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{{Short description|Fatal error displays in operating systems}}

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{{AfDM|page=Screens of death|logdate=2009 August 20|substed=yes}}

[[File:Bsodwindows10.png|thumb|The [[Windows 10]] [[Blue screen of death|Blue Screen of Death]], which includes a [[Sadness|sad]] [[emoticon]] and a [[QR code]] for quick troubleshooting|333x333px]]In computing, a '''system crash screen''', '''error screen''' or '''screen of death''' is a visual indicator that appears when an [[operating system]], [[Application software|software application]], or [[Computer hardware|hardware]] encounters a severe issue that prevents normal operation. These screens typically serve as a last-resort mechanism to inform users and system administrators of a critical failure. An error screen may display technical information such as [[Error message|error messages]], [[Diagnosis code|diagnostic codes]], [[Core dump|memory dumps]], or troubleshooting instructions. They can occur due to hardware malfunctions, corrupted system files, software crashes, overheating, or other critical failures. Error screens vary by operating system and device, with some of the most well-known examples being the '''[[Blue screen of death|Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)]]''' in Windows, the '''[[Sad Mac]]''' in classic Macintosh computers, and the '''[[Kernel panic|Kernel Panic]]''' in Unix-based systems like Linux and macOS. Game consoles may also have notable crash screens, such as the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo Wii.

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{{Refimprove|date=February 2008}}

{{Cleanup|date=February 2008}}

In many [[computer]] [[operating system]]s, a special type of error message will display onscreen when the system has experienced a [[fatal error]]. Computer users have dubbed these messages '''Screens of Death''', as they typically result in unsaved work being lost and often indicate serious problems with the system's hardware or software. Most screens of death are displayed on an even background color with a message advising the user to restart the computer. The Screens of Death are primarily organized by their background color.

== Notable examples ==

==Black==

{{mainredirect|BlackGreen Screen of Death|other uses|Green screen (disambiguation)}}

[[File:Forced-linux-kernel-panic-under-qemu.gif|thumb|right|A [[Linux kernel|Linux]] [[kernel panic]], forced by an attempt to kill [[init]]]]

[[Image:Win3x Black Screen of Death.gif|thumb|250px|A [[Windows 3.1]] black screen of death]]

[[File:TiVO green screen.jpg|thumb|The green screen of death on a [[TiVo]] digital video recorder]]

The '''[[Black Screen of Death]] (BSOD)''', is usually one of three things: a failure mode of [[Windows 3.1x|Microsoft Windows 3.x]], the screen displayed by the [[OS/2]] [[operating system]] in the event of either a system error from which it cannot recover or a "hard" error in a program running in "full screen" mode (the former being a serious system failure but the latter being a less serious application failure), or the Linux Black Screen of Death. The Nintendo DS handheld game console also may display a fatal error message on a black screen.

[[file:Panic10.6.png|right|thumb|The [[Mac OS X]] [[kernel panic]] alert. This screen was introduced in Mac OS X 10.2, while the [[kernel panic]] itself was around since the Mac OS X Public Beta.]]

* {{anchor|Blue}}The '''[[Blue screen of death|Blue Screen of Death]]''' (also called BSoD, or stop error) is a common name for a screen displayed by the [[Microsoft Windows]] operating system when a critical system error occurs. By far, this is the most famous screen of death.

The black screen of death has been present in all versions of [[OS/2]].

* {{anchor|Black}}'''[[Black screen of death|Black Screens of Death]]''' are used by several systems. One is a failure mode of [[Windows&nbsp;3.x]]. One appears when the bootloader for [[Windows&nbsp;Vista]] and later fails. In early [[Windows&nbsp;11]] previews, the Blue Screen of Death was changed to black.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Warren|first=Tom|date=2021-07-01|title=Microsoft's Blue Screen of Death is changing to black in Windows 11|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/1/22559852/microsoft-windows-11-black-blue-screen-of-death-bsod-change|access-date=2021-08-09|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref> In June 2025, Microsoft announced that the Blue Screen of Death would change to Black Screen of Death on Windows 11 in an update during summer 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Warren |first=Tom |date=2025-06-26 |title=Windows is getting rid of the Blue Screen of Death after 40 years |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/692648/microsoft-bsod-black-screen-of-death-color-change-official |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}</ref>

