Microsoft investigates Windows 7 'screen of death'

BBC ^ | 12/1/09

[FromLori]

Microsoft has confirmed that it is investigating a problem described as the "black screen of death", which affects its latest operating system.

The error means that users of Windows 7 see a totally black screen after logging on to the system.

The firm said it was looking into reports that suggest its latest security update, issued on 10 November, was the cause the problem.

Reports suggest the flaw also affects Vista, XP and other systems.

Software firm Prevx, which has issued a fix for the problem, says "millions" of people may be affected. "Users have resorted to reloading Windows as a last ditch effort to fix the problem," the firm's David Kennerley wrote in a blog post.

"We hope we can help a good many of you avoid the need to reload." Unknown problem

[Still Thinking]

Back in the DOS days we were all on a network (intranet only at that time) and we had this one older guy that thought he was God’s gift to computers, engineering, women, whatever. Well, one of the younger guys modified his AUTOEXEC.BAT from across the room while the guy is sitting right there. Next morning guy turns on his machine and gets one of those “I’m about to erase the hard drive” screens. I give the guy credit though for quick thinking. He thought about it for about two seconds and reached over and flipped off the power.

[webschooner]

You got that right ... We have three XP machines, and we use Google Chrome, and it rocks! IE is a pig, and doesn’t even work on some sites.

[RichardW]

This has happened to me several times but there is a fix. Shut the machine down, reboot it and wait for the screen to come up that says it is looking for a “solution.” Has brought me back to where I was working and nothing was lost. Aggravating but not terminal.

[Cheburashka]

No, that's the blue screen of death. The article is about the black screen of death. Perhaps you are colorblind and don't know that there's a difference.

[Cheburashka]

Once upon a time (back in the nineties) you could customize the color of your Screen Of Death(tm Microsoft Inc. All rights reserved.). I don't know if this trick still works, since I have never gotten a Screen Of Death(tm Microsoft Inc. All rights reserved.) with Windows XP(tm Microsoft Inc. All rights reserved.). I don't see any point in making the change, since I will never know if it took.

http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/93526/how-can-i-change-a-bsod-blue-screen-of-death-to-another-color.html

Perhaps if I did use it I would go for the yellow letters on brown background. We all know what the color brown stands for, so it seems the best.

[Still Thinking]

You’ve NEVER had a BSOD with XP?? I admit mine are very rare but I’m pretty sure it happened once on my current build, which is only 18 months old.

[Cheburashka]

You’ve NEVER had a BSOD with XP?? I admit mine are very rare but I’m pretty sure it happened once on my current build, which is only 18 months old.

---

Nope. I've occasionally had the computer lock up, so the keyboard and mouse don't work, but no BSOD, or any other color. I've used XP about four years now, extensively, on a daily basis. I have an uptime counter on my computer, I find it starts getting twitchy if I go 6-7 days without rebooting. Occasionally I start having glitches sooner than that. Means it's time to reboot.

I wish I could take credit for it, but perhaps I've just been lucky. Watch, tomorrow - Blam!!!

[Red Badger]

Who you callin' "colorblind"?..................

[tubebender]

MSFT...The original Change and Hope...

[papasmurf]

Microsoft Denies

[FromLori]

Thank you.

[kalee]

ping

[big'ol_freeper]

Microsoft could “F up” a wet dream.

[Born Conservative]

Changed from Blue Screen to Black Screen to be politically correct and in tune with the current Executive Branch...