Windows “Blue Screen of Death” Will Change Color and Design in Microsoft’s Upcoming Plans

The famous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) in Windows has become a well-known part of the Microsoft operating system, so it’s quite surprising to think that this iconic screen could undergo a major change in the near future. In fact, it might not even be blue anymore but could take on a completely different color.

Microsoft’s New Direction for BSOD

This is actually a new direction for Microsoft, especially considering that the company previously experimented with changes to the BSOD in Windows 11, only to return to the old design due to negative user feedback. However, it seems that Microsoft is set to revisit the BSOD again, this time opting for a black background, like the early versions of Windows 11. Along with this, the company plans to apply other design changes to the content on the screen.

Switching to black instead of blue would help maintain continuity with the name, as both “black” and “blue” start with the same letter in English. This would keep the BSOD acronym intact, but it’s not clear what other benefits this change would bring.

New Design and Features for BSOD

Along with the change in color, Microsoft is planning to revamp the information on the BSOD screen. The iconic sad face and QR code will be removed, and the screen will include new elements that align better with the overall design of Windows 11.

Microsoft has explained in a blog post, “We’re previewing a new, more streamlined UI for unexpected restarts which better aligns with Windows 11 design principles and supports our goal of getting users back into productivity as fast as possible.” The company has worked on simplifying the user experience while still keeping important technical information on the screen.

Testing in Insider Versions

Windows Insider users can try out the new BSOD in Beta, Dev, and Canary channels, but in these test versions, the BSOD will appear as green before it’s officially launched as either a black or blue screen.

This change marks the first major update to the BSOD since Microsoft added the sad face in Windows 8, and it’s a significant shift, especially in terms of color, which has been a part of Windows since version 1.0.

The new design is aimed at the classic BSOD error or problems related to faulty drivers, and the message will simply state, “Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart.”