* {{anchor|Green}} A '''Green Screen of Death''' is a green screen that appears on a [[TiVo]] with a message that includes the words "the DVR has detected a serious problem and is now attempting to fix it" or "A severe error has occurred". Its appearance often means that the hard drive is corrupted and it will attempt to clean up, check, and/or repair the [[TiVo Media File System]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Todd W. Carter|author2=Michael Bellomo|title=How to Do Everything with Your TiVo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JZ-5y9bpJBEC|date=2004|publisher=McGraw Hill Professional|isbn=978-0-07-223140-3|pages=245, 246, 344}}</ref><ref>Krikorian. TiVo Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools. O'Reilly Media. 2003. [https://archive.org/details/tivohacks00krik/page/24 Page 24].</ref> A Blue Screen of Death on a [[Windows Insider]] build appears as green instead of blue, starting with build 14997.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Warren|first1=Tom|title=Windows 10 testers will now get a Green Screen of Death|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/29/14111584/microsoft-windows-10-green-screen-of-death|website=[[The Verge]]|publisher=[[Vox Media]]|date=29 December 2016}}</ref>

* {{anchor|Purple}}The '''[[VMware ESXi|Purple Screen of Death]]''' is used by [[VMware ESXi]], a server virtualization product by [[VMware]]. It is displayed in the event of a fatal kernel error. The screen provides error codes that can be used for debugging purposes.

* {{anchor|Red}}The '''[[blue screen of death#Similar screens|Red Screen of Death]]''' is used primarily by four different systems: One appears in early beta versions of [[Windows&nbsp;Vista]], but it later became a black screen. Another was in [[Windows&nbsp;98]] beta builds and was caused by an error with the [[ACPI]]. It also appears on the [[Atari Jaguar]] if there is a loading cartridge error or a pirated cartridge is detected, marked by the roar of a [[jaguar]] and a red Atari Jaguar logo on a screen that changes color from black to red. A similar error happens on the [[Sega Genesis]] (also known as Sega Mega Drive) if an incorrect [[checksum]] is detected.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sonic HackingWiz Pro - Sonic Retro |url=https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_HackingWiz_Pro }}</ref> It is also shown on the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation One]] (facelift), [[PlayStation 2|2]], [[PlayStation 3|3]], [[PlayStation 4|4]], and [[PlayStation Portable|Portable]]. On the PlayStation One and PlayStation 2, the red screen of death bears similarities to the regular startups, such as the pitched-down menu screen audio and its subsequent ambient noises, alongside a faint whistle on the PlayStation 2. After the normal startup, a red screen will appear with a message saying "Please insert a [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] (or PlayStation 2) format disc". This error can be obtained by inserting a non-compatible disc, e.g. a [[PC game]] disc or later [[Xbox&nbsp;360]] discs. On the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, a red screen of death appears during a severe error in the console's internals, with the message saying "A serious error has occurred. Contact technical support for assistance" in multiple languages. On the PlayStation 4, the error is also caused by an internal error, but has no message and is just a red screen.

[[File:Dell WSOD.png|thumb|The white screen of death that appears on [[Dell]] computers]]

* {{anchor|White}}A '''White Screen of Death''' appears on several other operating systems, [[content management system]]s,<ref>{{ cite web |url=http://drupal.org/node/158043 | title=[Drupal] "White screen of death" (WSOD) / HTTP Error 500

|website=drupal.org|date=2007-07-10 | accessdate=2021-04-19}}</ref> and on some [[BIOS]], such as from [[Dell]]. It can be seen on [[iOS 7]], and also when a white [[iPhone 5]] or later or a white 5th generation [[iPod Touch]] screen freezes. Everything on the screen but the Apple logo turns white.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2015196,00.asp | title=The Apple iPod's White Screen of Death | website=PCMag.com|date=2006-09-12 | accessdate=2011-05-23 | first=Lance | last=Ulanoff}}</ref>

