If it ain't broken, don't fix it. If it is broken, stick a Blue Screen of Death on it. That was always Microsoft's solution when it came to our Windows computers, but sadly, nothing lasts forever.
Up there with Xbox's Red Ring of Death, the BSoD is one of the most iconic system failures there is.
Officially known as a stop error, the BSoD is a critical error screen that's displayed when a Microsoft Windows operating system has reached a condition where it can't operate safely. Caused by everything from malware to intentional human intervention, the BSoD has been a staple of our computer woes since the first beta release of Windows 1.0 in the '80s, so Microsoft killing it off is a big deal.
The blue screen, sad face, and QR code have been swapped out for a black screen that's similar to the one you'll be greeted with when Windows is performing an update. It's technically true that we can still call this Black Screen of Death the BSOD, but it's just not the same.
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Microsoft has explained the change in a blog post, adding: "We’re previewing a new, more streamlined UI for unexpected restarts which better aligns with Windows 11 design principles and supports our goal of getting users back into productivity as fast as possible.
"We’ve simplified your experience while preserving the technical information on the screen."
Window Insiders can test out the hyped BSoD in the test versions of the Beta, Dev, and Canary Channels, although it's currently displayed as a green screen. As noted by The Verge, this is the first big overhaul of the BSoD since Windows 8 added the sad face.
As this is only in Beta, we'll have to wait and see whether this is the final version. Still, it's clear the generic black screen mourning the Blue Screen of Death isn't a hit among users.
One disgruntled owner raged: "Black, but still as uninformative as ever. How am I supposed to fix it if I don't know what broke? It has a new coat of paint but is still as stupid and opaque as ever."
Another joked: "We're one revision away from "You broke this computer, start saving for a replacement while we try to reboot this one.'"
Someone else concluded: "There’s a sense of surety that comes with seeing the blue screen, you know something has properly f**ked up with Windows. With the black screen, at least for a while, i think i'll get the feeling that it might be some sort of weird update that they doing or some sort of new feature, despite the same words."
For now, you're stuck with the Green Screen of Death and pining for the days when we could hurl our rage at the Blue Screen of Death.