Unwanted Announcements: How I Resolved My PC’s Persistent “Did You Know” Facts

Have you ever encountered an annoying glitch with your computer that leaves you scratching your head? Recently, I experienced a peculiar issue with my Windows 10 laptop that had me baffled — every 30 minutes, my PC would announce a random factoid in a loud voice, starting with “Did you know?”. It felt like my computer had taken on the role of a trivia nighttime host, blasting out strange snippets of information such as, “A hairball is called a bezoar” or “Marie Antoinette met her end in the guillotine.”

As someone who works in IT, I felt both embarrassed and frustrated that I couldn’t pinpoint the source of this outburst. Despite my efforts to search for solutions online, using phrases like “Did you know PC speech” or “my PC keeps telling me factoids,” I found myself drowning in irrelevant results.

I double-checked to ensure that Cortana was completely disabled, yet the disembodied voice continued its uninvited interruptions on the dot — precisely every half hour. My workday was interrupted as I tried to figure out why I was receiving these unsolicited trivia tidbits. I had no new extensions, unfamiliar programs, or suspicious applications; everything appeared normal.

The Unexpected Discovery

After some digging, clarity finally emerged: it turned out to be an elaborate prank orchestrated by a coworker! They had run a simple batch file that was set to execute every 15 minutes, pulling quotes from an XML file to read off aloud. To make matters worse, they used a PowerShell script to schedule this mischievous task, ensuring that the announcements would persistently loop on my device.

It was a classic case of workplace humor that had taken me by surprise! Although I appreciated the creativity behind the prank, it served as a reminder of the importance of staying vigilant and aware of what’s running in the background on our machines.

Final Thoughts

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, don’t lose hope. Start by confirming any scheduled tasks or scripts running on your computer, as these might lead to unexpected behavior. And remember, even IT professionals can fall prey to a well-executed prank now and then!