* {{anchor|Yellow}}A '''Yellow Screen of Death''' occurs when an [[ASP.NET]] web app finds a problem and crashes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dotnetslackers.com/articles/aspnet/ErrorLoggingModulesAndHandlers.aspx |date=November 15, 2007 |first=Simone |last=Busoli |title=ELMAH - Error Logging Modules And Handlers}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|date=June 2011}}

* {{anchor|kernel panic}}A '''[[kernel panic]]''' is the [[Unix]] equivalent of [[Microsoft]]'s Blue Screen of Death. It is a routine called when the kernel detects irrecoverable errors in runtime correctness; in other words, when continuing the operation may risk escalating system instability, and a system reboot is easier than attempted recovery.

* {{anchor|Sad Mac}}A '''[[Macintosh startup#Sad Mac|Sad Mac]]''' is a symbol used by older-generation Apple Macintosh computers, starting with the original [[Macintosh 128K]], to indicate a severe hardware or software problem that prevented startup from occurring successfully. A [[Macintosh startup#Sad iPod|similar symbol]] exists for the [[iPod]].

* {{anchor|Bomb}}The '''[[Bomb (icon)|Bomb]]''' icon is a [[symbol]] that was displayed when a [[classic Mac OS]] program [[Crash (computing)|crashed]]. The bomb symbols were also used by the [[Atari ST]] line of computers when the system encountered a [[fatal system error]]. The number of bombs indicated the exact cause of the error.

* {{anchor|Guru Meditation}}'''[[Guru Meditation]]''' is the name of the error that occurred on early versions of the [[Amiga]] computers when they [[crash (computing)|crashed]]. It was also used on the [[Nintendo DS]], most commonly seen when using [[homebrew (video games)|homebrew]].

* {{anchor|Kernel Debug Land}}'''[[haiku (operating system)|Kernel Debugging Land]]''' is the name of the Kernel Debugger users of [[Haiku (operating system)|Haiku]] and [[BeOS]] see when a kernel crash happens.

== See also ==

=== The Windows black screen of death ===

{{Commons category|Screens of death}}

In [[Windows 3.1x|Windows 3.x]] the '''black screen of death''' is the behavior that occurred when a DOS-based application failed to execute properly. It was often known to occur in connection with attempting certain operations while networking drivers were resident in memory. (Commonly, but not exclusively, it was seen while the [[Novell NetWare]] client for [[DOS]], NETX, was loaded.) The system would switch the display to text mode, but would display nothing, leaving the user looking at an entirely black screen with a blinking caret in the upper left corner. At this point, the user could do nothing but perform a cold reboot to get the system running normally again.

* [[Kill screen]]

* [[Xbox 360 technical problems]] (Common name for a hardware error is the 'Red Ring of Death')

== References ==

According to Wallace McClure of ASP.net,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://weblogs.asp.net/wallym/archive/2004/02/20/77425.aspx |title=Origins of BSOD |accessdate=2008-11-01}}</ref> the phrase was originally coined in the summer of 1991 by Ed Brown, a technician with [[Coca-Cola Company]]'s IT department in Atlanta, GA. He reports that the company was rolling out [[Windows 3.0]] within the Global Marketing group and when the users would attempt to run WordPerfect, they would randomly receive a BSOD.

{{Reflist}}

{{Error messages}}

This can also be triggered by something on the keyboard during a boot. In this case, it is accompanied by a very loud beeping sound directly from the computer itself.

[[Windows XP]] displays a black screen with white arrow if lsass.exe is missing or corrupted.

On [[Windows Vista]], some boot errors are shown on a black screen. These generally occur when winload.exe is missing or corrupted. It may also be displayed when the user has performed a cold reboot, or there was power interruption that made the computer automatically shut down.

