Microsoft is retiring the iconic "blue screen of death" (BSOD) from Windows 11. The BSOD, a staple since the early 1990s, will be replaced with a black screen for unexpected restarts. This change, rolling out this summer for Windows 11 24H2 users, aims to streamline the restart experience, reducing reboot time to roughly two seconds. The new black screen offers updated dialogue and replaces variations of the BSOD that have plagued users for decades.

Prepared by Jonathan Pierce and reviewed by editorial team.