When Windows 11 was revealed last month, it seems fair to say users weren't blown away. Many feel the UI is a flat-out copy of macOS, and others are unhappy with design touches such as the Start menu being moved to the centre of the screen. And now, users have spotted another surprise detail – and it might just be the most sacrilegious yet.
Nobody wants to see the 'Blue Screen of Death', the error page that means something's really (really) wrong with your PC. But at 30 years old, the BSOD has reached an almost affectionate level of infamy, to the point that its shock departure from Windows 11 has users feeling a little, well, blue. Because what use is one of the best laptops for graphic design if it doesn't feature a blue screen telling you you've just lost all your work?
Microsoft's famous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is changing to black in Windows 11. It's the first big change to the BSOD since the sad face was added in 2012. Details here: https://t.co/ARCRBQjSMM pic.twitter.com/wv1J6RFqtxJuly 1, 2021
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As first spotted by The Verge, the famous Blue Screen of Death is now the Black Screen of Death (at least it's still the BSOD, eh?) – which, we have to say, sounds even more sinister. But seeing as the blue screen has been a symbol of catastrophe since the early 90s, we're a little sad to see it go. And it seems we're not alone.
😥 RIP Blue Screen of Death BSOD https://t.co/VeWKcUxbyaJuly 1, 2021
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Nooooo... the old ways must be honored. // Microsoft’s Blue Screen of Death is changing to black in Windows 11 https://t.co/IJkPqKe380July 2, 2021
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The Blue Screen of Death first appeared on Windows 3.0 in the early nineties. It's been a mainstay ever since, with the most major recent change being the addition of a sad face in 2012's Windows 8 (because what could be more comforting when you've just lost hours of work than a sad emoticon?).
An early Blue Screen of Death (Image credit: Microsoft)
While Microsoft itself hasn't acknowledged the update in its official Windows 11 release notes, it's made its way into the first Insider Preview for beta users. Time will tell whether Microsoft opts to go back to blue in future releases, but for now, it appears to be the end of an error (sorry). If you'd rather never see a BSOD of either the black or blue variety, check out today's best Mac deals below.
Daniel John is Senior News Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of art, design, branding and lifestyle tech (which often translates to tech made by Apple). He joined in 2020 after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more.
