In its first iteration, the error screens started with *** STOP:, hence it became known as a 'stop error.'īSoDs can be caused by poorly written device drivers or malfunctioning hardware, such as faulty memory, power supply issues, overheating of components, or hardware running beyond its specification limits. The first Blue Screen of Death appeared in Windows NT 3.1 (the first version of the Windows NT family, released in 1993), and later appeared on all Windows operating systems released afterwards.

The original Blue Screen of Death from Windows NT 3.51 ( Italian localization) As with prior versions, Windows 3.x exits to DOS if an error condition is severe enough. Windows 3.1 also displays a blue screen when the user presses the Ctrl+Alt+Delete key combination while no programs were unresponsive (the reverse is true for when there are unresponsive programs). Windows 3.1 changed the color of this screen from black to blue. Windows 3.0 uses a text-mode screen for displaying important system messages, usually from digital device drivers in 386 Enhanced Mode or other situations where a program could not run. This is not a crash screen, however upon crashing, Windows 1.0 either locks up or exits to DOS. In the final release (version 1.01), however, this screen prints out random characters after the 'Incorrect DOS version' text as a result of a bug in the Windows logo code. Windows 1.01 Blue Screen of Death: Long version, showing installation DOS 6, Windows 1.01, and the failed startup of Windows 1.01īlue error screens have been around since the beta version of Windows 1.0 if Windows found a newer DOS version than it expected, the error message 'Incorrect DOS version' alongside other text messages detailing what check failed to pass would be appended to the boot screen before starting normally. Windows 1.0 BSOD (Incorrect DOS Version): Short version, showing a failed Windows startup The 'Incorrect DOS Version' screen on Windows 1.01, featuring random characters

Windows stop code memory management