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Forget the Blue Screen of Death – Windows is replacing it with an even more terrifying Black Screen of Death

Isaiah Williams

27 June 2025

Out of the blue, and into the black…

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(Image credit: Alex Photo Stock / Shutterstock)

Microsoft is replacing its Blue Screen of Death with a Black Screen of Death
This comes after decades of service from the original BSoD
It’s slated to roll out later this summer

Microsoft is gradually remodeling Windows 11, with an upgraded Xbox app aligned for the new ROG Xbox Ally handhelds that introduces an Aggregated Game Library – but it looks like gaming upgrades aren’t the only things on Microsoft’s radar.

As reported by The Verge, Microsoft is replacing the Windows 11 Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) with a Black Screen of Death, after decades of the latter’s presence on multiple Windows iterations. It apparently wants to provide more clarity and concise information to help troubleshoot user errors easily.
This new design should begin to roll out later this summer, and if I’m honest (even though Microsoft hasn’t stated it), it seems like this change is part of the big upgrade package built for a more handheld-friendly gaming experience. However, (as The Verge suggests) it may also be a response to 2024’s CrowdStrike outage.

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It seems like an odd design change, at least in the sense of going from blue to black, especially after the original being around for many decades. At the very least, we’ll still be able to continue calling the error message ‘BSoD’ for short. The stop code will still be present, though, which helps provide greater insight into potential issues.

Analysis: Don’t fix what isn’t broken Microsoft…

(Image credit: Shutterstock)
While I’m not entirely mad at this change, I’m more concerned about whether this introduces issues. In my experience, there’s hardly much wrong with the current BSoD error message; I’m sure this update will be beneficial for troubleshooting, but I get the sense of ‘don’t fix what isn’t broken’.
Going by Microsoft’s track record with updates recently, it doesn’t instill any confidence that the transition to Black Screen of Death won’t end up breaking functionality in one way or another. Sure, there’s always going to be a bug or two with different Windows 11 builds, but some of its updates earlier this year have been alarmingly troublesome.
I’ve also remained coy on updating the OS, as well as Nvidia’s GPU drivers, both of which previously caused errors. Windows left games like Assassin’s Creed Origins and other Ubisoft titles crashing or unable to run, while (speaking of the new Black Screen of Death) Nvidia’s GeForce drivers kept causing black screen errors during driver installations or at user login.

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If this is implemented without any complications or major bugs, then I’ll be happy; it will mostly come in handy for Windows handheld gaming PCs, as the decreased amount of text is easier to analyze on a smaller screen. I’m just hoping that doesn’t become a bigger issue than it needs to be. Goodbye BSoD, and welcome the new BSoD…
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Isaiah Williams

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Staff Writer, Computing

Isaiah is a Staff Writer for the Computing channel at TechRadar. He’s spent over two years writing about all things tech, specifically games on PC, consoles, and handhelds. He started off at GameRant in 2022 after graduating from Birmingham City University in the same year, before writing at PC Guide which included work on deals articles, reviews, and news on PC products such as GPUs, CPUs, monitors, and more. He spends most of his time finding out about the exciting new features of upcoming GPUs, and is passionate about new game releases on PC, hoping that the ports aren’t a complete mess.

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Blue, or green, or black? Windows 11’s infamous ‘screen of death’ error message is going through some confusing changes

Is your Windows 11 PC crashing a lot since the latest update? Microsoft admits bug with blue screen crashes, and has rushed out a fix

Microsoft is digging its own grave with Windows 11, and it has to stop

Microsoft’s ROG Xbox Ally will feature a new “Xbox full-screen experience” to finally rival the Steam Deck’s ease of use – and more Windows 11 gaming handhelds will get it too

Windows 11 24H2 update arrives in preview with important fix for blue screen crashes – but I still wouldn’t rush to install this upgrade

The end is nigh for Windows 10 – here are 5 things Microsoft must do to get people to love Windows 11

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