Fake/Funny Error Messages (1998)

added Sep 13, 2009 at 01:52AM UTC

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About

Error messages have been popping up on computers for a very long time. Almost everyone with a computer has seen an error message at least once. These messages consist of a title, text, and sometimes icons and buttons as well. It wouldn’t have been long before people began playing around with these error messages to produce their own versions of funny error messages.

Origin

Several errors on several errors had accidentally been made in the past, forming this meme into what it is today. It all had started by mistake, when unedited messages had slipped through to production and had been made into official error messages, to the programmers’ and the developers’ despair.

Some time soon, a veteran programmer and author by the name of Ben Ezzel (an example of a programmer who had the misfortune of having his “stupid” error message be made official), to complete his book called Developing Windows Error Messages, held a contest wherein which he and some of his affiliates asked people to send in their favorite “bad” error messages. Many examples were submitted for the competition.

Here are a few examples of some of the error messages that had been sent in:

  • Setup is unable to locate a suitable version of DirectX on your machine. You will need to install DirectX before you can use LiveArt98, dumbass!
  • Printer on fire.
  • The procedure failed with the following error: The command completed successfully.
  • Not enough memory to display this dialog.
  • Error: Keyboard not found. Press F1 to continue.
  • Your mouse is not working, please click here to acknowledge.
  • Cannot delete tmp150_3.tmp: There is not enough free disk space. Delete one or more files to free disk space, and then try again.
  • Unexpected error, quitting.
  • An Internet error occurred.
  • Windows has found an unknown device and is installing a driver for it.
  • Your system shell has changed. The Compaq software will work with your new shell, but the new shell will not work with your Compaq software. Do you wish to keep your Compaq software working? Click yes if you are unsure.
  • Error 0000: No errors found, restarting computer.
  • You need to supply a fax number in order for your request not to receive fax notifications to be processed.

The Book


Error Message Generators

Though most edited error messages were manually done, it was often too much work and several people didn’t know how to make them. Today, there are several generator sites on the internet that allow people to create their own error messages without the need to know how to do so.

Sample sites:

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27 Comments

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 13, 2009 at 01:55AM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

I definitely need moar sauce, but I just don’t know what else I need for this entry other than photos.

Blah-tan
Sep 13, 2009 at 02:10AM UTC , Blah-tan wrote:

Try finding the first photoshopped error message (good luck with that!).

Griff McConal
Sep 13, 2009 at 02:31AM UTC , Griff McConal wrote:

srsly?

Shadowfury
Sep 13, 2009 at 02:45AM UTC , Shadowfury wrote:

These are awesome.
And, I just got an idea. What if I decompiled a program on someone’s computer and replaced some of the dialogs with some of these, then recompiled it? (I’d keep a backup)
Also, what’s the origin of this meme? I know I’ve been seeing these everywhere for as long as I’ve been an active participant in the internet. Anyone found out yet?

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 13, 2009 at 03:55AM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

@ Blah and Shadowfury

I thought about that. Actually, I think it’s impossible to search for this meme’s origins. AFAIK, these things started popping up on the internet when people were first allowed to post images on the internet (which is when again, exactly?). Well, at least I think they were. I think it’s impossible to figure it out.

If someone does know something about this meme’s history, it would be appreciative to me for you to inform me of this in the discussion I started about the meme right here

Blah-tan
Sep 13, 2009 at 04:16AM UTC , Blah-tan wrote:

Well at least find the first picture in terms of date. Never hurts to try.

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 13, 2009 at 06:17AM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

Well, the earliest mention of the specific phrase “fake error message” on the internet that I found was a January 1994 article about it on a site called DriveTech. Unfortunately, you need to be a member of the site to view articles as a whole so I wasn’t able to read anything about it other than the fact that it activates a worm virus of some sort.

All other information I read from that time on to 1998 that had something to do about fake error messages also talked about it being used to activate a virus as well, so I’m guessing that fake error messages were first created as a means to infect someones system with a worm.

It was this article in a website called pressofAtlanticCity.com on April of 1999 that first talked about using fake error messages as a form of a joke so as to scare your friends. You also need to be a member to read about the whole article.

I looked through other sites, but there was nothing really useful other than these things which I’ve found that I could find. Also, since it’s 1 AM right now here in Canada, I’m naturally tired. I’ll continue this tomorrow. Good night.

