BSoD

Winsage
July 14, 2025
Microsoft has announced the retirement of the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) after nearly forty years, transitioning to a new error screen called the Black Screen of Death. The new screen will feature a black background, replacing the blue, and will provide clearer error messages, such as "Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart." This change is part of a broader initiative to improve user experience during critical failures, including a significant reduction in reboot times to approximately two seconds. The redesign was influenced by the CrowdStrike outage and aims to enhance clarity and efficiency in troubleshooting. The rollout will begin with Windows Insiders and expand to millions of PCs globally.
Winsage
July 12, 2025
Microsoft is set to unveil a redesigned Black Screen of Death (BSOD) for Windows 11 users enrolled in the Release Preview, transitioning from the traditional blue screen. This update will roll out to all Windows 11 users in the coming weeks. The new black BSOD is the first major change since the sad face icon was introduced in Windows 8, eliminating the previous frowning face and QR code for a more straightforward interface. It will still provide essential information, including the stop code and identification of the problematic system driver, to assist users and IT administrators in diagnosing system crashes. This change is confirmed as permanent and is part of a broader enhancement to Windows 11, which includes the Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) feature aimed at expediting recovery from boot failures.
Winsage
July 12, 2025
Microsoft is introducing a feature called "quick machine recovery" for Windows users, currently available in Windows 11 Build 26100.4762. This feature allows PCs to autonomously troubleshoot and fix issues after a crash, such as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), by booting into the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). Quick machine recovery can connect to Microsoft’s servers to send crash data for analysis, eliminating the need for users to interpret error codes. It employs cloud remediation and auto remediation methods, though auto remediation is disabled by default on home PCs. The existing Startup Repair tool will still be available as a fallback option, and users can disable quick machine recovery if desired. Additionally, the build includes a refined "semantic search" capability in Settings, integration of Microsoft’s Reading Coach app, and the ability to export Recall snapshots to third-party applications in Europe.
Winsage
July 11, 2025
Windows 11 has changed its Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) to a Black Screen of Death, maintaining the BSoD abbreviation but adopting a new design that aligns with Windows 11's aesthetic. The new interface features a black background and a message stating, "Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart," along with a stop code for error information. Microsoft is testing this redesign in the Release Preview channel, aiming to improve user experience during crashes. The updated design removes the frowny face and QR code, which were previously part of the BSoD. Concerns have been raised about the new design's similarity to a standard Windows update screen, potentially causing confusion among users.
Winsage
July 10, 2025
Microsoft is introducing a black version of the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) for Windows operating systems, marking the first major redesign since Windows 8. This new BSOD is currently being rolled out to Windows 11 Release Preview users, with a wider release expected soon. The updated design focuses on clarity, providing essential information such as the stop code and faulty system driver to help users and IT administrators identify issues quickly. This change follows previous experiments with a black BSOD in 2021 and coincides with the introduction of the Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) feature in Windows 11, aimed at improving system resilience.
Winsage
July 8, 2025
Microsoft plans to transition the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) to a Black Screen of Death, set to roll out in the summer of 2025. The new black BSOD will feature a streamlined user interface and a "Quick Machine Recovery" feature to assist in repairing computers that fail to boot up. This update will be included in a cumulative update for Windows 11 24H2 or later, excluding Windows 11 23H2 users. Key changes include a black background, the absence of the frowning emoticon, and no QR code or detailed explanatory text. The black BSOD will display a brief message indicating a problem has occurred, prompting a restart, which may lead to user confusion.
Winsage
July 8, 2025
Microsoft is redesigning the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) for Windows 11, transforming it into a Black Screen of Death with a black background and without the frowny face icon. The new screen will still provide essential information about the need to restart the device. This redesign may cause confusion among users due to its resemblance to the Windows Update screen. Additionally, with the introduction of Windows 11 24H2, the operating system can create a crash dump collection file more quickly, allowing for reboots from the BSOD screen in approximately two seconds.
Winsage
July 2, 2025
Microsoft has announced the retirement of the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), which will be replaced by a black screen in the upcoming Windows 11 update. This change is part of a shift in Microsoft's approach to system errors, aiming for a more modern and minimalist design. The new black screen is expected to enhance readability and simplify unexpected reboots, although it has sparked debate regarding the removal of the QR code for troubleshooting. The new interface is anticipated to debut in late 2025.
Winsage
June 30, 2025
Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 25H2 is forthcoming, serving as a feature enablement update rather than a complete overhaul, sharing the same underlying source code as Windows 11 24H2. Windows Insiders have already gained early access to 25H2, which will introduce additional features activated through an enablement package. Jason Leznek, Principal Project Manager for Windows Servicing and Delivery, noted the seamless compatibility between the two versions, advising a focus on new features rather than a comprehensive review of the operating system. Windows 11 24H2 has faced various issues since its release in 2024, leading to compatibility holds from Microsoft. A significant change in Windows 11 25H2 includes the retirement of the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), which will be replaced by a black "unexpected restart" screen, while still allowing users to view the stop error code. Microsoft is also introducing quick recovery options for PCs that have trouble restarting and enhancing its security framework by allowing antivirus and endpoint protection vendors to operate in user mode outside of the Windows kernel. The BSoD replacement is expected to roll out on Windows 11 24H2 devices over the summer and will be a key feature of Windows 11 25H2. Additionally, the Windows endpoint security platform will enter private preview in July.
Search