The 'Delete System32' meme is one of the oldest and most notorious pranks in internet history, originating in the early 2000s on message boards like 4chan. It involves seasoned users tricking newcomers into deleting the essential Windows system directory, System32, under the false pretense that it will fix lag or remove viruses. While it actually renders the operating system unbootable, the prank became a legendary 'rite of passage' for tech-illiterate users. Today, the meme is used nostalgically to mock gullibility or as a hyperbolic solution to minor software bugs, often associated with the golden age of Rage Comics and internet trolling culture.