Microsoft looking to change the Windows blue screen of death

If you've ever had a troublesome PC, then you'll have seen the blue screen of death pop up in your lifetime. "Your PC ran into a problem that it couldn't handle, and now it needs to restart," it says, a frowny face adding insult to injury, and a useless QR code popping up for a brief moment before you see your PC shut off to start up again.

According to a blog post (via The Verge), Microsoft is going to be changing the look for the blue screen of death on Windows 11. It'll be blue no longer, instead opting for a black design, without the frowny face and QR code, accompanied by simplified text.

Windows Insiders can try this update out already, although they'll be greeted with a green screen as Microsoft decides whether to use black or blue for the future design. "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," Microsoft writes in the blog post. "We've simplified your experience while preserving the technical information on the screen."

As with any major change to Windows, there are going to be PC users who are unhappy about this, but over time it's likely the frowny face will just be a memory of Windows past.