=== The OS/2 black screen of death ===

In [[OS/2]], a '''black screen of death''' is either a "TRAP screen" or "full-screen hard-error VIO pop-up". OS/2 switches the display adapter to a text mode of 80 columns by 25 rows, with white lettering on a black background and a black border, utilizing the text mode font of the display adapter.

====TRAP screens====

A "TRAP screen" occurs when the [[kernel (computers)|kernel]] encounters an error from which it cannot recover, a [[crash (computing)|system crash]]. Usually this is a result of faulty (or [[Overclocking|overclocked]]) hardware, but it may also result from a software error in either the kernel or a device driver.

The "TRAP screen" contains a dump of the [[Central processing unit|processor]] registers and stack, and information about the version of the operating system and the actual processor exception that was triggered.

The only actions the user can take in this situation is to perform a [[soft reboot]] by pressing [[Control-Alt-Delete]] or to perform a system dump by pressing [[three-finger salute (computing)|Control-Alt-NumLock]] twice.

====Hard error screens====

A "full-screen hard-error VIO pop-up" occurs when a process incurs a "hard" error, either an outright [[crash (computing)|application program crash]] or a potentially recoverable hard error (such as an attempt to access a floppy disc device where no disc has been inserted into the drive).

The screen is displayed by the "hard error daemon" process, which handles hard errors from all other processes. Technically, the screen is a "VIO pop-up" screen. All processes (except the one that has incurred the error, any that also incur hard errors whilst the first error is being displayed, and any that themselves wish to display a "VIO pop-up" screen) continue to run, and the system continues to operate as normal. The hard error daemon uses a VIO pop-up when either the system has been booted into text mode or the hard error has occurred in a process running in a full-screen session.

The "pop-up screen" contains information about the processor exception that was triggered and the identity of the process.

The user is prompted for the action to be taken, and may choose

*to end the process,

*to display more information (which comprises a dump of the [[Central processing unit|processor]] registers and stack for that process),

*to retry the operation (if appropriate &mdash; I/O errors are retryable, CPU errors are not), or

*to ignore the problem and continue (if appropriate &mdash; I/O errors are ignorable, CPU errors are not).

[[Image:Forced-linux-kernel-panic-under-qemu.jpg|thumb|250px|A [[Linux]] black screen of death caused by a kernel panic]]

===Linux Black Screen of Death===

A [[Linux]] Black Screen of Death is caused by a [[kernel panic]] or any other error that results in the system falling back to a text-based [[command line interface]].

{{clear}}

===Nintendo DS===

When the Nintendo DS boots to a DS game instead of the main menu, when the user removes the game cartridge, there will be a message on the bottom screen that reads: "Game cartridge has been removed." on a black background. Also, if the game started with sound, the last fifth of a second of audio will be played over and over. This also freezes the DS because if the user inserts the game cartridge back in the slot, it will not resume, thus, requiring a reboot. See also: [[Nintendo_DS_homebrew#Checking_the_firmware_version| Checking the firmware version for the Nintendo DS]]

=== Wii ===

The [[Wii]] video game console also displays a black screen of death, with white text displaying exception dsi error then a code dump or whatever code was going to the ram next accompanied by an abnormal noise, when there are [[hardware]] or disc problems.

It is currently unfixable on version 3.3. It is advised that the user does not install any untrusted WAD files to avoid it, because once the user encounters the screen of death, there is nothing that can be done to save it.

=== Xbox ===

If a game crashes while it is loading, a black screen with text such as "An error has occurred, the disc may be dirty or damaged" may appear. This can be seen in ''Need For Speed Underground 2'' if a race fails to load or in ''Madden NFL 06'' if a match fails to load. It will also appear in ''Fable'' and ''Fable: The Lost Chapters'', usually after loading a game for a very long time.

=== Xbox 360 ===

Xbox 360 may display black screen with error code (for example, E74) if hardware failure occurred.

