The dreaded Blue Screen of Death is the bane of many a Windows user — it means something has gone terribly wrong, and you've probably just lost some work.
But some users are reporting that Microsoft appears to be experimenting with a new look for the Blue Screen of Death in its latest Windows 10 operating system that makes it a little easier to figure out what, exactly, went wrong, as first noticed by Neowin.
Reddit user javelinnl shares this:
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Note the giant QR code.
Rather than force you to write down a long error code as you try to figure out what went wrong, it seems that Microsoft is exploring the notion of having you just scan your screen with your smartphone.
As Neowin reports, that code just takes you to a default landing page where you can search for more detailed error codes. But it doesn't seem crazy to think that Microsoft might start using different QR codes for different errors, making it easier to track down what's gone wrong. It could mean less head-scratching and fewer headaches.
It's probable that this updated Blue Screen of Death is currently limited to users in Microsoft's "Windows Insider" beta testing program. There's no indication of when the screen will go out to everybody, but there's a big free Windows 10 Anniversary Update going out this summer.
Microsoft was not immediately available for comment.
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