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Microsoft has initiated a gradual rollout of an updated critical error screen for Windows 11 users. The iconic "Blue Screen of Death" (BSOD) is now transitioning to black, marking the first significant visual alteration since the introduction of the sad emoticon in Windows 8.

The new BSOD features a streamlined design, omitting both the frowning emoticon and the QR code. It resembles the black screen users typically encounter during Windows updates, while retaining all crucial information regarding the error code and the malfunctioning system driver.

This modification is currently accessible to Windows 11 Release Preview users and is anticipated to be deployed to all Windows 11 users in the coming weeks. Notably, Microsoft briefly implemented a black screen in Windows 11 test builds in 2021, but this change is now being made permanent.

The updated BSOD is part of a broader Windows 11 update that also incorporates Microsoft's Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) feature, designed to facilitate rapid system restoration.

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Photo: Microsoft