=== Sansa Fuze/Sansa e200 ===

On the [[Sansa Fuze]] as well as the [[Sansa e200]], if you put the switch in "lock" position while the device is booting up, or if it has insufficient battery power, a black screen showing "System Shutdown" will appear. It can be easily fixed by rebooting the device.{{fact|date=June 2009}}

==Red==

[[Image:Longhorn RSoD.png|thumb|right|A red screen of death in Longhorn, a pre-release version of Windows Vista]]

{{main|Red Screen of Death}}

A "red screen of death" is used on some game consoles, and early beta versions of [[Windows Vista]] used a red screen for boot loader errors.

There is also a Red Screen of Death on the [[PlayStation Portable]] and certain versions of [[Linux]].

A Red Screen of Death can also occur on the [[PlayStation 2]], which reads "Please insert a [[PlayStation]] or [[PlayStation2]] format disc". This message usually occurs when a disk inserted in the [[PlayStation 2]] is incompatible. But it sometimes appears due to hardware failure. It can also happen on the Nintendo Wii.

The Atari Jaguar can also do a red screen, indicating a motherboard connection error. This mainly happens when a Jaguar CD is installed.

==Yellow==

On the original [[Nintendo DS]] when the user removes a DS or [[GBA]] game cartridge while in [[Pictochat]], both screens will turn completely yellow. In contrast, on the [[Nintendo DS Lite]], both screens will appear purple or blue depending on the system firmware version. Doing this with the [[Nintendo DSi]], nothing will happen. The system won't crash.

==Green==

<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Tivo GSoD.jpg|thumb|150px|right|The ''Green Screen of Death'' error message on a [[TiVo]] receiver]] -->

{{seealso|Xbox 360 Technical Problems}}

The '''Green Screen of Death''' (GSoD or Green Screen of Intensive Care) is the name given to [[failure mode]]s on the [[TiVo]] digital video recorder and [[Xbox 360]] console game system platforms. In such instances on the Xbox 360 the user is prompted to contact [http://www.xbox.com/support Xbox customer support].

This error also occurs on the original [[Xbox]] when the system identifies the disc as a disc readable by the system, but an error occurs when reading it, and gives an error message similar to its successor's.

On [[TiVo]] machines, the causes of it vary, but it is generally regarded as a recoverable error despite its grave appearance. The message is displayed while the TiVo attempts to repair the data contents of its hard drive.

The GSoD text reads as follows:

{{cquote|'''A severe error has occurred.'''

Please leave the Receiver plugged in and connected

to the phone line for the next 3 hours while the

Receiver attempts to repair itself.

'''DO NOT UNPLUG OR RESTART THE RECEIVER.'''

If, after three hours, the Receiver does not restart

itself, call Customer Care at 1-877-367-8486.}}

The GSoD has also been present on [[PlayStation 2]] consoles with poorly soldered Multi-X chips. There are no error messages for the GSoD on a PlayStation 2, which means there is only an even green color displayed on the screen until the console is restarted. The GSoD is received after a failed disc read. This problem is common with DMS chips.

==Blue==

{{main|Blue Screen of Death}}

[[Image:Windows XP BSOD.png|thumb|150px|left|Windows XP/Vista/7]]

[[Image:Windows 9X BSOD.png|thumb|150px|left|Windows 9x]]

The [[Blue Screen of Death]] (also called BSOD, stop error, or bluescreen) is a common name for a screen displayed by the [[Microsoft Windows]] operating system when a system error occurs. There are two main types of BSODs. The Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7 indicates a serious kernel or driver error. The Windows 9x/ME is not as serious and occurs more often when a driver encounters an error. 9x/ME BSODs can also appear when a CD, [[floppy disk]], or other removable memory device is removed from its drive while being used. The NT BSOD only lets the user restart the system, whereas the 9x/ME version usually allows the user to continue. Generally, rebooting is the only way to fix the error. [[Windows CE]] also has a BSOD, being the simplest of them all. The [[PlayStation Portable]] has its own blue error screen as well. This screen indicates corrupt system settings and attempts to correct any errors.

