How to Make an Error Message in Microsoft Windows (No Downloads)

Last Updated: June 3, 2022

Face it-customizing an error message in Windows is cool, whether you're an application programmer or just someone who wants to prank their co-worker. It doesn't have to be hard, either. You don't need to download any tricky software or tinker with system components and risk an actual error. If you want to create a Windows error message, just follow these simple steps.

Steps

1
Open Notepad. To open Notepad, head to your start menu, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Notepad.
2
Copy the line after the bullet below this paragraph, then paste it into Notepad. Notepad should look like this.
- x =msgbox("Message",0+00,"Title")
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3
Now, you will edit the error message. Refer to the bullets below:
- Replace Message with what you want the error message to say. Be sure to enter the message between the quotes, without deleting them. The specified area should look like this, with your message in place of Hello Wikihow.
- Replace Title with what you want the title of the error message to say. Be sure to enter the title between the quotes, without deleting them. The specified area should look like this, with your title in place of Greeting.
4
Next, we're going to determine what buttons and what icon the error message will have.
- Replace 0+00 in Notepad with a code under the Codes section of this article. (See Codes) What icons and buttons the codes will add to the error message is described there. Do not type the description into Notepad along with the code. The specified area should look like this, with your chosen code instead of 1+16.
5
It's now time to produce the error message. At the top of Notepad, click File and then Save As. Save the file name as yourname.vbs with any name that you want in place of yourname. Set Save as Type to Any.
6
Locate the vbs file where you saved it and open it.
7
Your error message will open if you performed the steps correctly.

Community Q&A

Question

What are operating systems (OS) that will work for this error message?

Samuelcregan698

Community Answer

All operating systems Windows XP+ will work with a custom error message.
Question

Can I make an option unclickable and greyed out?

GDGamer100

Community Answer

Probably not. Typically buttons don't do anything at all except proceed to the next line of code.
Question

How do you make it do something when you press "OK" and then quit when you press "Cancel"?

GDGamer100

Community Answer

Think about it: it's a harmless prank that will not do anything. It'll run the next line of code if there is any.