back to article Microsoft's Blue Screen of Death dead in latest Windows 10 preview

Redmond has released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 15002 – one of the biggest updates to its cloudy operating system – ahead of the release of the Creators Update later this year. There's a whole host of upgrades and additions in the new build, but one that will be immediately noticeable to developers is the axing of the …

  1. trog-oz
    FAIL

    Have they fixed the bug whereby Edge keeps insisting that it is a better pdf reader than Acrobat? I very much doubt it.

    1. Triggerfish

      They still haven't fixed the bug where it keeps auto installing unwnted updates, restoring unistalled programs and being terribly unsecure with your personal data.

      Wait whaddaya mean those are features?

      1. tr1ck5t3r

        Remember you are the product as Google once said. Some 'mericans believe if you use their products, then you adhere to their rules. Besides its all in the EULA which you will note lets them do what they like to your systems and data.

        So when is a mainframe not a mainframe? When its the cloud.

        Names & definitions keep changing, but the data still ends up in the hands of a few all powerful.

        1. Packet

          Actually, it was said against Google - most recently and famously, by Tim Cook of Apple.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        >They still haven't fixed the bug where it keeps auto installing unwnted updates<

        In this build, can now stop device driver updates and pause general updates for a month. Of course these features may not make it finished build.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Fix for auto installing unwanted updates

          Even in the Home version that doesn't let you delay updates for 35 days: disable the Windows Update service.

          I primarily use Linux, and when I use Windows I use Windows 7 because it actually works properly. I did set up a Windows 10 partition on my new laptop, because you can't installed Windows 7 on Kaby Lake and I need Windows if I ever want to update the firmware on that laptop (no easy way to do it in the UEFI BIOS)

          But I found that if you boot Windows 10 after not having used it a while, it is COMPLETELY unusable because it is downloading and installing updates immediately after it starts, without waiting for confirmation. Since I will hardly ever use it, I don't care about getting updates, so I just turned off the service. Problem fixed!

          If I ever want to catch up on updates, I can always re-enable the service and leave it running overnight...

        2. joed

          Remember about priorities. Bing's proxies - Edge and Cortana - are the forefront of development. Windows Defender has been tweaked to look the other way when MS sets up MITM. User requests are of no value if these not reflect MS' goals.

    2. quxinot

      No. It's broken garbage.

      Sorry, here's my downvotes. 10 is a beta product that has genuinely good thinking in some points. But it was released before it was ready, and it's a horrible f'king mess as far as the UI goes as well as how the mentality goes.

      It isn't ready. It will never be ready. In 12-18 months (you heard it here first!), MS will be ready to release a reasonable product. It will still be a bunch of garbage, but if they can fix the interface, 95% of the whiners online will embrace it. Nevermind that the actual code is horrible and that the UI can be functionally fixed with aftermarket software.

      The horrible and embarrassing part is the same as ever. If MS would focus on making a good product instead of shuffling the UI and emulating google (poorly at best!), they could make a fortunte selling their primary product to customers. Instead of attempting to sell their primary customers to other customers.

  2. NanoMeter

    GSOD =Green Screen of Death?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      GSOD?

      Incoming lawsuit from TiVo in 3, 2, 1...

    2. Kobblestown

      Well, it's a SOD for sure!

      1. Primus Secundus Tertius

        @Kobblestown

        Or, as I have heard Australians say, "What a sod!".

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      or does that acronym stand for "Great Slurping Of Data"

  3. Dan 55 Silver badge

    There are a lot more developer-specific tweaks in the new build and it's clear Microsoft is preparing for something major with the Creators Edition. Let's hope it causes fewer crashes than the Anniversary Update.

    I am so glad I am not part of this continual beta test for the Enterprise edition.

    1. Triggerfish

      It's the new agile, dev ops combination bringing energy and innovation to the customer.

      1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

        Energy to the customer?

        Well, if you count the rapid banging of heads against the screen as the user finds out that the latest updates have nixed all the customisation that they'd spent hours applying then great.

        W10 is not out of Alpha let alone Beta yet.

        Finally, how many man hours of effort, meetings and yet more meetings did it take to change the BDOD screen into the GSOD? Don't the people in redmond realise that they are doing the MS equivalent of 'fiddling while Rome burns'? Nah, thought not.