The BSOD has become a commonly known term in IT. Administrators often use the word "Bluescreen" as a verb. Microsoft has recently released BSOD [[prank]] software,<ref>{{citeweb |url=http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897558.aspx |title=Microsoft's Fake Blue Screen of Death Screen Saver |accessdate=2008-11-01}}</ref> originally made by [[Sysinternals]]. The software detects the [[operating system]] of the computer, and displays the relevant BSOD, along with fake hard drive chatter. It then simulates restarting the machine, and repeats the cycle again. Many anti-virus programs report this screen saver as an "unwanted program" because it attempts to fool users even though as a program it is not harmful to the system.

With the BSOD, it is possible to connect a second computer via a serial cable and run WinDbg to access diagnostic information. This is a useful tool for device driver writers who often receive BSOD while writing their drivers. The BSOD is actually an exception that halts the operating system, but there are lots of utilities that can still run through WinDebug while the computer is in a BSOD.

In rare cases, Windows XP may hang right before the logon screen is displayed, leading to an empty "blue" screen with a movable 'busy' mouse pointer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flickr.com/photos/paradoctor/449759400/ |title=Windows XP logon BSOD}} <!-- I do not think this is a reliable source. I am just responsible for using the template properly --></ref>

The BSOA or Blue Screen Of Albert is a popular internet fad with a picture of an edited Windows 9/X BSOD

{{-}}

The [[Apple IIgs]] computer also had its own BSOD, with an Apple icon bouncing across the screen whenever the IIgs crashed or was started up with no disk in the drive(s).{{Fact|date=December 2008}}

==Purple==

Purple Screen of Death (PSOD) occurs in [[VMware]] when an ESX vmkernel experiences a critical failure.

A similar "Purple Screen of Death" may occur on Windows Vista [http://neosmart.net/blog/2007/vistas-purple-screen-of-death/ when the graphics drivers fail].

;Nintendo DS Lite

When the DS Lite is running Pictochat and the user removes a Game Boy or DS cartridge, both screens will turn purple or blue, depending on its firmware version.

;iPhone/iPod Touch

An iPod Touch or iPhone that requires a reinstall of the operating system will show a Pink Screen of Death, with a USB cable pointing to an iTunes icon, notifying the user that they need to restore their device.

==Gray==

The original front-loading [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES) video game console would sometimes show a blank gray screen if the cartridge would not start. As a play on the traditional [[Blue Screen of Death]], NES fans have dubbed this the Gray Screen of Death. After repeated attempts to boot a game, the system power light will flash on and off, displaying a different color on the screen each time it is on. On the top loading NES, however, this screen would be green instead of gray.

On [[Mac OS X]] a Kernel panic (see below) causes a gray screen. This is known on the Mac forums by several names, including "Gray Screen of Death (GSOD)" and "Gray Curtains of Death (GCOD)".

On a DVD Player, if a disc error causes a playing disc to crash. It will sometimes crash the entire player and make it show a uniform gray or green screen on its screen or on the television screen. If this happens, the only way out is usually to unplug the player.

==White==

{{main|White Screen of Death}}

The '''[[White Screen of Death]]''' (WSoD) affects some newer [[mobile phones]] and Pocket PCs leaving them with a blank white screen.

It was first mentioned in user groups in April 2005.<ref>{{citeweb |url=http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=800581&page=1&pp=15 |title=HowardForums}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb |url=http://forums.arena.n-gage.com/nokia/board/message?board.id=9&message.id=6797 |title=N-gage Forums}}</ref> In some cases unplugging the battery and restarting allowed the phone to reboot but some phones are left unusable. Most users found that WSoD was initiated by USB plug removal during mobile phone to computer transfer, and other users reported erratic functioning of the phone after the installation of games, applications and [[MP3]]s. WSoD has so far been observed on mobile phones in the USA and Europe.

A reflash of [[firmware]] can resolve the problem of WSoD but users have reported the same bug on newer phones in the same product line. A flashing White Screen of Death has also been known.

On most [[Linux]] distributions, failing to configure a certain video driver, failing to properly execute X, or in other situations (configuration of [[Beryl]] or [[Compiz]]) can also result in a White Screen of Death, or will drop back down to a text mode console.

