My favourite batch file. It is a shame Windoze does not support a proper POSIX language, but only this crappy DOS batch stuff. AFAIK this script does not work on vista, but works on Windows 7 and XP.

:START
msg %username% Memory exception at 0x%RANDOM%
goto START

It loops, layering more and more pop-ups the longer it runs. As soon as one is closed or 60 seconds elapses another appears in the centre of the screen, de-focusing whatever the user was typing in or doing. Put it in allusers/startmenu/startup.

Now write a second batch file and hide it somewhere along with another copy of the above. It should check IF FILE EXIST for the above script, and if it does not exist then copy the above script back to the 'startup' directory. Make this IF FILE EXIST batch file execute on start-up via registry.

The benefits are that nothing harmful is done and other processes are piggybacked for the operation ( I believe explorer.exe perhaps stores the popup queue? ), so you won't spot anything out of the ordinary in taskmanager

Fixing can be done by simply deleting the files ( if the kids can find where they are located ).

AFAIK The pop-ups survive even into the login prompt if the user logs out.

Would they not test their products before producing 12 million of them?

Yet another reason why I do not go to McDonalds.

I was listening on the radio this morning and a supposed Microsoft statement was read out on ABC (Australia) AM. As well as upgrading Internet Exploder they also reccomended 'users of Windows XP' upgrade to later versions of Windoze.

Microsoft even exploits bad publicity for their upgrade cycle.

Yeah, I see the logic in that.

The fact rental chains are taking this leads me to think they are at the movie studios every whim.

Perhaps one day movies on free to air will have baked-in ads from the original movie studio and the good bits replaced with a white screen saying 'you must purchase the movie to see this content'

This would be a great idea, but it means more people would be exiting the contract early, as it gets to its end. This would probably all add up to less income for the big companies. And then there is also the fuzzy of when exactly the customer 'terminated' their use of the contract. Was it when they used the service last? Was it the date the termination request was sent or the second they decided in their head to do so?

People don't look at the termination fees when they buy a new phone/deal - they look at how much it costs to enter and how much it costs to use ( and sometimes not even that ).

*insert falling off cliff sound effect*

Contract or deal companies using scare tactics to stop customers leaving. Hmm... I swear that's a 'do be evil'. It's just as bad as advertising a product which (once you have paid for it) comes with free bonus products. Wow! I can get free things by paying for them!

Although Verizon has showed their enthusiasm to earn more ( being one of possibly millions of companies to do so ), the solution really is to educate those who agree to the contracts. The companies have a right to 'compensation' because the customer quit the contract early ( as the company didn't receive the projected income ), but it still boils down to caveat emptor