        1. Captain DaFt

          Re: Energy to the customer?

          "Finally, how many man hours of effort, meetings and yet more meetings did it take to change the BDOD screen into the GSOD? Don't the people in redmond realise that they are doing the MS equivalent of 'fiddling while Rome burns'?"

          Looks like MS has actually abandoned its attempts to emulate Google.

          Now they're emulating Yahoo! instead!

      2. Pascal

        > It's the new agile, dev ops combination bringing energy and innovation to the customer.

        energy? you must mean synergy!

        1. Triggerfish

          No energy, it always makes me get up and want to smash something.

  4. Anonymous South African Coward Bronze badge

    Next time the colour will be pink.

    1. Doogie Howser MD

      I'd have thought brown would have been more apt?

      1. AMBxx Silver badge

        I wonder how many meetings were involved in deciding the exact shade of green? Good to see MS aren't wasting time on pointless crap.

        1. tony2heads

          @AMBxx

          Bile green would be best (to represent the anger of the user)

    2. Paul Kinsler

      pink?

      Probably "green" was chosen so "green screen OD", with its longer colour name, and the rhyme, wouldn't be as snappy to say as "blue screen OD".

      It's a nice marketing trick, which may even work if they can just stop Windows crashing as not-infrequently as it apparently does atm.

      1. cambsukguy

        Re: pink?

        Period operating W10: 18 months

        Number of BSODs: 2 (possibly 3)

        Not fabulous but hardly serious.

    3. joed

      Blond would suit it well.

      1. Gotno iShit Wantno iShit

        Green, pink, brown, blonde.....

        I couldn't give a flying f##k what colour it is, it's not coming near any hardware I own.

        1. TAJW

          Re: Green, pink, brown, blonde.....

          Thanks, your input was very valuable. Just why did you come here, anyway? Ran out of other places to hate?

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      My money is on RED as it will complete the primary colour set (red, green, blue).

      Although we are rather splitting hairs here aren't we, as it really doesn't matter what colour your screen is when your OS has gone tits-up.

      I've had another thought behind Microsoft's thought process maybe the screen colour is meant to mirror the colour of the users face?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Has anybody ever found anything useful in the text spewed out in a BSOD? Genuinely curious.

    1. Filippo Silver badge

      I'd normally not bother answering, but if you really are genuinely curious - the name of the file where the fault occurred, the name of the error, and the error code are actually very useful. Several times, they allowed me to pinpoint which bit of hardware was faulty or which driver was buggy.

    2. Callam McMillan

      In Windows 10, not really - it just gives you a reason such as "Memory Management". I then use a useful utility called Blue Screen View - that shows you what caused the crash, what drivers were running etc.

    3. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

      When I had a series of crashes and random reboots on my home PC a year or so ago, the BSOD it kicked out gave me enough of a hint (googling the error code, etc.) to go and run memtest86 to verify the problem - a DIMM module with an intermittent fault. Thankfully Corsair do a lifetime warranty on them.

    4. This post has been deleted by its author

    5. patrickstar

      Quite recently I was able to pinpoint the cause of the crash as being a bug in the driver for the wireless NIC (as opposed to a bug somewhere else or more worringly a hardware problem) with nothing more than the info from the bluescreen (not even a photo or such, everything written down by hand) and access to the original system.

      For going deeper than that you typically need a crash dump or an attached kernel debugger though.

    6. Captain Scarlet

      Yes, one of my hard drives were dying causing errors, stick of ram went bad and one instance where a power supply was going bad.

    7. Anonymous Coward Silver badge

      Yes, regularly.

      Like, in the transition days between IDE and SATA, I could immediately identify when the BIOS had reset the interface type and windows couldn't boot (ie distinguish that from the disk failing).

      I can identify which driver needs updating, or which bit of hardware needs removing as there's no better driver.

      There's a lot of crap in there, but the error text (eg BOOT_DEVICE_INACESSIBLE) and the first hex code (eg 0xC0000008) is very useful.

    8. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      BSODs are useful

      Google the hex codes it gives, if it is a common problem you'll have the explanation and perhaps fix for it.

