Only seen a BSOD twice in total on NT, XP, and 2000 - and these events were caused by hardware faults; but the frontline failure reports for XP applications are generally even less informative (**** has encountered a problem and has to close, to report....).
Any reports from WIN7 on this score?
How's WIN7 looking on that score?
Blue screen of death lives on (screenshots)
by Andy Smith | September 2, 2010 7:47am PDT | Image 1 of 48
Previous | Next
Just In
@shtromer
Just one in W7, i reinstall the correct driver and that?s all
Just one in W7, i reinstall the correct driver and that?s all
@shtromer
I've seen it quite a few times with bad drivers, but that isn't something I would blame on Microsoft.
Saw it also when a game installed an old DRM thing, and it broke my system. I was royally pissed by that, and contacted Microsoft about it... they added it to the 'do not allow to run' list.
I've seen it quite a few times with bad drivers, but that isn't something I would blame on Microsoft.
Saw it also when a game installed an old DRM thing, and it broke my system. I was royally pissed by that, and contacted Microsoft about it... they added it to the 'do not allow to run' list.
@shtromer I've seen it a few times when trying to shut down without closing cubase 5. Apparently, that program is a bit quirky on Win 7 64 bit. My machine is a racehorse so I can't exactly figure out why this happens. Maybe the folks at Steinberg need to do a little work on some updates.
I have seen it twice in Windows 7 Professional
Seen it 2 often. Part of the windows experience. Vive Windows
nah, it's a crop job, look how sharp and clean it is around his hair. It's not even a particularly good crop job.
Also, the "screen" seems extremely vibrant for such a large display.
There is no glare on it's surface from the strong lighting hitting Bill.
I could go on and on.
Also, the "screen" seems extremely vibrant for such a large display.
There is no glare on it's surface from the strong lighting hitting Bill.
I could go on and on.
@Drakaran
Here is the CNN video about the crash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NsXHPq71Bs
And here an article about it
http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/news2/windows-98-crashes-during-gates-demo.aspx
It?s amazing how brainwashed people are when it comes to defending corprations that rob us blind daily and have been scr*wing us for decades.
Here is the CNN video about the crash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NsXHPq71Bs
And here an article about it
http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/news2/windows-98-crashes-during-gates-demo.aspx
It?s amazing how brainwashed people are when it comes to defending corprations that rob us blind daily and have been scr*wing us for decades.
Little know fact: It was possible to change the foreground and background colours of the BSoD on Windows 3.1 using settings in the system.ini file.
I have the distinction of experiencing BSODs in every single version of Windows I've used, with the exception of 3.1. I even saw a couple of BSODs when I was testing the Windows 7 RC last year - it was Windows' way of telling me that the drivers I was trying to install at the time were not going to work. In fact, Windows 7 was unable to start afterward...but that's a story for another day. 
My most recent BSOD experience was just last week. Apparently, my Windows XP machine began to complain about the Nvidia graphics card installed in the machine with a 0x000000EA stop error (yep, I still remember the error...if you saw it enough times in Google results, you'd remember it too). The machine would just suddenly crash while sitting there idle and XP was unusable at that point. Ironically, the same card ran perfectly with no hint of a problem in the same machine when I restarted the machine to run Ubuntu.
My most recent BSOD experience was just last week. Apparently, my Windows XP machine began to complain about the Nvidia graphics card installed in the machine with a 0x000000EA stop error (yep, I still remember the error...if you saw it enough times in Google results, you'd remember it too). The machine would just suddenly crash while sitting there idle and XP was unusable at that point. Ironically, the same card ran perfectly with no hint of a problem in the same machine when I restarted the machine to run Ubuntu.
@eMJayy - Ubuntu uses different drivers than Windows XP so definitely sounds like a driver issue. Try doing a "driver rollback" in the device properties dialog on XP.
No discussion of the BSOD is complete without mentioning what happened to the USS Yorktown in September 1997. As part of a general cost-reduction program, the US Navy had decided to use Windows NT to operate vessels under its so-called Smart Ships initiative. The guided missile cruiser Yorktown, off Cape Charles VA, was dead in the water for two hours forty-five minutes when the Standard Monitoring Control System administrator entered zero into the data field for the Remote Data Base Manager program. That caused the database to overflow and crash all LAN consoles and miniature remote terminal units throughout the ship. Fortunately the Yorktown was in maneuvers in home waters, or else its helpless condition would have drawn international attention.
