CrowdStrike

Winsage
July 24, 2025
Microsoft has announced the retirement of the "blue screen of death," a long-standing error screen in Windows, as part of its Windows Resiliency Initiative. This change marks the end of an era that has lasted over three decades. The blue screen will be replaced by a black restart screen that displays a simplified message: “Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart,” along with a code for technical details and a progress indicator. The frequency of critical errors has decreased in recent years, partly due to better internet connectivity and software updates.
Winsage
July 14, 2025
Microsoft is enhancing Windows 11 with a feature called Quick Machine Recovery (QMR), currently in preview builds, designed to address boot failures. QMR uses the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to automatically connect to the internet and Microsoft’s servers for solutions during repeated boot failures. It was developed in response to a mid-2024 incident where a security update caused widespread outages. QMR introduces two modes: cloud remediation, which searches for fixes via Windows Update, and auto remediation, which continuously checks for and applies fixes automatically. Control over QMR varies by Windows edition, with Home users having it enabled by default and Pro and Enterprise users able to configure it. QMR is currently available to Windows Insider Program participants and is expected to be included in the Windows 11 25H2 update in late 2025.
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 has rolled out a fix for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) wizard for Windows 10 Insiders, addressing a glitch that caused the enrollment process to crash. The update is available in the Release Preview Channel and resolves an issue where the ESU enrollment wizard would close when users clicked "Enroll now." This tool is essential for maintaining security updates for Windows 10 after official support ends in October 2025. The Release Preview Channel for Windows 11 24H2 introduces a change, replacing the Blue Screen of Death with the Black Screen of Unexpected Restart as part of the Windows Resiliency Initiative. Corporate usage of Windows 11 has surpassed 50.6 percent, a 16.8 percent increase since early 2025, driven by upgrade campaigns and new hardware rollouts. Windows 10 will reach its end-of-life on October 14, 2025, and nearly half of all business devices are still running it. Kieren Jessop from Canalys noted that the surge in Windows 11 adoption is primarily driven by the U.S., and the transition to Windows 11 is expected to be lengthy, similar to the persistence of Windows 7 after its end in January 2020. He mentioned that the slow transition could help demand in the PC market, as older devices are replaced over time.
Winsage
July 10, 2025
Microsoft is revamping the "Blue Screen of Death" error message in Windows, replacing it with a "Black Screen of Death." This change is a response to the CrowdStrike outage from the previous year and will be implemented for current Windows 11 users later this summer. Additionally, Microsoft has officially discontinued Skype, which was announced in May following a previous announcement in February about its phase-out.
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 1, 2025
Microsoft is replacing the blue screen of death, a critical error screen for Windows users since 1985, with a new black screen of death for Windows 11, version 24H2 devices later this summer. This change is part of Microsoft's Windows Resiliency Initiative, aimed at improving system resilience and security. The new black screen will provide essential information such as stop codes and faulty system drivers for easier diagnosis by IT administrators. The blue screen of death has become a pop-culture icon, inspiring memes, merchandise, and even a dedicated subreddit.
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.
Winsage
June 28, 2025
Microsoft has announced the retirement of the "blue screen of death" and will replace it with a black screen for Windows 11 devices running the 24H2 operating software, set to debut later this summer. The new screen aims to simplify the restart process and reduce reboot times to approximately two seconds. The "blue screen of death" originated in 1993 with Windows NT, indicating unrecoverable system failures. A version of the black screen was previously introduced to Windows 11 users in 2021.
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