    9. Paul 129
      Gimp

      BSOD codes ARE useful

      I guess I've fixed too many PCs.

      The first number of the stop error code gives you an idea of what is going on. 7B is the classic inaccessible boot device....(device drivers for reading your c:\ drive not loaded) other numbers indicate other things. Most problems are down to drivers breaking. Third party driver updates are wonderful for this! ROFL!

      Anyway most other drivers can be disabled in the registry, and marked as do not hang if it fails to load. (requires offline registry editing)

      Memory dumps are also great, a if they're recored and a free pc to put all the debugging tools on

      Standard disclaimer: Applicable for all versions prior to Win10.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Microsoft creators a Bloater Edition?

    I'm getting the feeling the Creators Edition is going to be a bloat monster of unnecessary feature creep. A fully updated 1607AU Windows 10 is actually quite good at the moment on a range of hardware, including the older Intel Core2Duo+Nvidia hardware still in use.

    Now (or soon) might be the time to bail from the full Windows 10 Update conveyor belt. Stick with just monthly "manual" security updates via Windows Catalog.

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: Microsoft creators a Bloater Edition?

      Just wondering, how can MS drop support for hardware if they're pushing the continual upgrade treadmill that is the last ever version of Windows?

      "Your Windows 10 computer is now not secure, please buy a new Windows 10 computer" would go down like a lead balloon.

      1. J. R. Hartley

        Re: Microsoft creators a Bloater Edition?

        Dunno, but the message will start with:

        "Free support is coming to an end"

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Microsoft creators a Bloater Edition?

        "Your Windows 10 computer is now not secure, please buy a new Windows 10 computer" would go down like a lead balloon.

        Since when did MS care about their cash cows?

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    You can put lipstick on a pig but a crash is still a crash, coming soon nice soothing hold music just to complete that really pissed off customer experience.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Alternative OS? Tried the Live USB of Fedora 25

      Alternative OS? I tried the Live USB of Fedora 25 this week.

      I'm in 2 minds as to whether the interface is better than Linux Mint, it's certainly prettier, yet still very straightforward (more Mac like than Windows), especially once you start typing to find things.

      With its pretty simplified interface icons, with a little practice it could be the best interface yet for the young or older generation that want a fully featured simplified interface PC all there on a USB stick, everything is generally easy to find and straightforward. I do like Mint 18.1 though.

      A few things stupidly letting Fedora 25 down though:

      Worth trying, but word of warning, don't use Windows based Fedora Media Writer to create the USB, it mostly crashes on opening in Windows 7. For all the work that went into Fedora 25, like Windows 10*, they rushed out a buggy media creation tool. Use Rusfus or something else, to create the Live USB from the ISO.

      A bit of history.

      *The Windows 10 Media Creation tool failed to check for disk space, had no resume feature when GBs of download failed, needed 3x the disk space to expand downloaded files (you couldn't choose the disk). So a 6GB 32/64bit ISO of Windows 10 needed around 20GB of free Drive C disk space. Not something many have, having upgraded to SSDs. Often just errored out with the meme 'Something happened'.

      It was basically shit on release of Windows 10 1507.

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Re: Alternative OS? Tried the Live USB of Fedora 25

        Nobody is interested in hearing you talk about Linux. We all know Linux exists.

        1. Dan 55 Silver badge

          Re: Alternative OS? Tried the Live USB of Fedora 25

          We all know Windows exists too, but look, here we are.

          Always good to know which Linux distros currently offer the best user experience and as well as which Windows versions (7).

      2. herman

        Re: Alternative OS? Tried the Live USB of Fedora 25

        You don't need to 'create' anything. Just use rawrite to copy the ISO the USB stick.

      3. Gotno iShit Wantno iShit

        Re: Alternative OS? Tried the Live USB of Fedora 25

        I'm in the process of trying to go Mint, it has not been painless.

        Sure the OS install was a breeze, everything after that..... The daily updates it needs are a pain, I'm getting an awful lot of practice typing my password. The first job I tried to do with it required real Java not the pseudo good-enough-for-webshit NotJava that was installed. Getting that was a bollock ache. Then the applet (is that the right buzzword for a Java application?) utterly failed to run. Write once run anywhere? The only part that was easy was the USB driver (only part available in the package manager). Give up use a Win7 laptop instead.

