Python Scripts for Changing Wallpaper, Locking the Screen, and Creating Infinite Pop‑ups on Windows

This article demonstrates how to use Python 3.7 on Windows 10 to create three prank utilities: changing the desktop wallpaper, locking the screen continuously, and opening endless command‑prompt pop‑up windows.

1. Change Desktop Wallpaper

Tools

Development environment: Python 3.7, Windows 10

Libraries: win32api, win32con, win32gui, os, random

Installation command: <code>pip install pywin32</code>

The wallpaper settings are stored in the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop . By opening this key with win32api.RegOpenKeyEx and setting WallpaperStyle and TileWallpaper , the script can apply a chosen image using win32gui.SystemParametersInfo .

<code>k = win32api.RegOpenKeyEx(win32con.HKEY_CURRENT_USER, 'Control PanelDesktop', 0, win32con.KEY_SET_VALUE)
win32api.RegSetValueEx(k, "WallpaperStyle", 0, win32con.REG_SZ, '2')
win32gui.SystemParametersInfo(win32con.SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER, img_path, win32con.SPIF_SENDWININICHANGE)</code>

Full source code is provided below.

<code>import win32api   # call Windows API
import win32con   # modify registry values
import win32gui   # submit data to system
import os
import random
import time

def set_wallpaper():
    path = os.listdir(r'图片文件夹')
    for i in path:
        img_path = r'图片文件夹' + "\\" + i
        print(img_path)
        k = win32api.RegOpenKeyEx(win32con.HKEY_CURRENT_USER, 'Control PanelDesktop', 0, win32con.KEY_SET_VALUE)
        win32api.RegSetValueEx(k, "WallpaperStyle", 0, win32con.REG_SZ, '2')
        win32gui.SystemParametersInfo(win32con.SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER, img_path, win32con.SPIF_SENDWININICHANGE)
        time.sleep(10)

set_wallpaper()
</code>

2. Infinite Lock Screen

Tools

Development environment: Python 3.7, Windows 10

Library: ctypes (allows calling functions from user32.dll to lock the workstation).

<code>def lock_windows():
    while True:
        user = windll.LoadLibrary("user32.dll")
        user.LockWorkStation()
lock_windows()
</code>

Package the script with pyinstaller -F your_file.py for distribution.

3. Endless Pop‑up Windows

Using the os module to repeatedly launch cmd windows.

<code>for i in range(2000):
    os.system('start cmd')
</code>

To stop the pop‑ups, run: start taskkill /f /im cmd.exe /t