Microsoft has turned the Blue Screen of Death black in Windows 11

[midian182]

Why it matters: While Windows 11 may not be the biggest overhaul Microsoft’s operating system has ever undergone, there are some significant changes to certain features, one of which has been around since the early 1990s: the Blue Screen of Death. The BSoD itself isn’t going away, but it could be changing from the distinctive blue color to black.

According to a report by The Verge, Microsoft intends to switch to a Black Screen of Death for Windows 11, but not everyone using the preview will see it. Tom’s Hardware writes that it saw a classic blue screen when it purposely caused a crash, while some people are seeing the green screen found in Windows Insider Builds since 2016.

If you are in the Windows Insider Program and are on build 22000. You can enable the Black Screen of Death by going to [HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl] and setting DisplayPreReleaseColor to 0. You will need to reboot for this to take effect.

— Xeno (@XenoPanther) July 1, 2021

Twitter user Xeno discovered that there is a way to ensure you see the Black Screen of Death by changing a registry key. Those with the Windows 11 preview installed can launch the registry editor, go to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl, set the value of DisplayPreRelaseColor to 0, then reboot.

Love the new “blue” tone 👌😅🤦🏻‍♂️
Third attempt is the charm, fingers crossed 🤞 #Windows11 #BSOD #GSOD pic.twitter.com/3nEyqbCmjH

— João Coutinho (@Joao_Coutinho) June 28, 2021

This marks the biggest major changes to the Blue Screen of Death since Microsoft added the sad face to Windows 8 in 2012, and QR codes in 2016.

There’s no guarantee that black will replace blue as the screen of death’s preferred color of choice. The Verge writes it understands Microsoft is going with the new look, but much can change from the preview build to the final version. The Redmond firm has yet to comment on any BSoD color switch.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/90279-blue-screen-death-has-turned-black-windows-11.html

 

[Hexic]

A black screen will make me feel way better when I get my biannual BSOD for looking at my desktop the wrong way.

 

[Neatfeatguy]

MS Management: Listen up, everyone! We're getting a lot of BSODs from updates we push out and people are getting fed up. We need to help calm people down, so any ideas?

Employee 1: Here's an unpopular idea.....ummm....we could do better quality checking code and updates pushed out.

<silence hangs in the room>

Random voice 1: You suck!
Random voice 2: That's a stupid idea!
<cheers erupt around and agreements pipe up>

MS Management: Okay! Okay! Everyone calm down. (addressing Employee 1) That certainly is an "idea", but we'll keep the floor open for more suggestions.

Employee 2: Change the color of the crash screen. Folks fear the blue screen color, make it another color.

MS Management: That's a great idea! We need to sink hundreds, if not thousands, of coding hours here to make sure we can find a good color to change the BSOD screen to. Everyone, back to your desk and start mocking up new crash screen color schemes! Overtime will be allowed for this task, so please don't hesitate to put in extra hours so we can crush this problem once and for all!

 

[fps4ever]

But why...

 

[Thretosix]

But why...

Right..! It will still be called BSOD.

 

[hahahanoobs]

I knew this sounded familiar. Windows Vista beta had a RSOD then BlackSOD too.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

Now if you complain about BSOD's you're a racist.

 

[Vulcanproject]

In an age where people are trying to cancel such terms as 'black listing' and the like in a super politically correct environment then this move sure is bold from Microsoft lol

 

[Cycloid Torus]

Surprised they didn't decide on flashing RED - at about the frequency most likely to cause seizures. It would get a lot of attention.

 

[Danny101]

They could be a bit more creative like from the Temple of Rom where scream out, "We gotcha!"

 

[Thunder6230]

New color new era

 

[waterytowers]

So it'll be called Black death. Great association for windows really hahaha.

 

[wiyosaya]

MS Management: Listen up, everyone! We're getting a lot of BSODs from updates we push out and people are getting fed up. We need to help calm people down, so any ideas?

Employee 1: Here's an unpopular idea.....ummm....we could do better quality checking code and updates pushed out.

<silence hangs in the room>

Random voice 1: You suck!
Random voice 2: That's a stupid idea!
<cheers erupt around and agreements pipe up>

MS Management: Okay! Okay! Everyone calm down. (addressing Employee 1) That certainly is an "idea", but we'll keep the floor open for more suggestions.

Employee 2: Change the color of the crash screen. Folks fear the blue screen color, make it another color.

MS Management: That's a great idea! We need to sink hundreds, if not thousands, of coding hours here to make sure we can find a good color to change the BSOD screen to. Everyone, back to your desk and start mocking up new crash screen color schemes! Overtime will be allowed for this task, so please don't hesitate to put in extra hours so we can crush this problem once and for all!

I can imagine such a conversation in the corporate offices of Microsoft. Of course, it would have to be followed by a resounding chorus of "Windohs Rules!" Thanks for the laugh!

 

[wiyosaya]

But why...

Its Microsoft's version of an "improvement."

 

[amghwk]

What me worry.... It's still "B"SoD.

 

[AIC1Drew]

Do do do do dodo do