        Next the non jobs I use a laptop for when stuck in a hotel room, watching iPlayer (nope) or watching Amazon (nope again). I can watch FuckallworthwatchingTube though. All three allegedly use run anywhere HTML5. Give up and use a Win7 laptop instead.

        There's no hope on earth of the applications (SCADA & PLC tools) I use in most of my day job ever finding their way to Linux.

        I starting to even doubt my next SQL+Perl job will be as easy on Linux as the penguinistas would have me believe.

        I haven't tried Libre Office yet, if the spreadsheet gets me a customisable experience anywhere near Excel, Visio & Terd 2007 I shall persist with the above issues. If it's as customisable as The Fucking Ribbon™ I may as well stick with the devil I know, learn how to use the Office 2016 deployment tool (fuckyou very much indeed MS for making the 2016 installer all or nothing) and give up on linux. When Win7 goes EOL I'll just be heading up to the roof, I may be a while.

        I have 20 years of my working life left, I seriously doubt I will ever be as productive as I was on XP + Office 2007.

        1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

          Re: Alternative OS? Tried the Live USB of Fedora 25

          So you are use to onedOS, but not the other. Big surprise you find it more difficult to use the new one!

          On the plus-side, Linux updates won't use all your computer resources for ages. I do not recognise having to input my password a lot during upgrades though.

          Java is now owned by Oracle, who are feeling litigious. Would could possibly go wrong?

          Blame Amazon and goddam forced licence financed "public service" BBC for not supporting Linux properly. Doesn't Amazon rely on that relic Sliverlight from MS? (Yes, the Silverlight MS now want to kill, like most things MS have done. Just like Adobe tries to kill Flash, but it just won't die.)

          I can understand Amazon being paranoid, but the BBC?

          1. Gotno iShit Wantno iShit

            Re: Alternative OS? Tried the Live USB of Fedora 25

            Amazon used Silverlight before HTML5 just as the BBC used Flash but now claims HTML5 compliance.

            Your criticism is fair I guess, my rant is not really with the Linux community it is with the software development community in general. HTML5 claims to be a universal solution, it isn't. Java claims the same, it isn't. The penguin community extolls how all my problems will be solved if I just free myself from the shackles of Microsoft. I'm trying, I really am but so far I'm just as frustrated as I am in a Windows world. Different frustrations, same result. I expect the open source notJava Mint comes with is better coded, more secure and more standards compliant than the Orrible original. I should rant at Maxim for somehow making their applet not write-once-run-anywhere.

            I may wipe & start again this weekend, perhaps I got something wrong in switching Javas.

            I'd be interested to learn how I can avoid being asked for my password every time there are updates to go on and the security implication of any changes to do so.

            1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

              Re: Alternative OS? Tried the Live USB of Fedora 25

              "HTML5 claims to be a universal solution, it isn't. "

              Sure it is, if the developers use it.

              If they don't, then nothing is a solution.

              HTML5 can't magically change BBC's or Amazon's software to stop being stupid and irritating.

              I'd never ever claim Linux will magically solve all your problems. Nor would moving to a Mac, or iPad. If you prefer MS having you over a barrel with NSA standing by, and feel whatever application you use is worth it, then just use Windows 10.

              I use Windows 10. But I still think MS needs to go bust, and Windows die a swift death. I don't kid myself that all is well just becase it would be nicer if it was.

              I have disliked Windows since 1990, and I sure as hell don't like it more today. (Win 2000, XP and 7 were not so bad, but now. -what a regression!)

        2. gfx

          Re: Alternative OS? Tried the Live USB of Fedora 25

          In Linux (ubuntu-mate) you can adjust the update frequency in software & updates.

          It works pretty well. Arduino and Tinkerforge software is available for linux. B&R and Wago have some linux based stuff.

          I run the Siemens shit in a virtualbox on Linux.

          Virtualbox is broken again in Window 10 15002

          1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

            Re: Alternative OS? Tried the Live USB of Fedora 25

            "Virtualbox is broken again in Window 10 15002"

            So what happens if one happens to depend on Virtualbox and then MS just casually forces another update onto your PC?

