The Blue Screen of Death, also known as BSOD, is something almost every PC user has seen at least once. It usually appears when Windows runs into a serious problem that it cannot fix on its own. This screen shows up suddenly and forces the computer to restart. The name comes from its bright blue background and white text that tells users something went wrong, and it seems like Microsoft has decided to redesign the error page once again.

The BSOD error screen might go dark

For many years, BSOD has been one of the most feared sights for Windows users. The moment it appears, people often panic, worried that their PC might be broken. It has been a part of Windows for decades, and ever since it was first introduced, it has always had a blue background, which has made this color become somewhat of a symbol for Windows errors.

When Windows 8 was released, Microsoft made a small change to this screen by adding a frown emoji to make the message seem a little less scary. The idea was to make the error page feel more friendly and less intimidating. Now, Microsoft is redesigning the error screen once again. But this time, they are not just changing a small part – they are changing the color completely.

If you are using the preview version of Windows 11 24H2, you might notice that the Blue Screen of Death is no longer blue. It now appears with a completely black background and white text, making it the “Black Screen of Death.” However, it is important to keep in mind that Windows Insiders on the test versions will not see a black screen. Instead, they’ll get a green screen.

It’s worth noting that this preview design change might not make it to the final version, but there seems to be a good chance that Microsoft is going ahead with this change. Interestingly, similar reports happened a few years ago, but the company stuck with its tried and tested blue screen.

The color is not the only change Microsoft has made to the BSOD error page. The frown emoji that was added in Windows 8 is now gone. Along with that, the QR code that used to appear beside the error message has also been removed. This QR code was helpful because it could be scanned to find more details about the problem.

The new version has also shortened the message to just “Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart.” According to Microsoft, this new design “better aligns with Windows 11 design principles” and is something that supports their “goal of getting users back to productivity as fast as possible.”

It is important to keep in mind that Microsoft has also changed the background color of the Windows Update screen to black. So, if you suddenly see a black screen with white text, don’t panic right away, as it might not be a crash.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.