- Windows 11 has a new ‘Black Screen of Death’ that apparently rolls out
- It is far more streamlined than the ‘blue screen of death’ we are all used to
- However, Microsoft has gone too far to pair it back, and it now has an unfortunate resemblance to a Windows Update -Genstart
Microsoft seems to change the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) to Windows 11, switch not only the color, but also mainly simplify the appearance of the screen that appears when your PC locks and goes down.
The traditional BSOD in Windows 11 is blue (hence the name), and it is also furnished with some bit of information about the error that caused the crash (I will come back to it). Furthermore, there is a significantly wrinkled face on the screen to tell you that something has gone seriously wrong with the operating system.
Windows latest reports that the redesigned BSOD apparently goes live in Windows 11 24h2 already (or at least it is to roll out to some users), as well as being discovered in testing. (Note that it is a green screen or GSOD in testing, as it is actually the color it has always been to preview -Builds -but for anyone who is not a Windows tester, it will be black).
The bigger change than the color of the background is that the screen is far common, and offers only one message that: “Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart.”
Microsoft has not only dispensed with the sad face, but also the QR code that you could scan with your phone (if you were quick) to try to get further details about the mistake that crashed your PC. You still get a bit of error information at the bottom of the new black screen showing a stop code. (The URL shown for details of stop codes is also missing on the new screen.)
Analysis: empty overload of space and an unfortunate update
What to do of the refreshed BSOD is something difficult. Has Microsoft gone too far with his streamlining here and made the error screen too basic and uninformative? Well, you could definitely claim it, but there is a counter -argument, as the details provided by the traditional and still current blue screen setup, for most people – since the change has apparently only begun to roll out – generally in general.
This QR code will probably not give you any joy if you use it, which in my experience just links it to Generic Microsoft -SupportInfo and nothing specific or relevant. (Although I fully admit, I haven’t used it for quite a long time – or had many crashes in the recent past, to be fair to Microsoft). Overall, I don’t think it’s an element that will miss. That said, the solution to this, at least the longer term, is not to dump it-but to make it more useful. (However, the plan may be to return the code, or at least it is possible).
As for the shaking face that is being erased, some think it is a little childish or silly to have it plastered across the screen and I come where it comes from. However, it clearly marks BSOD as a flaws, and it gets the message quickly across the fact that ‘something bad has happened.’
As Windows latest points out, the problem of the new black screen version of BSOD is that it is reminiscent of a Windows update that is running – with the regular black background and the completion rate ahead and center – and it can be confusing for beginners. They may not even notice the error message, tucked away in small text at the foot of the screen, and think their PC somehow suddenly reset to apply an update, maybe. (After all, it can happen in some unfortunate circumstances).
In general, I like the idea of streamlining BSOD, and I don’t think we need the QR code anyway – not as it stands – but Microsoft has to do better than this replacement black death screen. Make the fault text bigger and more readable with a moment (because you might only get a look). And make it very clear that this is a mistake message – I will not insist on a rhyme face, but a large fault icon or similar could be displayed (maybe an icon of a spenn in the works). Whatever is the case, fill in the hectare with empty space in the new black screen to bring extra clarity to what is happening – and to make it clear that what’s happening Isn’t it a system update.
While this new BSOD is definitely present in test buildings of Windows 11 – like a GSOD, as noted – I think it’s strange that Microsoft pushes it out to finished versions of Windows 11 in this form, as Windows latest claims. But this seems to be happening considering the screen shot that the technical site has presented to the blacks – rather than green – death screen (see above). So I can imagine that this is a very limited roll -out at this time that tests the water with everyday users.
Long-term, I would like to see more useful error messages in general for Windows 11’s BSOD, so that as well as a technical description there could be clues to PC-Begyders about what went wrong (even just vague tracks as I appreciate that this is one of a question).