            This whole new update model is unfit for purpose, which means that Windows 10 is unfit for purpose. Unless used only as a toy.

            WIll be interesting to see if the issue is fixed before normal users are forced to update.

  8. Czrly

    Edge & OneNote

    When did updates to Edge and OneNote, both user-space applications (or, at least, they damn well SHOULD be user-space apps) count as updates to the Operating System itself? Updates to Cortana are just as meaningless to me. Even folders in the start menu are not going to be useful - what I really want is for the start menu to be a proper Windows launch surface again (like the desktop and task bar.) Perhaps, then, it would stop losing or changing the icons for the things I pin to it!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Edge & OneNote

      Hey. Microsoft has a hipster CEO now. So hipster piecemeal updates are trendy. Don't forget the much ballyhooed update to the humble MS Paint application!

      Windows is now a shopfront for Microsoft to peddle other members of its ecosystem.

      As far as I'm concerned, I only need Windows to be Windows: to run win32 and legacy programs well. I might need Office programs for productivity but that's about all that I care for Microsoft products.

      Chrome is my browser. Then Firefox/Palefox. Then Opera. Vivaldi, Seamonkey etc. Edge/IE is far behind in the queue.

      Edge is just a proprietary Trident polished turd of Internet Explorer, which Microsoft hopes Joe User doesn't notice.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Windows

      @czrly

      It's even worse than that:

      "Screencaps can now be focused on a smaller area, so you don't need to grab the whole page for notes."

      This is a non-feature, instead it's something which already exists within OneNote. I'm still using Office 2010 and guess what: OneNote allows me to do Win-S, a cross hair appears, and I can select exactly the area of the screen which I want to capture. It even allows me to use OCR on this picture (though.. it's not the best).

      So how can this be a new feature in Win10/Office365 while Win7/Office2010 could already do this?

    3. joed

      Re: Edge & OneNote

      Let's hope that "improved" shell will let us name start menu folder "Shit" (and dump all useless but uninstallable apps into it). Heck, I'd make telemetry exception just for that change to provide some warm feedback to MS.

      1. AMBxx Silver badge
        Windows

        Re: Edge & OneNote

        Application updates advertised as OS updates started with all the tiny, incremental updates to iOS. Let MS/Apple boast of OS innovation when in reality most of what they're doing is just tinkering.

  9. Len Goddard

    Useful?

    Lets see:

    Edge - don't use it

    Shell changes (realy startpage?) - don't use tiles

    OneNote - don't use it

    Cortana - disabled from day 1

    Accessability - fortunately I have no need for these changes (but they may be useful to the target audience)

    Defender - don't use it

    Settings - Would have been useful when I first installed Win10 but I've managed to achieve something I can live with despite the M$ straitjacket

    So, I'll pass on this one. Oops, can't do that but at least win10pro lets me delay installation by some months so that other people can find all the new bugs they have introduced.

    Oh, BSOD colour - in the days of PC or MS DOS you could get a TSR (terminate and stay resident) utility which allowed you to set the BSOD colour to anything you liked.

    1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

      Re: Useful?

      Pretty much exactly this.

    2. djstardust

      Re: Useful?

      Exactly what I would have written. Have an upvote!

    3. GrumpenKraut
      Devil

      Re: Useful?

      > TSR (terminate and stay resident)

      I had forgotten about these for 20(?) years now... until the minute ago when I read your post, THANK YOU!

      You ------------->

    4. Eddy Ito
      Devil

      Re: Useful?

      Isn't it still just a matter of adding the lines

      MessageBackColor=2

      MessageTextColor=F

      in the appropriate place in %systemroot%\system.ini?

      A nice 5 and E respectively to shock folks with blaze yellow text on a magenta background was always fun.

    5. John Presland

      Re: Useful?

      Sincere query: If we shouldn't use Defender, what should we use?

      1. joed

        Re: Useful?

        If you know what you're doing you'll be fine without any AV while enjoying better performing system (and the the less legit software/content you've knowingly downloaded will remain where you've left it). Obviously MS decided to combine AV with network inspection system (whatever this meant, firewall still seems to be separate piece) so there may be some merit to keep Defender running (but at least turn of sample submission and "cloud" based protection bs).

