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Microsoft finds an unlikely ally — Linux developer defends Windows against BSoD jokes
Winsage
December 4, 2025

Microsoft finds an unlikely ally — Linux developer defends Windows against BSoD jokes

Windows has traditionally held a dominant market share in operating systems, but Linux is gaining traction, particularly after Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Zorin OS, a Linux distribution, attracted around 780,000 former Windows users within a month of this announcement. Bazzite delivered a petabyte of ISO files in one month, indicating a growing interest among Windows 10 users in alternatives to Windows 11. Linus Torvalds highlighted that many blue screen errors in Windows are linked to hardware issues rather than software bugs and recommended using Error-Correcting Code (ECC) memory for better stability. Microsoft has changed its error reporting from the blue screen of death to a black screen to enhance security and prevent destabilizing updates. There are three types of Blue Screen of Death errors: the Windows 3.1 Ctrl+Alt+Del screen, the Windows 95 kernel error, and the Windows NT kernel error.
Linus Torvalds Defends Windows' Blue Screen of Death
Winsage
December 3, 2025

Linus Torvalds Defends Windows’ Blue Screen of Death

Microsoft changed the color of the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) from blue to black, making it visually similar to Linux's kernel panic screen. Linus Torvalds defended Microsoft's error screens in a video with Linus Sebastian, stating that many issues attributed to Windows instability are often due to unreliable hardware rather than software bugs. He advocates for the use of Error Correction Code (ECC) to enhance hardware reliability, suggesting that many BSOD incidents may stem from hardware issues.
Microsoft prevents crash screens from staying visible on signage
Winsage
November 23, 2025

Microsoft prevents crash screens from staying visible on signage

Microsoft has introduced a Digital Signage mode in Windows 11 that automatically suppresses system error screens, including the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), after a fifteen-second display period. This feature aims to enhance user experience on public displays and is particularly useful for IT managers using Intune for device management. Additionally, Microsoft is previewing advanced text-generation tools for applications, including automated email summarization in Outlook and alternative text generation for images in Word, to improve productivity and accessibility.
Goodbye, blue screen of death. I won’t miss you
Winsage
July 24, 2025

Goodbye, blue screen of death. I won’t miss you

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.
Windows killed the Blue Screen of Death
Winsage
June 26, 2025

Windows killed the Blue Screen of Death

Windows has replaced the Blue Screen of Death with a new Black Screen of Death. This change marks a significant shift in error screens that began with Windows 1.0 in 1985. The update follows the CrowdStrike outage that affected 8.5 million Windows devices and led to the introduction of the Windows Resiliency Initiative, aimed at enhancing security and reducing disruptions from unexpected restarts. The new Black Screen of Death features a "simplified UI" and includes a quick machine recovery feature to help PCs regain functionality faster after unsuccessful restarts.
Windows' Iconic Blue Screen of Death Is No Longer Blue
Winsage
April 2, 2025

Windows’ Iconic Blue Screen of Death Is No Longer Blue

Microsoft is changing the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) to a Black Screen of Death (BSOD) in the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update. This change is currently being tested in the Beta, Dev, and Canary channels. The new message during a crash will state, “Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart,” along with an error code for troubleshooting. A temporary Green Screen of Death (GSOD) was introduced in recent Insider builds, but the stable release will feature the Black screen. This change aims to modernize Windows' error messaging. Users in the Insider program can test the new feature with build 26120.3653 by triggering a BSOD.
Who wrote the BSOD screen? Former Windows developer finally has an answer
Winsage
August 3, 2024

Who wrote the BSOD screen? Former Windows developer finally has an answer

The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) in Windows has three distinct origins attributed to different authors. The Windows 3.1 Ctrl+Alt+Del screen, referred to as the "blue screen of unhappiness," was written by Steve Ballmer but was not a response to system crashes. During crashes on Windows 3.1, users saw a black screen. The Windows 95 kernel error screen, which users could bypass, was finalized by Raymond Chen. The true BSOD, the Windows NT kernel error screen, was created by John Vert and indicates a critical system failure.
Who wrote the Blue Screen Of Death?
Winsage
August 2, 2024

Who wrote the Blue Screen Of Death?

Steve Ballmer wrote the text for the Windows 3.1x Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), which was referred to humorously as the "blue screen of unhappiness." In Windows 3.1x, a true crash resulted in a black screen of death. The final version of the kernel error screen in Windows 95 was created by Raymond Chen, allowing users to ignore the error, though this did not ensure system stability. The Windows NT kernel error screen was authored by John Vert and indicates that recovery is unlikely while providing diagnostic information. The design of the BSOD features white text on a blue background, inspired by Vert's development machine and preferred text editor. The BSOD had become rare until the CrowdStrike incident brought it back into focus.
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