Microsoft Updates Windows 11 BSOD with A Sleek New Look

Before formally launching a black or green version, Microsoft is testing a streamlined version of Windows 11's Blue Screen of Death.

Microsoft has said that it is redesigning Windows 11's Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error message. Instead of the classic blue hue, frowning face, and QR code, the new design has a streamlined screen that resembles the black screen that appears when Windows is updating. It's unclear at this time if the new BSOD will continue to appear as a black screen when Microsoft releases the update's final version.

In a blog post on the update, Microsoft explains that they are testing a new, more efficient user interface for unexpected restarts that better fits with Windows 11 design principles and advances their objective of assisting customers in returning to productivity as quickly as possible. The technical information on the screen has been preserved while your experience has been made simpler.

The new BSOD will first display as a green screen in test releases of the Beta, Dev, and Canary Channels before being deployed as a black or blue screen, although Windows Insiders may test it out in these versions. This is the first significant alteration to the BSOD since Windows 8, when Microsoft added a dejected face to the screen. This updated design only indicates that your device had an issue and has to restart, along with the BSOD error or defective driver.

In test releases of Windows 11 in 2021, Microsoft did temporarily change the BSOD to a black screen before returning to the blue screen that had been in use since Windows 8. This new BSOD appears to be coming soon to the current version of Windows 11 (24H2), and they have contacted Microsoft to find out if they will be transitioning from a blue screen to a black one.