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Windows 10 Conveyor (belt) Edition

    The trouble with Windows 10, is you can never say I'm happy with this as it is, now leave my cake alone. The conveyor belt keeps on moving forward, adding more cake decoration, whether you like it or not.

    1. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

      Re: Windows 10 Conveyor (belt) Edition

      If you connect via wireless, then once you're happy with the level of cakeage, set your home wifi connection as a metered connection. That stops Windows from downloading further updates, and so will leave your cake alone.

      1. Triggerfish

        Re: Windows 10 Conveyor (belt) Edition

        Only problem with that is occasionally I have to connect up with ethernet, and then it starts updating at a time I need it more. I prefer to update it when I know I have time to fix a fuck up. Actually I'd prefer having a choice on the updates but apparently thats just madness.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Windows 10 Conveyor (belt) Edition

        @ Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese ; That's a useful trick, but the need for its existence in the first place proves the point.

        It's a workaround (i.e. a sticking plaster treating the symptom rather then the cause) for the fundamental problem which is MS's forcing of updates.

        1. vistisen

          Re: Windows 10 Conveyor (belt) Edition

          The problem is for every single 'expert' like us :-) there are 10000 idiots who never run windows update and click on every link to Trojanware and virus that gets sent to them. If having Microsoft force updates on to me is the price I have to pay for getting these idiots' machines updated. Then it is a price I'm prepared to pay. As for the colour of a BSOD, couldn't care less. I can't remember the last time I have one on any of the 5 or 6 PCs running Windows 10, You can still choose to defer feature updates if you don't want them.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Windows 10 Conveyor (belt) Edition

        Is there some third-party hack or tweak which stops forced updates entirely?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Windows 10 Conveyor (belt) Edition

          Metered Wifi Tweak as mentioned, in detail. Along these lines...

          -------------------------------------------

          Only the metered Wifi one mentioned. In theory (not tried it) that would allow you to download just this month's cumulative January security update manually (64Bit version is 974MB in size), allowing you to skip feature updates/new versions, just have security updates.

          Trouble is, security updates only continue 9 months after the rollout of a new Windows 10 Version, i.e the Creators Edition in April 2017, so this method would allow you to this for Win10 AU1607 until February 2018 (I think).

          https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4009938/windows-10-update-kb3213986

          from the Windows Catalog

          https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/

          (it can now be used in other browsers)

          Setting Metered Wifi:

          ------------------------------

          If you want to do this:

          Click on the Wifi Icon on the taskbar.

          Click Network Settings

          Select Wifi on left (may be already selected, shown in blue)

          Click on Manage Known Networks

          Select the Wirless Network you are using.

          Select Properties

          Turn on Metered Connection Switch.

          That would work, as long as you don't use Ethernet/a Wired conection at any point.

      4. joed

        Re: Windows 10 Conveyor (belt) Edition

        You can set any connection as metered. Registry is your last and often only line of defense in Windows 10. My W10 box has been living dangerously (no updates) for a year now (and will continue so until MS comes to senses with "updates" and telemetry policy).

    2. Annihilator

      Re: Windows 10 Conveyor (belt) Edition

      As I've struggled to establish in the past, you can choose which updates you wish to install on Win10Pro, they just don't make it easy:

      https://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2016/10/06/windows_10_market_share_ifelli_in_september/#c_2995016

  11. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

    Dead, but only temporarily?

    If it's only going to be green in preview versions, the blue is hardly dead is it...

    1. davidp231

      Re: Dead, but only temporarily?

      I recall them using an RSOD in the dev versions of Vista?

      1. Luiz Abdala

        Re: Dead, but only temporarily?

        Don't forget the "Red Ring of Death" on Xbox360.

        RROD.

        That one won't go away with a reboot.

    2. Terry 6 Silver badge

      Re: Dead, but only temporarily?

      Yes, a Bullsh*t headline on this article and no mistake. "Released versions of Windows 10 will continue to have the classic blue color, including the final release of the Windows 10 Creators Update."

  12. lawndart

    ponders:

    The shade of blue used in BSODs. Is it Norwegian?

    1. John G Imrie

      Re: ponders:

      'E's not hibernating'! 'E's passed on! This OS is no more! It has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker!

      'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't booted from that USB stick 'e'd be pushing up the daisies!

      'Is processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig!

      'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!!

      THIS IS AN EX-OPPERATING SYSTEM

      With apologies to John Clease

    2. patrickstar

      Re: ponders:

      Traditionally it's the blue from the standard VGA palette:

      InbvSolidColorFill(0,0,639,479,4); // make the screen blue

  13. PNGuinn
    Mushroom

    I CLAIM PRIOR ART

    Back in the day I was desperate to get a w98se box to some sort of stability. Nothing wrong with the hardware - the lousy excuse for an os would keep on going blue titsup dot com without warning. Tried reinstslls, every combination of drivers I could think of ....

    I was getting a pathological hatred for the colour blue.

    In a vain attempt to preserve my sanity I hacked the system to give me a nice restful GREEN SOD, with yellow text.

    Got news for you, slurp. Didn't bloody work. But a GSOD did make a nice restful change.

    Solved the problem permanently by making friends with a penguin. Rock stable after that.

    ps

    Try to patent your latest wheeze and I'll have Messrs Sue, Grabbit and Runne snapping at your blue screened *rse, PRIOR ART, you know (and it wasn't even my idea in the first place ....)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I CLAIM PRIOR ART

      Your inability to find or install a stable driver can't really be blamed on the OS.

      1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

        Re: I CLAIM PRIOR ART

        "Your inability to find or install a stable driver can't really be blamed on the OS."

        Are you sure about that?

        MS OSs seem to be expert at falling to bits for any reason...

        As well as being hard to write reliable drivers for. (IRQ less than or equal... for 2000 derivates..)

        Pushing things into the kernel for shortsighted performance gains has something to do with it.

  14. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

    Slightly improved voice control, for the accessibility community?

    And an automated Windows re-install with loss of apps... I have an urge to call a national television phone-in show, and enunciate, "Cortana, refresh Windows". And all over the country, whoosh.

    Speech recognition came with Microsoft Word 2003 and with every Windows from Vista on (and XP Tablet Edition), so how the heck is it a "work in progress"?

    1. John McCallum
      Meh

      Re: Slightly improved voice control, for the accessibility community?

      Speech recognition is, and always will be, a work in progress.

  15. imanidiot Silver badge

    Scene: A meeting room at Microsoft

    Peon 1: People are complaining about the so called "blue screen of death". Is there anything we can do about it?

    Peon 2: we could fix the driver issues?

    Peon 3: But that is hard...

    Peon 4: Maybe we could remove the screen entirely?

    Peon 1: Would it stop people complaining?

    Peon 4: It would stop them complaining about the BSOD!

    Peon 2: What if we just change the color?

    Peons 1-4: Brilliant!

  16. Richard Scratcher
    Coat

    Super Green

    This could be really useful for somebody giving a Powerpoint presentation that is also being recorded for distribution. Should the system crash, the presenter could just carry on using his/her notes and then chroma-key the appropriate slides in afterwards.

    1. harmjschoonhoven
      Facepalm

      Re: Super Green

      Traditionally chroma-key uses the most irrelevant primary colour as key, that is blue.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    There's a high chance Microsoft will soon allow users(Education, Enterprise and Pro users are confirmed. Not sure about Home users) postpone updates for 35 days. They may also allocate driver updates in separate tabs from where users can cancel them. Restless cursing of users in feedback app is probably gonna pay off. Though it's impossible for any USA company but only if NSAAccess.exe disappeared from system 32!

  18. JustNiz

    Cortana? edge? I just "uninstalled" them and a bunch of other crap that I dont need but noticed was running all the time (such as an Xbox client, I dont even own an Xbox). (Windows has no option to uninstall them, you need to dual boot into Linux and delete the appropriate folders under windows/systemapps). Now my windows 10 box runs A LOT faster/smoother/more reliably. Far less "mystery" pauses etc. I don't know what Cortana et al were actually doing all the time, but it apparently was taking significant resources, which makes me VERY suspicious.

    1. GrapeBunch

      Windows has no option to uninstall them, you need to dual boot into Linux and delete the appropriate folders under windows/systemapps

      The very "Windows" thing for MS to do would be to download and reinstall the unwanted apps. But I congratulate you and wish you the best possible good fortune.

