GOING DARK

Windows Makes Major Change to Iconic Blue Screen

Things are about to get very dark for Microsoft users.

It’s RIP to the infamous “Blue Screen of Death” that haunts Windows users whenever their computer suddenly fails. Microsoft have announced they are “streamlining the unexpected restart experience” with a new black screen to replace the signature blue one that has been a frustrating sign of computer trouble since the early 1990s. The new black screen message reads, “your device ran into a problem and needs to restart”. Microsoft users will notice the hard launch of the new black screen this summer on Windows 11 24H2 devices, with the company promising the updates will result in an “easier” and “faster” way to recover from restarts. Microsoft users may still have BSOD PTSD after a faulty software update in July last year resulted in people all over the world sharing images of the dreaded blue screen on their social media accounts. The CrowdStrike incident saw flights grounded by airlines and hospitals, retailers and banks all impacted. Microsoft said they are also introducing “quick machine recovery” for PCs that cannot restart successfully. The company said in a blog released on Wednesday, “This change is part of a larger continued effort to reduce disruption in the event of an unexpected restart.”