4) Find your trillian icon - right click on properties. I forget win98 but there should be a "target" or a "path" and a "startup directory" or "start in" location. Copy these locations into notepad or an email and save it somewhere you will remember so you can set the properties back when you are done.

5) Change the target properites of trillian to:

C:\temp\MessageBox\MessageBox.exe /C: Grounded! /M:Sorry Megan, You are grounded until March 15th! /T:16

and the path to:

C:\temp\Messagebox

 

[schel]

Yeah, unless you know quite a bit of programming there's no "real" way of doing it. If she's not too computer savvy the above suggestion will work. If she is, there are ways around it. Hmm, one other suggestion:

If you know how to, you can block all applications that connect to the web that doesn't use the http protocol. So basically she can only browse websites. I can't tell you how to do it unless I have more knowledge of your connection. If you have a router and a cable connection, I believe it would be pretty easy. It's different for every router. You could even call the router company's tech support number and have them explain to you how it's done. It should just be a few steps.

 

[Nick C]

Thanks a ton. I don't believe she knows how to run an app without a clicking on an icon or finding it in the start menu. Not yet anyway

She really doesn't browse the web, she just uses Trillian to chat with her classmates.

Thanks again

 

[bratwurst]

EDIT = oops... I guess this was already posted!


If it is a shortcut on the desktop, then this might work:

1) Make a text file that says what you want it to say. Save it as message.txt in the root of c:/

2) Right click on the trillian shortcut and go to properties. There should be a "target" line that points to the executable for trillian. Simply change that line so it points to the message you created. So it would now have a target of c:/message.txt

Now when you double click on the trillian shortcut, it will pop up the message.txt file instead of trillian. After March 15th, you can change it back to point to the program.

 

[Ryanwb]

Since work is slow today, I will write you a program and will post the code and instructions here

 

[Ryanwb]

Okay, you can make the message say whatever you want, I made some generic thing. Very simply code

Open notepad and copy this code:

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
intButton = WshShell.Popup ("You are grounded until March 15th young lady!",0)


Now save it with anyname you want, but with a .VBS extention. For example Alert.vbs

You can change the text with the Quotes on the second line. For this to run it has to be executed, so simply have the desktop shortcut run this file. Test it out and have fun

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Worked awesome, only problem is that if you change the "target" of her IM icon, it actually changes the "icon" itself, so it no longer looks like the right thing.

Also, if she has half a brain, she could just browse to c:/program files/MyDumbIMClientProbablyAOL/program.exe

Nice job though.

Mike

 

[Chaz]

Originally posted by Chandler Mike
Worked awesome, only problem is that if you change the "target" of her IM icon, it actually changes the "icon" itself, so it no longer looks like the right thing.

Also, if she has half a brain, she could just browse to c:/program files/MyDumbIMClientProbablyAOL/program.exe

Nice job though.

Mike

You can change the icon in the shortcut properties, but your right nothing will keep her from browsing to the correct executable.

If your drive is formatted NTFS and you use separate user accounts you could set permissions for the trillian.exe file to no access. Edit: nevermind anyway your using W98. *doh*

 

[Nick C]

thanks

No she doesn't know how to open an app without using a desktop or startup icon.

The Icon did change but I just changed it back to the original icon. I don't know if she tried it but I'm sure she did. She was home all day from school and probably tried to chat with her friends

I could have just locked the computer up but it wouldn't be as fun.

 

[Ryanwb]

Originally posted by Nick C
I could have just locked the computer up but it wouldn't be as fun.

This women at my work copied all these virus infected MP3 files and other such things from her home PC to a shared folder on one of our servers. She thought it was a brilliant idea to make her MP3 files available to everyone else in the buildling.

It took me and entire weekend to clean up that mess and solve all the issues. When she came in on monday and logged into her PC I locked her down so much that she had only 1 icon on her desktop that she needed to do her job. No start menu, no internet explorer, no My Computer....just that one icon. She couldn't even change the screen saver or background color.

The look on her face was priceless, but then she called me for help :roll: