Microsoft abandons the legendary "blue screen of death" in Windows

Microsoft is ditching the iconic "blue screen of death," known to Windows users as the message that appears during an unexpected system restart. In a blog post, the company announced the launch of a new black version, saying it aims to "optimize the experience of unexpected restarts."

A new black screen that appears during a crash restart will debut this summer on devices running Windows 11 version 24H2 , Microsoft said in a statement. The company introduced the update as an "easier" and "faster" disaster recovery system.

By the way, according to Microsoft developer Raymond Chen, the "blue screen of death" appeared in the early 1990s.

Microsoft also said it plans to update the user interface to match the Windows 11 style and reduce the downtime during restarts to two seconds for most users .

"This change is part of a broader effort to reduce crashes in the event of unexpected restarts," Microsoft notes.

Recall that the "blue screen of death" was widely visible in July 2024, when a failed CrowdStrike update caused massive computer system failures around the world.