      I'm guessing that the shade of green will be one of the 16 DOS-VGA colours. Just Because. My own happy text -reading and -editing colour combination is DOS bright yellow on dark red.

    2. sikejsudjek

      Thanks for that. Done. No more xbox crap, no more cortana, no more feedback, no more edge.

  19. Zippy's Sausage Factory

    I have to deal with Windows 10 at work and I'm allowed to use Classic Shell. Amazingly, on the CS menu you get a right mouse -> uninstall for all the apps MS doesn't want you to remove. Bye bye, Xbox, Candy Crush, MS Solitaire and anything else that annoys me...

    1. Terry 6 Silver badge

      CCleaner has an option ( in tools) to remove most of the WIN10 (Cr)apps. Or it can be done with powershell commands ( need to google them). Can't get rid of bloody Cortana/Edge/"Contact support " in either of those ways though

  20. Randy Hudson

    This should make it easier to super-impose Shia Leboeuf shouting, "Just reboot!"

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Shia LaBeouf's response to the "Get Windows 10" dialog (it was ignored and he got Windows 10 installed anyway).

      Shia LaBeouf Live... just because.

  21. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

    "you'll be able to "pause updates on your computer for up to 35 days" and "decide whether or not to include driver updates when you update Windows." This feature will only be available on Professional, Education, and Enterprise editions of Windows."

    Well, thanks so f**king much then, MS..

    1. Carl D

      "you'll be able to "pause updates on your computer for up to 35 days" and "decide whether or not to include driver updates when you update Windows." This feature will only be available on Professional, Education, and Enterprise editions of Windows."

      Its also available on my Windows 10 Home Edition (Anniversary Update) which I decided to try out again last week (just for fun, of course).

      The forced update problems are easily solved - install W10, make sure it is activated and has all the drivers installed... then disconnect it from the Internet (Network Adapter disabled in Control Panel) before it installs any other updates and install Linux Mint in a dual boot with all Internet activity restricted to Mint only. Just like I've done with Windows 7 on my other solid state drive.

      I also ran O&O's ShutUp10 to disable all the annoying Windows 10 stuff - even if it can't access the Internet I'm sure it'll still keep bugging you about wanting to go online all the time.

      The result? A nice, easy to manage Windows 10 installation which doesn't annoy you and can't phone home to MS.

      I might do the same thing when the 'Creator's Update' is released in April.

      1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

        "The forced update problems are easily solved - install W10, make sure it is activated and has all the drivers installed... then disconnect it from the Internet (Network Adapter disabled in Control Panel) before it installs any other updates and install Linux Mint in a dual boot with all Internet activity restricted to Mint only. "

        ;-)

        Well, that was an easy solution!

  22. BobChip
    Linux

    There's a mystery here....

    I'm not a Microsoft user, and I don't usually take much interest in any of their stuff, except when it (ccasionally) impacts adversely on my work in another OS. However, when reading many of the posts under this headline I can't help but wonder why so many people seem to stick with Windows in the first place. Yes, the Windows that I used years ago (XP) sometimes crashed, but I don't recall having constant battles to get work done in the first place. It seems to have got worse with each new iteration, not better.

    There are other, much better OSs out there. Just use them.

  23. Ebec

    so can we at last use edge 's tabs to mute the ad's that playing, without not needing to use a 3rd party app like ear trumpet and will cortana come with working mms/sms drivers at last for a samsung s6

    with the change in the BSoD will the hue of the green be the someone as the one on your face when you feel sick as a dog as it was msn fault the pc updated and , you can';t do sod all but reinstall it afterwards even after you told said pc not to

  24. Ebec

    Hue of the Green

    so can we at last use edge 's tabs to mute the ad's that playing, without not needing to use a 3rd party app like ear trumpet and will cortana come with working mms/sms drivers at last for a samsung s6

    with the change in the BSoD will the hue of the green be the someone as the one on your face when you feel sick as a dog as it was msn fault the pc updated and , you can';t do sod all but reinstall it afterwards even after you told said pc not to

  25. Sanlorenzo

    Ruff..

    Does replacing the bsd with a gsd make Win10 a dog...

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