BSOD

What is the BSoD?

Blue screen of death

Unlucky Microsoft Windows users know the pain of encountering the BSoD, or Blue Screen of Death. Windows shows this infamous screen (different between versions, but always blue with light text) after the system crashes as a result of a fatal error.

The BSoD has been around since Windows NT 3.1, but has been updated several times over the years. In the past, the BSoD showed users a lot of complicated text, explaining exactly why their computer crashed and what they could do about it. This text, however, intimidated novice users (and contributed to the BSoD's frightening reputation). Now, the BSoD simply shows a sad face emoticon and a generic error message.

Example

My computer's thrown the BSoD three times this week. I think it might be circling the drain
Did you install anything new recently?
One of the infamous blue screens of death
One of the infamous blue screens of death

Related Slang

Categories

Updated April 11, 2023

BSoD definition by Slang.net

This page explains what the acronym "BSoD" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slang.net team.

We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. If you would like to suggest a term or an update to an existing one, please let us know!