As it is, this instance not only scuttled the Smart Ships initiative but caused Microsoft, and all other software firms, to include those famous clauses in their user agreements prohibiting the use of the software in mission-critical environments like nuclear plants or other places lives could be lost. Microsoft and the Navy would both prefer we all forget, but for those of us responsible for critical computer systems, I say: Remember the Yorktown.
As it is, this instance not only scuttled the Smart Ships initiative but caused Microsoft, and all other software firms, to include those famous clauses in their user agreements prohibiting the use of the software in mission-critical environments like nuclear plants or other places lives could be lost. Microsoft and the Navy would both prefer we all forget, but for those of us responsible for critical computer systems, I say: Remember the Yorktown.
@progan01@
It was a programming error in the *application* (where the developer failed to implement a "divide by zero" check") that corrupted the database and took down the network, not in the operating system.
More recent versions of Windows have gotten better at preventing poor coding from creating such havoc, to the point where even drivers are loaded in the user space (not the kernel as in older OS version) so that unless the user installed old crappy kernel space drivers that are faulty, what will happen is Windows will shut down the device and then re-initialize it and reload the drivers. Sound will drop out and then come back, display will go off and then come back, etc. with no data loss.
Again, if the user decides to ignore the "unsafe driver" warning and install them anyway, then all bets are off because you can't work around "stupid".
It was a programming error in the *application* (where the developer failed to implement a "divide by zero" check") that corrupted the database and took down the network, not in the operating system.
More recent versions of Windows have gotten better at preventing poor coding from creating such havoc, to the point where even drivers are loaded in the user space (not the kernel as in older OS version) so that unless the user installed old crappy kernel space drivers that are faulty, what will happen is Windows will shut down the device and then re-initialize it and reload the drivers. Sound will drop out and then come back, display will go off and then come back, etc. with no data loss.
Again, if the user decides to ignore the "unsafe driver" warning and install them anyway, then all bets are off because you can't work around "stupid".
to prevent application crashes from killing the whole system. I can divide by zero in any calculator app without crashing the computer. Device drivers are a whole different issue.
@anothercanuck - This sure gets old. Look, the application (your calculator app) provides error handling and checking to make sure it does not execute a divide by zero, the OS does no such checking to make sure an app does not divide by zero, also the computer did not crash on the yorktown, the database application did which the ship was dependent on. Deja Vu, because we have to do this day in and day out with you anti-MS trolls.
@PollyProteus ... Not necessarily stupid, maybe just determined to get an older "unsupported" piece of hardware working due to the cost of reinvestment that would otherwise occur, or that there is no longer an equivalent piece of hardware available to replace the component in question and the individual(s) who installed the driver wanted or needed its functionality so ignored the warning none the less.
@progan01@... I believe that his is why Linux is used for such purposes as the stock drivers that are released with it are gone through by several quality control teams before the software is considered stable. I think this is why many Linux distros do not want to include ATI and Nvidia drivers in their distros by default. You can install such drivers post install by jumping through a few hoops, but the distros usually provide an open source alternative without all of the features. For similar reasons software such as Adobe Flash is generally not included because it introduces vulnerabilities and flaws into an otherwise stable and secure operating system.
@Computer_User_1024
..And yet, usability, compatibility, and performance seems to prove that, despite not going through the same "quality control teams", the proprietary drivers still work better than the open source ones, meaning that they are simply not included for reasons that are political rather than technical.
..And yet, usability, compatibility, and performance seems to prove that, despite not going through the same "quality control teams", the proprietary drivers still work better than the open source ones, meaning that they are simply not included for reasons that are political rather than technical.
No BSOD, but my new Gateway Windows 7 PC locked up a few times. (Mouse would not even move.) Had to shut machine down and restart.
Oh no! My Macs never do anything like that! Even when I run Windows 7 via Parallels.
Microsoft's products must just be too advanced for the computer platforms they run on...except for Macs!
Microsoft's products must just be too advanced for the computer platforms they run on...except for Macs!
@markomd
Odd the MacBook Pro I had to force quit a few times and once for some reason it didn't boot up, had to shut off and turn on again? When I finally got the combo drive fixed I sold it.
Haven't really seen Blue Screen since XP SP3 but have had some momentary stumbles but Windows picked it self up and we moved on. Out of the box computers are usually good to go but when you start adding the third party apps things can happen to Windows or OS X, it may also have to do with how little or much you use your computer for.
Odd the MacBook Pro I had to force quit a few times and once for some reason it didn't boot up, had to shut off and turn on again? When I finally got the combo drive fixed I sold it.
Haven't really seen Blue Screen since XP SP3 but have had some momentary stumbles but Windows picked it self up and we moved on. Out of the box computers are usually good to go but when you start adding the third party apps things can happen to Windows or OS X, it may also have to do with how little or much you use your computer for.
I have had BSOD errors since the day I first turned my PC on (XP Pro Media Center) Now I get them a couple of times a day. They happen randomly. The most recent are 0X0000008E and 0X00000050. I have spent HOURS researching them, but have never found a 'cure.' I don't need to see any pictures of them...I need a solution 
@dyanne2@...
I saw the 8E error on W7 it turned out to be faulty memory I removed 1 of the memory cards at a time and cured the problem.
I saw the 8E error on W7 it turned out to be faulty memory I removed 1 of the memory cards at a time and cured the problem.
@dyanne2@...
For error 0X0000008E:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827663
For error 0X00000050:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329293
Hope this helps!
For error 0X0000008E:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827663
For error 0X00000050:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329293
Hope this helps!
Say what you want but the BSOD is a useful tool for troubleshooting why some bad hardware or drivers are killing your system. Can't get that kind of info with other operating systems. Microsoft Windows did you the favor of letting you know something was wrong.
@Loverock Davidson
So tell us Loverock who needs favors like that? ...Tell us oh smart one
So tell us Loverock who needs favors like that? ...Tell us oh smart one
@SoYouSaid:
This is the only way you knew something was wrong with a system at the time. Now, you have automatic error reporting, and automatic rebooting when a BSoD appears (since end-users can't benefit from the error codes on the screen). Likewise, many BSoD's couldn't get saved to the event log like they are now, and Windows wouldn't often check to see if it had previously crashed due to an XYZ error code on bootup (aside from the disk tag that marks if the system was properly shutdown or not).
Windows is just better at handling errors now. It's even better at handling driver issues. Back in Windows 95, if you didn't have drivers for everything, God help you. Now, you not only Windows Update that automatically installs out-of-box drivers, but even if they aren't on Windows Update, Microsoft has a database of web locations of thousands of drivers that the Problems and Solutions guide will help you obtain.
This is the only way you knew something was wrong with a system at the time. Now, you have automatic error reporting, and automatic rebooting when a BSoD appears (since end-users can't benefit from the error codes on the screen). Likewise, many BSoD's couldn't get saved to the event log like they are now, and Windows wouldn't often check to see if it had previously crashed due to an XYZ error code on bootup (aside from the disk tag that marks if the system was properly shutdown or not).
Windows is just better at handling errors now. It's even better at handling driver issues. Back in Windows 95, if you didn't have drivers for everything, God help you. Now, you not only Windows Update that automatically installs out-of-box drivers, but even if they aren't on Windows Update, Microsoft has a database of web locations of thousands of drivers that the Problems and Solutions guide will help you obtain.
@Loverock Davidson Now that's a proper fanboy comment. Thanks for keeping us educated!
oh and btw Linux does give you as much info. And like the other replier says, who needs a blue screen destroying your hard work? Geez.
Oh and I use Windows. 7. And I'm very happy with it.
oh and btw Linux does give you as much info. And like the other replier says, who needs a blue screen destroying your hard work? Geez.
Oh and I use Windows. 7. And I'm very happy with it.
@tehpea
Lol, Only loverock could call a fatal system error a useful feature
Lol, Only loverock could call a fatal system error a useful feature
@Loverock Davidson
Other operating systems just log the error data in a text file and let you continue working one way or the other.
Unlike Windows the problem is usually fixable without an O/S re-install.
Other operating systems just log the error data in a text file and let you continue working one way or the other.
Unlike Windows the problem is usually fixable without an O/S re-install.
@AndyPagin What does a Windows reinstall have to do with anything? You have to Reinstall Windows because your RAM is bad? I don't think so, why don't you stop making up stuff you know nothing about?
@jamesrayg
"@AndyPagin What does a Windows reinstall have to do with anything? You have to Reinstall Windows because your RAM is bad? I don't think so, why don't you stop making up stuff you know nothing about?"
I had to reinstall Windows2000 countless times on one particular PC, changing ram or any other hardware components made no difference whatsoever. In the end I installed Linux and never had another problem.
Making up stuff I know nothing about? I've been doing this 'stuff' professionally for 27 years, working on just about every hardware & o/s combination you can think of, and dozens more you've probably never heard of.
So what's your level of expertise?
"@AndyPagin What does a Windows reinstall have to do with anything? You have to Reinstall Windows because your RAM is bad? I don't think so, why don't you stop making up stuff you know nothing about?"
I had to reinstall Windows2000 countless times on one particular PC, changing ram or any other hardware components made no difference whatsoever. In the end I installed Linux and never had another problem.
Making up stuff I know nothing about? I've been doing this 'stuff' professionally for 27 years, working on just about every hardware & o/s combination you can think of, and dozens more you've probably never heard of.
So what's your level of expertise?
@AndyPagin
You would never have to reinstall Windows unless either a critical file was corrupt (numerous causes) and had to be recopied from the original disc through a reinstall because the OS wouldn't boot and no other option was available, or through a configuration fault.
A configuration fault could be a defective piece of hardware, or a fault or conflict of an incompatible driver, or critical configuration files (the system registry or other configuration files) had invalid settings or were corrupt or inaccessible. Software issues could be caused by all sorts of problems, including, but certainly not exclusively, malware, bad patches, compatibility conflicts, and many other problems that can occur.
None of these issues are exclusive to Windows either, sorry to say.
@Jamesrayg
If you have bad RAM, you likely won't get very far into a Windows install. Trying a reinstall is the first thing that uneducated users will do. Windows should install on any *working* computer so long as your BIOS settings are correctly set up. At no time should Windows Setup crash, freeze or otherwise cause unexpectant error messages at random - that's a sign of bad hardware, assuming the installer is competent enough to check compatibility, requirements, and supply drive-controller drivers for the first stages of Windows Setup to detect the hard drive.
If you have bad RAM, every OS will have errors and crash. Replacing the RAM is the only smart thing to do. Continuing to use bad RAM is just stupid.
You would never have to reinstall Windows unless either a critical file was corrupt (numerous causes) and had to be recopied from the original disc through a reinstall because the OS wouldn't boot and no other option was available, or through a configuration fault.
A configuration fault could be a defective piece of hardware, or a fault or conflict of an incompatible driver, or critical configuration files (the system registry or other configuration files) had invalid settings or were corrupt or inaccessible. Software issues could be caused by all sorts of problems, including, but certainly not exclusively, malware, bad patches, compatibility conflicts, and many other problems that can occur.
None of these issues are exclusive to Windows either, sorry to say.
@Jamesrayg
If you have bad RAM, you likely won't get very far into a Windows install. Trying a reinstall is the first thing that uneducated users will do. Windows should install on any *working* computer so long as your BIOS settings are correctly set up. At no time should Windows Setup crash, freeze or otherwise cause unexpectant error messages at random - that's a sign of bad hardware, assuming the installer is competent enough to check compatibility, requirements, and supply drive-controller drivers for the first stages of Windows Setup to detect the hard drive.
If you have bad RAM, every OS will have errors and crash. Replacing the RAM is the only smart thing to do. Continuing to use bad RAM is just stupid.
My experience is, systems have been getting better. I used Windows 95 for a few years starting in 1995, and it was not uncommon for BSOD to appear while word processing or trying to read my AOL e-mail. Furthermore, when the computer froze, I had to reboot and restart all my open programs. Nowadays, I still experience system hangs but instead of rebooting the computer, all that's necessary is to use the Task Manager to close the malfunctioning application and re-open it.
I haven't seen a BSOD on my home puter or the one I use at work, in a long time. Occasionally I have to pull the plug and restart, though. I think its the system's way of clearing out stuff stacked on the random access memory (i.e. clearing its throat, in a manner of speaking) if I haven't shut it down for several days.
I haven't seen a BSOD on my home puter or the one I use at work, in a long time. Occasionally I have to pull the plug and restart, though. I think its the system's way of clearing out stuff stacked on the random access memory (i.e. clearing its throat, in a manner of speaking) if I haven't shut it down for several days.
This BSOD has to do with either a Windows XP(of which MS no longer supports) or because the Flash Player is new and Updated it doesnt work with YouTube... so I cant (and of course no one else has figured out what to do to fix it) see videos on YouTube or WMPlayer either...
Way to go MS!! (and Adobe) ;(
Way to go MS!! (and Adobe) ;(
The photo of The Bay store is in downtown Toronto, not Times Square. Anyone should know that of "The Bay" - short for "The Hudson's Bay Co.".
@donnie126_2002@... Spoken like someone who needs to go look up the term "unix kernel panic" and "seg fault" and so on. I won't comment on the 360 because I've never had one, but I haven't seen a BSoD in like 7 years.
@jamesrayg Couldn't agree more. I've only seen a BSoD recently when I put my Win7 laptop to sleep, but a Windows Update fixed it.
Love the Big Screen shots- still people didn't get the message. Tragedy is it happens even in medical equipment! Surely these are due to a sad, ignorant misuse of the operating system. It was never intended for such applications.
most of the time bsod is caused by corruptted drivers or hardware and microsoft has no answers for why this happens
@billg12656@...
Actually they do: it's called Winqual (or WHQL).
Certified drivers rarely cause stability issues (compared the percentage of uncertified drivers that do).
Actually they do: it's called Winqual (or WHQL).
Certified drivers rarely cause stability issues (compared the percentage of uncertified drivers that do).
I've dealt with many BSODs over the years and know friends who have had gotten them too. Who is to blame remains questionable.
Image 8 of the slide show is not in Times Square NYC. It is at the corner of Yonge and Queen at The Bay's flagship store in Toronto, Ontario. The Bay is a Canadian retailer and has no operations in the US.
When I build my systems, I check the HCL and only use hardware with certified drivers. As a result, I haven't seen a BSOD since Windows 3.1 and my machines all run under heavy usage without rebooting for many months at a time. (They reboot when Microsoft installs an update that requires rebooting.) It's a shame commercial PC companies don't stick to the HCL and certified drivers. The Windows world would have been a much nicer place.
As usual, the OS hustlers are out in full force trying to take advantage. You know why ZDnet doesn't do a "kernel panic" homage? Because almost nobody uses unix and almost nobody cares about it. I haven't seen a BSOD in like 7 years, maybe more, so you can't tell me unix is just so stable and it doesn't fail as much as Windows because Windows hardly fails either. (well, hardly since the switch to NT from 9x) - I run my Windows 7 x64 boxes 24/7, and push them all day, they've never failed, spontaneously rebooted, BSoD'ed or anything, they just keep on chugging. Had the same experience with Vista x64. Dunno why we have to be at each other's throat's every day over such trivial stuff, and why you guys keep acting like modern Windows NT systems are like old Windows 9x systems, but whatever.
I have a Win 7 netbook. I noticed that if I pull out my Clear Wimax USB modem, the whole system goes blank and then restarts.
@jabailo1 Well some devices you're just not supposed to hot-swap...
I have had a few BSOD's happen in Windows 7, but that happens when I try to use my USB web camera with either Yahoo Messenger, Windows Messenger or Skype. I have tried looking for the latest driver from Logitech, but they evidently do not have a stable on on their site, or I have not downloaded it yet if it is there. I thus do not use my camera much as I don't like it bringing my computer to a halt. Part of the problem, I suppose is that I have to rely on the web drivers because I cannot find my original install CD as I have misplaced it.
A BSOD is, after all, a controlled and intercepted crash. No, I used to get OUT-OF-CONTROL crashes when connecting or diconnecting from Wireless LANs. The screen would just fill with random pixels and lock-up.
Join the conversation!
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
Vendor Showcase
Facebook Activity
