Microsoft has decided to radically change the design of the so-called "Blue Screen of Death" (BSOD) that appears during a critical Windows operating system crash. 

Instead of the traditional blue color, a sad emoticon and a QR code, users will see a simplified black screen, similar to the one that appears during a system update.

  • As stated in the official blog, the company is currently testing a new, simplified interface for unexpected reboots that is more in line with Windows 11 design principles and will help users get back to work faster.
  • The company emphasizes that despite the changes, technical error information will remain on the screen.
  • The new version of BSOD is available for testing by members of the Windows Insider program in the Beta, Dev, and Canary channels. In these test builds, the screen appears green, but in the final version, according to specialized media reports, it may turn black or remain blue.
Image: Microsoft
Image: WindowsLatest
Image: WindowsLatest
 
 

In 2021, the company had already experimented with a black screen in test versions of Windows 11, but later returned to the classic blue color. The black variant can cause confusion with the Windows Update screen because they have a similar design.

Microsoft is continuing to test the new interface to gather user feedback and make a final decision on the color of the critical error screen. The new design is expected to be implemented in Windows 11 24H2.

This is the first significant change to the BSOD since the addition of the sad emoji in Windows 8. The "blue screen of death" has been a familiar feature of Windows since Windows 3.0 was released in 1990.