On [[iPod]]s, if the firmware is corrupted, a white screen with black text in several languages prompts the user to connect the iPod to a computer and restore it. Recently iPods have not been displaying any text during a screen of death, and thus not letting the user know the exact nature of the problem. Solution for an iPod's white screen of death range from leaving the device plugging in for an extended period of time, to letting the battery runout, to having to send the iPod away for repair.

On the [[Sega Game Gear]], if the system is started without a cartridge, the screen will be gray/white.

On some rare cases the [[Rio (digital audio players)|Rio]] will show a complete blank white screen from a crash of the firmware and the device will usually get very hot from the CPU overheating from the crash. To solve the problem, the user must do a hard reset by plugging the charger into the Rio and sticking a small, thin object into a hole in the case.

On some [[Microsoft Windows]] versions, if system can't find a required, critical file to boot, a White Box of Doom will appear. More recently, users have noticed that Microsoft Vista will also experience a White Screen of Death (WSOD) when the operating system completely locks up and everything on the screen turns to a semi-transparent white. There is no known solution to this bug, other than forcing a powerdown and rebooting the system.

===Game Boy===

When the Game Boy starts up with no cartridge inserted or if a Nintendo DS boots up to the Game Boy operating system and before the game can start, the user removes the game cartridge, after the boot video is done playing and fades away, the screen will be completely white and will freeze the system leaving the user no choice but to reboot.

==Kernel panic==

{{main|Kernel panic}}

[[Image:MacOSX kernel panic.png|right|150px|thumb|The [[Mac OS X]] kernel panic alert (current version introduced in 10.3)]]

A '''kernel panic''' is an action taken by [[Unix]] or [[Unix-like]] [[operating system]]s upon detecting an internal [[fatal error]] from which it cannot recover. The kernel routines that handle panics (in [[AT&T]]-derived and [[BSD]] Unix source code, a routine known as ''panic()'') are generally designed to output an [[error message]] to the [[computer console|console]], dump an image of kernel memory to disk for post-mortem [[debugging]] and then either wait for the system to be manually rebooted, or initiate an automatic [[reboot]]. The information provided is not always useful to the end user, but can sometimes provide troubleshooting data for a system developer or tech support personnel. The format of the panic error message varies depending on the nature of the error and the specific operating system.

Attempts by the operating system to read an invalid or unpermitted [[memory address]] are a common source of kernel panics. A panic may also occur as a result of a hardware failure or a bug in the operating system.

A kernel panic usually takes the form of a text dump to the main screen of the computer, sometimes overwriting any graphical content on the screen. A notable exception is that of later versions of [[Mac OS X]], which generally hide the text dump behind a message to reboot the system; the debugging information is still available as a logfile. The [[Mac OS X]] kernel panic has been nicknamed "The Gray Screen of Panic and Disarray" or "The Mac Screen of Death" by some [[Mac OS X]] users.

==Sad==

===Sad Mac===

[[Image:Sad mac.png|left|thumb|150px|One version of the Sad Mac icon, this one indicating that an illegal instruction occurred.]]

A '''Sad Mac''' is an [[icon (computing)|iconic]] symbol used by older-generation [[Macintosh|Apple Macintosh]] computers (hardware using the [[Old World ROM]]), starting with the original 128K Macintosh,<ref name="support"> {{cite web| title = Macintosh: "Sad Macintosh" Error Code Meaning | publisher = Apple| date = 2003-11-30| url = http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=7748| accessdate = 2008-08-24}}</ref> to indicate a severe hardware or software problem that prevented startup from occurring successfully. The Sad Mac icon was displayed, along with a set of [[hexadecimal]] codes that indicated the type of problem at startup. This was used in place of the normal [[Happy Mac]] icon, which indicated that the startup-time hardware tests were successful. In earlier models, a tune ([[Chimes of Death]]) was played, and later models featured a digitized sound of a car crash, the sound of glass breaking, or the sounds of doom and a rimshot combined in one sound.

