Microsoft Windows NT (Error Screens)

Splash Screens Error Screens

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Credits

Compiled by
Logoarto

Editions by
ILEnthusiast

Background

These are the error screens whenever something critical happened to Windows starting from 3.1.

1st Screen (June 9, 1993-May 14, 2001)

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Visuals: On a blue background, there is the stop code information moved below with a text "Restart and set the recovery options in the system control panel or the /CRASHDEBUG system start option. If this message reappears, contact your system administrator or tehcnical support group." below it.

Variants:

• On Windows XP builds 2446-2465, the opening text from the next screen has been added.
• On Windows XP builds 2469, 2474, and 2475, the font is now set in Lucida Console.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: Depends on the situation. Most of the time, it's either the computer audio freezing or stuttering. Sometimes none, especially when there's no audio playing before the error screen.

Availability: This screen was first used on Windows 3.1 Build 475 until Whistler Build 2475.

2nd Screen (May 23, 2001-November 10, 2010)

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Visuals: On a blue background, there is the same text from Windows XP build 2469, but the stop code information is moved below, and between the two is "Technical information:".

Variant: Windows Server 2012 build 7788 to Windows 8 build 7880 have the text in a higher resolution.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: Depends on the situation. Most of the time, it's either the computer audio freezing or stuttering. Sometimes none, especially when there's no audio playing before the error screen.

Availability: The screen was first used for Windows XP, and was reused for Windows Vista and Windows 7.

3rd Screen (November 29, 2010-June 30, 2011)

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Visuals: On a black background, a message reads "Your computer needs to restart." Below that is smaller text saying "It encountered a problem and will restart automatically."

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: Depends on the situation. Most of the time, it's either the computer audio freezing or stuttering. Sometimes none, especially when there's no audio playing before the error screen.

Availability: This screen was seen on Windows 8 builds 7891 to 8038.

4th Screen (July 23, 2011-)

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Visuals:

• Windows 8 (builds 8045 and 8056): On a black background, a sad emoticon face is seen on the left side of the screen. Below is a message reading:

Your PC ran into a problem that it couldn't handle, and now it needs to restart.

Below is a small text showing "You can search for the error online:" along with an error code that resulted in the crash, and a bigger text showing "It'll restart in:" along with how much time it will wait for this to restart.

• Windows 8 (builds 8061-8155): Same as builds 8045 and 8056, but the background is now blue instead of black.
• Windows 8 (build 8161): Same as builds 8061-8155, but below the error message is replaced with:

If you'd like to know more, you can search for the error online later: <name of the error code>
It's collecting error info and will restart in: <how much time it will wait>

• Windows 8 (build 8250): Same as build 8161, but the error message is replaced with "Your computer ran into a problem that it couldn't handle, and now it needs to restart." Also, the looking for error text is replaced with "If you'd like to know more, you can search online later for this code: <name of the error code>".
• Windows 8-10 (pre-1607): Same as build 8250, but the error message is replaced with "Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We're just collecting some error info, and then we'll restart for you. (<number of percentage>% complete)" Also, the looking for error text is replaced with "If you'd like to know more, you can search online later for this error: <name of the error code>", how much time will it wait for it to restart text is removed, and the blue background is lighter.
• Windows 10 (builds 1607-1909): Same as above, except, the blue background is much lighter, and the error message is replaced with "Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We'll restart for you." Below, including the percentage of how much it needs to be completed, replaces the looking for an error text is replaced with a QR code along with the text "For more information about this issue and possible fixes, visit https://www.windows.com/stopcode", with the text below is "If you call a support person, give them this info: Stop code: <name of the error code>."
• Windows 10 (builds 2004 and later builds): Same as above but the error message is replaced with the same message from Windows 8-10 (pre-1607), and "PC" is changed to "device".
• Windows 11 (build 22000.51): Same as above, except the background is now black, just like the color they have for the builds 8061-8155. The QR code, however, remains blue.
• Windows 11 (builds 22000.346) and onwards: Same as build 22000.51, except the background is again blue, albeit a darker shade of color.

Variants:

• On Windows Insider builds of Windows 10 and Windows 11, the background is green.
• On Windows Server versions and Japanese language versions of Windows, and if the registry key DisableEmoticon is enabled, same as since build 8250 (except for build 1607-1909), including Windows Insider variants, but the sad emoticon is removed.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: Depends on the situation. Most of the time, it's either the computer audio freezing or stuttering. Sometimes none, especially when there's no audio playing before the error screen.

Availability: This screen was first seen on Windows 8 build 8045.