The history of the "blue screen of death" in Windows has been revealed by a Microsoft developer. It turns out that there are three different versions of BSOD, each of which has its own author and unique creation history.
The Evolution of Windows BSOD
The Origins of the Blue Screen of Misfortune
In mid-July, CrowdStrike experienced a massive outage that affected Windows and many businesses around the world. This event brought renewed attention to the famous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). Raymond Chen, an experienced Windows developer, decided to shed light on the history of this phenomenon in his blog.
Three versions, three authors
Chen has debunked the 30-year-old BSOD mystery. He explained that there are three different blue screens, each with its own creator. Initially, it was not a “screen of death”, but, as Chen jokingly put it, a “blue screen of misfortune.” It could be called by simultaneously pressing the CTRL+ALT+DEL keys.
Windows 3.1 and the first BSOD
Steve Ballmer created the text part of the first BSOD for Windows 3.1. Interestingly, this version of the OS also featured a black version of the error screen, which was the least informative of all.
Windows NT Era
In 1993, a BSOD appeared for Windows NT 3.1, authored by John Werth. This operating system was the first full 32-bit version of Windows, where NT stood for "new technology".
Windows 95 and the famous incident
Raymond Chen developed a BSOD for Windows 95 that allowed users to skip error messages. This version is best known for the 1998 COMDEX incident where the Blue Screen of Death appeared during the Windows 98 presentation.
Glossary
- CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity and cloud technology company.
- BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) is a critical system error in Windows operating systems.
- Windows is a family of operating systems from Microsoft.
- COMDEX is a major computer exhibition held in the United States from 1979 to 2003.
- Microsoft is an American technology corporation and the largest software manufacturer.
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Questions answered
What is the “blue screen of death” and who created it?
What changes has the Blue Screen of Death undergone over time?
Why was there confusion about the authorship of the “blue screen of death”?
What was the significance of BSOD in the history of Windows?
What is the most famous BSOD incident?
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Discussion of the topic – Blue Screen of Death Mystery: Windows Developer Reveals History of BSOD
The article reveals the 30-year-old mystery of the origin of the famous 'blue screen of death' in Windows. Raymond Chen, a veteran Microsoft developer, shares the story behind BSOD in the context of the recent massive CrowdStrike outage.
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Olivia
Wow! I never thought that the 'blue screen of death' has such a rich history 😮 Who would have thought that such famous personalities as Steve Ballmer worked on it!
Hans
Yes, Olivia, this is really interesting! It's especially funny that it was originally a 'blue screen of misfortune' 😄 But what surprises me more is that Microsoft once experimented with a black BSOD in Windows 11. I wonder why they abandoned it?
Sophie
Hans, perhaps the color blue has simply become a sort of Windows signature? 🤔 By the way, does anyone remember that epic failure at COMDEX in 1998? It was a real nightmare for Microsoft!
Giuseppe
Oh yes, Sophie! I saw the video from that presentation. Bill Gates was probably shocked 😱 But you know what surprises me? The fact that even such giants as Microsoft can face similar problems. This somehow even reassures ordinary users, don’t you think?
Grzegorz
Bah, again these conversations about new technologies and their history. In my time, computers worked without failures, but now every day there is a new error. And why are these color screens of death needed at all? Whether blue or black, they are of no use.
Olivia
Grzegorz, but these screens help developers and users understand what exactly went wrong! 🧐 Without them, it would be much more difficult to diagnose problems. As for failures - technology is becoming more and more complex, it is not surprising that sometimes something goes wrong.
Pierre
I agree with Olivia! Additionally, the history of BSOD shows how operating systems have evolved. From a simple 'blue screen of misfortune' to informative error messages - this is a whole era in the development of IT! 💻🚀
Elena
Did you guys notice that the article mentions the recent CrowdStrike outage? I wonder how often such large-scale problems happen these days? 🌍 And how do companies cope with their consequences?