Windows 11 returns to blue BSOD instead of the black one

One of the less visible changes in Windows 11 (unless you have an absolutely messed up PC with lots of hardware and software issues) is a slightly refreshed blue screen of death or simply BSOD. Instead of a traditional, well, blue BSOD, Microsoft decided to swap colors; thus, a black screen of death was born.

Unlike more radical visual upgrades in Windows 11, such as the new taskbar and Start menu, the black screen of death did not invoke any user backlash. Still, Microsoft decided to undo the change. In the recent update in the Beta and Release Preview channels, Microsoft quietly announced that it is bringing back the now-classic blue screen of death.

"We changed the screen color to blue when a device stops working, or a stop error occurs as in previous versions of Windows," says Microsoft in the release notes for Windows 11 22000.346. Unfortunately, the company did not provide additional information or explanation. With that, BSOD in Windows 11 will remain mostly unchanged since 2012: a sad face, an error code, and a QR code for quick troubleshooting.

Besides changing colors for the blue screen of death, Windows 11 22000.356 brings a hefty list of numerous fixes and improvements. The update, which is to hit the stable channel in a couple of weeks, fixes bugs in the new taskbar, File Explorer, Bluetooth audio, printing issues, and many more. You can read the full changelog in our dedicated post covering the update.

Microsoft released cumulative updates for Windows 10 and 11 on Tuesday, November 9. The company usually pushes additional preview updates (C-releases) every month, which means you can expect the build 22000.356 to hit the stable channel (as a preview) soon.

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