Windows 8 Has A Friendlier Blue Screen Of Death

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Windows 8 Has A Friendlier Blue Screen Of Death

21 comments, 559 views, posted 12:36 pm 16/09/2011 in Microsoft by FlyOnTheWall
FlyOnTheWall has 609 posts, 79 threads, 31 points, location: Oxfordshire
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While Windows 8 was widely expected to have a black screen of death, the developer build released yesterday has revealed that Redmond has opted to stick with the historic blue. It does, however, come with a peculiar twist. Rather than inundate people (who hopefully remembered to save their work) with a breakdown of why their computer stopped working, it seems Microsoft has chosen to take things in a more compassionate direction.

Unlike the classic, wordy blue screen of yore, the latest version instead makes a sad face at the user. In addition to flashing that large frown, the new BSoD also provides some key search terms just in case the user feel likes digging into what just happened. Users are given a few seconds to write it down or commit it to memory before before the PC automatically restarts, and voila: it’s back to business.

It’s a step in the right direction, as the classic blue screen was nigh unintelligible to most users. This latest version manages to make the process a little less headache-inducing, but I (perhaps naively) long for the day when Microsoft can tell me in plain English why my computer just failed.

Extra Points Given by:

griffonner (5)

Comments

[1]

12:40 pm 16/09/2011

griffonner

I'm with you on the last bit: when microsnot can tell us in plain English why the computer just failed... precisely... would be a great deal more productive compared with the apparently cosmetic changes the 8 is going to bring.

That example is a lot less verbose than the ones I've experienced!

12:44 pm 16/09/2011

FlyOnTheWall

Quote by FlyOnTheWall:

... but I (perhaps naively) long for the day when Microsoft can tell me in plain English why my computer just failed.

90% of the time it is because you bought some cheap, dodgy, no-name brand hardware and stuck them all in a box and hopes it will work with some pirated copy of Windoze (except for cracking the license, what else did they stick in there?)
This is why I stick with Intel (MS partner), NVidia (since ATI has been taken over by AMD), Intel or NVidia chipset on my MBoard, industry standard RAM manufacturer, Creative soundcard, etc... I wonder why I cannot remember ever having a BSOD on my 64-bit Vista Ultimate or 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate computer at home....

1:05 pm 16/09/2011

marksyzm

While that is true, it royally pisses me off that the ASRock motherboard I bought was the culprit in not properly channeling my low latency sound cards that I bought. I thought it was my M-Audio 2496 sound card that brought down my mobo, but after buying an EMU 0404 it just turned out that my board wasn't up to it with 64 bit windows AND a decent sound card running at the same time.

So it's not always about cheap, unfortunately.

1:08 pm 16/09/2011

griffonner

Generalisations, Sir. I don't have cheap, dodgy, no-name hardware stuck in a box et cetera, but have still had equipment fail and been blessed with the BSoD every once in a while. Rare, it is true, but I've still had 'em..... unfortunately. Only time I've ever had real crisis with Linux though, is when I've done something stupid.

@marksyzm: Ah, yes! That reminds me. I have had some real problems with my really expensive ASRock MB. I'm on the 2nd replacement as we speak. Both previous boards had the same problem develop, too.

1:24 pm 16/09/2011

FlyOnTheWall

Agreed - it is a generalisation.

BUT it is also a fact that more than 90% of BSoDs are related to hardware - incompatable combinations, bad usage of resources, bad drivers etc.
This is why I stick to Intel CPUs etc as mentioned, as MS develops with industry standard hardware in mind.
My Linux fails on me quite a bit more than Windows does - but then. I am not a true Linux geek...
I have not use ASRock mobos before. I usually get Intel, Gigabyte, or MSI.
ASRock is afaik quite a decent make though... quite interesting and weird with them causing issues....

1:45 pm 16/09/2011

marksyzm

I do stick with Intel now... never bothering with AMD's slap-dash attitude again. Were you getting BSoD's, Griffonner? Was it AMD? Mind you, my board is 4 years old now.

I've bought an ASUS laptop now and that is doing me proud - got a nice set up in the living room where I can develop on it with Ubuntu on the Virtualbox connected up to a 21" LCD screen or hide all that and just plug it into my 32" Samsung TV's HDMI and control it with a Nexus S with GMote application (although I'm trying to find a remote controller with multitouch so I can scroll).

2:53 pm 16/09/2011

griffonner

@Marksyzm: Yeah. AMD (*hides head in shame*) Phenom II X4 945 running at stock 3.01Ghz - not even OC'd.

I'm off on holiday for 3 weeks as from the 20th, but when I get back I'm going to change the guts of my Lian Li box, I think. Shame really, because I only built this about 8 months ago.

3:59 pm 16/09/2011

marksyzm

That's fair enough, I had an x2 Athlon winchester or whatever it was... never again. Unfortunate really, it was just after that brief window when AMD were the more reliable choice.

4:55 pm 16/09/2011

Quaektem

I think the BSOD should be replaced with an animation that will put you in the best frame of mind to deal with the problem...

5:00 pm 16/09/2011

marksyzm

This one?

5:19 pm 16/09/2011

Quaektem

The smiley was my example...

11:35 am 17/09/2011

waints

BSoD is MS's way of teaching us humility and keeping us grounded.

11:54 am 17/09/2011

griffonner

And there was me thinking it was just that Microsnot never ever finish off one program before bringing out another partially complete one! Sort of confusion marketing?

Actually it's quite clever, because even though it doesn't work perfectly, they can still sue people for doing the same thing better than they've done.