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Windows 11: Green Screen of Death is rolling out, what you need to know

Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system displays a blue screen error page when something unexpected happens that requires a restart. Soon, Windows users will see a green screen of death instead. Here is what you need to know about the change.

The details:

  • Windows 11 test versions show a green screen error page when the device restarts unexpectedly.
  • The error page displays the stop code and "what failed" only.
  • The QR code, smiley, and link to a Windows help page are no longer displayed.

The new error page is empty for the most part. It includes the phrase "Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart" and technical information at the bottom.

For comparison's sake, here is how a traditional Blue Screen error looks like currently.

Blue Screen Error

The main message is "Your PC ran into a problem and need to restart as soon as we're finished collecting some error info". The page includes a link to a support page, a QR code, that links to the same page, and error information.

Why is Microsoft making the change? Microsoft says that it decided to create a streamlined user interface for unexpected restart errors that "better aligns with Windows 11 design principles and supports our goal of getting users back into productivity as fast as possible".

It is a simpler experience according to Microsoft that still includes technical information that users may require to troubleshoot the issue.

It is unclear why this screen gets users faster back to productivity as the previous one, as Microsoft does not offer an explanation.

Tip: Windows logs restart errors and you may view them using the Event Viewer.  Look for "critical" events there to find out more about the issue.

The new screen is rolling out to all Windows Insiders who run Windows 11, version 24H2 in the Beta, Dev and Canary channels. It is likely that Microsoft will roll out the change to all Windows 11 users later this year as part of Windows 11, version 25H2.

Lack of information by design

The old Blue Screen of death (BSOD) error page was not the most helpful of error reports. The QR code linked to a generic support page whenever I checked it out in the past, and the URL that Microsoft displays does the same. Both do not offer information related to the very error that caused the system to reboot.

The new error page includes even less information or help options. While you could argue that the removal of the link and QR code is not removing anything of value, the linked resources did at least give users some generic information on the type of error and how to troubleshoot it.

With that gone, it is up to the user to type the error code in a search engine or AI chat interface, or check the event log of the operating system for troubleshooting.

No one is probably going to miss the "frowny face" that Microsoft displays currently on Blue Screen error pages. Microsoft could replace it with some text instead to highlight that the page is displayed when restart error happens.

Closing Words

The Blue Screen of Death error pages were not overly helpful in the past. Sure, if you were quick enough you could snap a photo of the screen or remember the displayed error code to start searching for a solution right away. All in all, many Windows users might find it incredibly useful if Microsoft would add more actionable information to the page, or display a summary of what happened on the next successful start of the operating system.

Now You: When was the last time you encountered a BSOD error on Windows? What did you do to resolve it and what is your opinion on the new design of the error pages?

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