Microsoft switches to Black Screen Of Death (BSoD) for Windows 8

Microsoft has switched to the color black for it’s system stop error messages in Windows 8.

The software giant’s notorious Blue Screen bug check, or error screen, is now black inside the latest Windows 8 builds. Microsoft has used the Blue Screen of Death since early copies of Windows 1.0. The first Windows error screen composed of code page 437 symbols against a blue background. The first proper Blue Screen was present in Windows 3.x. Microsoft started using a Red Screen of Death inside early Windows Vista builds. The company also used Red Screens inside early beta copies of Windows 98.

The switch to a Black Screen of Death could be a temporary one, similar to the switch in Longhorn build 5112. Microsoft has only ever used a Black Screen of Death in Windows 3.x when DOS-based applications failed to execute correctly. Microsoft typically uses Black screens when its operating systems are attempting to load following the power-on self-test (POST). The switch, noted by MyDigitalLife user canouna, is an interesting one and comes as Microsoft prepares its first beta copy of Windows 8 later this year.

Microsoft is currently working on various Windows 8 features and is expected to deliver an early copy to developers at its Windows Developer Conference (WDC) in September. Here’s a round-up of the latest Windows 8 news: