Microsoft is rolling out significant changes to Windows 11 24H2 as part of the Windows Resilience Initiative, designed to reduce downtime and help devices recover from serious failures, as well as an overhaul of the all-too-familiar BSOD crash screens.
Microsoft's Windows Resiliency Initiative is a new effort by Microsoft to make Windows more stable, self-healing, and faster to recover from critical failures. This initiative is in direct response to recent incidents that caused widespread disruptions and crashes due to flawed updates, like the global CrowdStrike driver outage.
Microsoft has now announced that it has replaced the Windows Blue Screen of Death with a new Black Screen of Death, featuring a revamped interface.
"The new UI is simpler, and more aligned with Windows 11's design language," explains Microsoft.
"It removes the frowny face and QR code, and instead presents a short, readable message with the stop code and faulty driver information. We've also added a hex version of the stop code to make it easier to search for help – a common user request."
Regardless of its color, it is still a BSOD crash screen
Source: Microsoft
Microsoft also announced the new Quick Machine Recovery feature, which aims to resolve boot failures without requiring manual intervention.
When a system is unable to boot and enters the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), it can now automatically connect to a network, check for applicable fixes from Windows Update, and apply them if available.
This new feature can be used to automatically disable known faulty drivers or remove software that is preventing Windows from starting, all without human intervention and with a fix pushed from Microsoft's servers.
... continue reading