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 14, 2009 at 05:00AM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

Strange… it seems I cannot edit my own entry for some apparent reason. It has the “Suggest Changers” thing other than the “Edit Entry” button. Can an admin look up what the problem is please. Thank you.

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 14, 2009 at 05:01AM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

Never mind. It seems to be working now. KYM is glitching more than usual now.

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 14, 2009 at 10:27PM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

Aha! I found something groundbreaking! I found a CNN article from October 1998, a year before the Newsbank thing I submitted yesterday, that specifically talks about altered error messages to produce funny messages. Here’s the link to the site. I think this is the earliest mention of spoofing error messages that I’ll ever find. It’s time to fix up the entry.

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 14, 2009 at 10:54PM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

I think that about sums it up real nicely. Is there anything else I need, or is this entry good enough?

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 14, 2009 at 11:27PM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

The latest pics I submitted are from the competition.

kikinak
Oct 07, 2009 at 06:39PM UTC , kikinak wrote:

im gonna upload a template soon. i just need to finish making the letters for it

Memedude7737
Oct 08, 2009 at 10:00PM UTC , Memedude7737 wrote:

These things are awesome. I wish I knew how to make them.

Jostin Asuncion
Oct 13, 2009 at 10:16PM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

I’m bumping this meme’s comments for admins’ evaluation of teh article.

kikinak
Nov 05, 2009 at 10:26PM UTC , kikinak wrote:

@memedude

i just added a template, go into MS paint and use it

Jostin Asuncion
Nov 20, 2009 at 02:08AM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

I can’t say “+1 Confirm” to my own article because that just seems wrong, though I did update it a bit. Saying that, I’ll let my fellow researchers judge it for me.

kikinak
Nov 25, 2009 at 05:30PM UTC , kikinak wrote:

then i will say that +1 confirm for you jostin. and + another 1 for myself

Daniel Randomguy
Nov 26, 2009 at 02:16AM UTC , Daniel Randomguy wrote:

Wait, what’s the name of the font used in the messages?

Jostin Asuncion
Nov 26, 2009 at 02:46AM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

@ Daniel

Probably Arial because it’s the default computer font for most software operating systems (other than Times New Roman, of course).

Chris Menning
Nov 28, 2009 at 09:39PM UTC , Chris Menning wrote:

To be honest, this is one of those entries that seems to broad to call a meme.

In 1994, I got a computer with Windows 3.1 on it. I had no internet. And I still made fake error messages in MS Paint.

It’s not specific enough to try to trace the spread. It’s just a basic concept that comes to people eary on.

Chris Menning
Nov 28, 2009 at 09:39PM UTC , Chris Menning wrote:

*early on.

Memedude7737
Nov 28, 2009 at 09:43PM UTC , Memedude7737 wrote:

See, another thing about these is that they are only on Windows. I use Suns Microsystems, which cannot make these(effectively, anyways). But I still use internet, and can use other forms of memes. This is really more of a “Windows” meme, like Chris said.

Jostin Asuncion
Nov 28, 2009 at 10:26PM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

@ Memedude

It’s not Windows restricted. There have been examples of fake Mac error messages as well and I’m sure there are several others for different operating systems.

@ Chris

Well, you’re the admin and you always know what’s right. Thinking about it now, it does seem too broad to call it an internet meme. Though, I wouldn’t call it an IRL meme neither… what kind of meme is this?

Memedude7737
Nov 28, 2009 at 10:27PM UTC , Memedude7737 wrote:

Computer meme?

Lanthus [Chicken Ace & Taking Names mode activated]
Dec 07, 2009 at 05:36AM UTC , Lanthus [Chicken Ace & Taking Names mode activated] wrote:

The best real error message I ever got was programed into a trial program ( I forget what)
finishing the uninstaller resulted in this message: "sorry I can’t commit suicide. please don’t be a noob and for get to delete the other related folders

waaaay too broad but, it should be firmed none the less

Chris Menning
Dec 07, 2009 at 09:21PM UTC , Chris Menning wrote:

I don’t want to deadpool this. There’s been more and more talk about adding some kind of other-than-memes category to the site. Might as well let this stick around in submissions until that time comes.

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