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New Green Screen of Death aligns crashes with Windows 11 design principles [1]

['Rob Beschizza']

Date: 2025-06-27

After more than 40 years of loyal and very regular service, Windows' Blue Screen of Death is joining Guru Meditation in crash Valhalla. The famous system warning, triggered by something going badly awry with one's computer, was put on death row four years ago and now the time has come.

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. We've simplified your experience while preserving the technical information on the screen. As a reminder, for Windows Insiders this appears as a "green screen". This is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders on Windows 11, version 24H2 and higher in the Beta, Dev, and Canary Channels.

I think this is a missed opportunity to take advantage of more advanced technology and renewed interest in Microsoft's own cultural heritage. Instead of a simpler green screen aligning the moment of death with Windows 11 design principles, it should play calming video of grass growing, wildflowers emerging, dolphins being born, etc., as a melliflous voice-over celebrates the imminent rebirth of your computer, backed by a tinkling ambient soundscape composed by Brian Eno.

That, or it plays Linus Akesson's A Mind is Born.

Previously:

• Unnervingly vague error messages from 1976

• HTTP status cats by GirlieMac: classic server error codes, now with cats

• Wrong notes and syntax errors: The joy of improv in music and code

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[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2025/06/27/new-green-screen-of-death-aligns-unexpected-reboots-with-windows-11-design-principles.html

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