Microsoft is making a major change to one of Windows’ most recognizable (and notorious) features. The infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) – long a symbol of system failure and frustration for Windows users – is officially being phased out in the coming months.
The BSOD has been a core part of the Windows operating system since the early 1990s, first appearing in Windows 3.1 and evolving over time into the error message users know today. In 1993, the BSOD became a permanent fixture in Windows NT, signaling unrecoverable system errors, and it gained even more notoriety when the “frowny face” and QR code were added in Windows 8 and 10. However, in light of the massive CrowdStrike outage that left millions of Windows devices stuck on the dreaded blue screen last year, Microsoft is rethinking how it handles system failures.
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With a new update for Windows 11 24H2 devices rolling out later this summer, Microsoft is replacing the BSOD with a “Black Screen of Death.” Visually similar to the black screen users see during updates, the new error display will ditch the frowny face and QR codes in favor of a system stop code and any faulty driver responsible for the crash, making it easier for IT professionals and advanced users to troubleshoot without needing external tools like WinDbg. Microsoft says this change is part of its larger Windows Resiliency Initiative, aimed at improving stability and speeding up recovery.
Microsoft Bidding Farewell to the BSOD and Adding Many New Features for Windows
Alongside the visual overhaul to the BSOD, Microsoft will add several new features to Windows as well. Chief among them is Quick Machine Recovery (QMR), a tool that allows devices to reboot and recover from system crashes in as little as two seconds. Additional enhancements coming with the Windows update include Connected Cache, which helps reduce bandwidth use during updates; Universal Print for enterprise-level printing across networks; and Hotpatch, which installs monthly security updates without a restart. Users with Windows 365 Reserve will also gain access to temporary, pre-configured Cloud PCs.
Windows users have dreaded the BSOD for the past 30-odd years, and after the CrowdStrike outage, Microsoft seems keen on making amends to prevent such situations from arising in the future. The emphasis on clarity, faster diagnostics, and reduced downtime for the new error display is welcome, but it’s worth noting that this will apply to Windows 11-equipped PCs only. Systems running Windows 10 will still display the classic BSOD, which could be a bit of a concern since estimates suggest that a majority of PCs worldwide use the older operating system even today.
- Date Founded
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April 4, 1975
- Headquarters
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Redmond, Washington, United States
- CEO
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Satya Nadella
- Subsidiaries
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activision blizzard, Microsoft Studios, Mojang Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox Game Studios