In the MC68000-based machines (those models earlier than the [[Macintosh II]] as well as the original [[Macintosh Classic]]), all it did was crash silently and display the Sad Mac, without playing any music.

A Sad Mac may be deliberately generated at startup by pressing the interrupt switch on Macintoshes that had one installed, or by pressing Command and Power keys shortly after the startup chime. On some Macintoshes (e.g. PowerBook 540c) if the user presses the command and power keys before the screen comes up, it will play the chimes of death; the chimes are a fraction of normal speed and there is no Sad Mac displayed.

[[Image:Sad iPod.png|frame|left||A Sad iPod signifying an error in the hardware or the firmware of the device.]]

===Sad iPod===

On the [[iPod]], if damage or an error occurs to the hardware (or the [[firmware]]), as if the files of it are deleted, a ''Sad iPod'' appears.

===Sad iPhone===

MobileSubstrate, a software plugin framework associated with the Winterboard customization application on jailbroken devices running [[iPhone OS]] can occasionally crash due to invalid plugins. This triggers a [[Safe Mode]] for the device that disables all theming and plugins. In recent versions, a modified [http://www.flickr.com/photos/tensafefrogs/728581345/ Sad iPhone wallpaper by a Flickr user] is displayed on the device's lock screen.

==Bomb==

{{main|Bomb (symbol)}}

<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Macosbomb.png|right|thumb|150px|[[Mac OS]] bomb screen.]] -->

<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Row of bombs.png|right|thumb|150px|Screenshot from an [[Atari ST]]: the four bombs indicate that the system error "Illegal Instruction" has occurred.]] -->

The '''Bomb''' icon is a [[symbol]] designed by [[Susan Kare]] that was displayed when a "classic" [[Mac OS|Macintosh operating system]] (pre-[[Mac OS X]]) program had an [[application crash]]. It was similar to a [[dialog box]] in [[Windows 9x]] that said ''"This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down"''. But, since the "classic" [[Mac OS]] offered no [[memory protection]], this would sometimes result in a [[crash (computing)|system crash]] which could take down the entire system, unlike [[Mac OS X]] and [[Windows NT]] which only force-quit the offending program. System 7 and later also tried to do this, but if the operation failed a fatal system error could occur.

The bomb symbol first appeared on the original Macintosh in 1984. Often, a reason for the crash including the error code was displayed in the dialog. If a person was lucky, a "Continue" button would be an option, which could be used to dismiss the dialog and force the offending program to quit (on the programmer side, this was implemented by using a resume procedure, passed to InitDialogs), but most often the computer would have to be restarted. The debugger program [[MacsBug]] was sometimes used even by end users to provide basic (though not always reliable) error recovery, and could be used for troubleshooting purposes much as the output of a [[Unix]] [[kernel panic]] or a [[Windows NT]] [[Blue Screen of Death]] could be. Classic Mac OS bomb boxes were often ridiculed for providing little or no useful information about the error; this was a conscious decision by the Macintosh team to eliminate any information that the end user could not make sense of.

In [[Mac OS X]], the bomb symbol is no longer used since the system architecture is vastly different from that in the classic [[Mac OS]], and an application crash rarely brings down the entire system. A [[kernel panic]] screen (either text overwritten on the screen in older versions, or simplified to a reboot message in more recent versions) replaces the bomb symbol but appears less often due to the radically different process management model.

[[Atari TOS|TOS]]-based systems, such as the [[Atari ST]], used a [[row of bombs]] to indicate a critical system error. The number of bombs displayed revealed information about the occurred error. The error (also called an ''[[Exception handling|exception]]'') is reported by the [[Motorola 68000]] [[microprocessor]]. Very early versions of TOS used mushroom clouds instead of bombs.

==Guru Meditation==

{{main|Guru Meditation}}

[[Image:Guru meditation.gif|thumb|right|400px|A simulation of the Guru Meditation error message]]

'''Guru Meditation''' is the name of the error that occurred on early versions of the [[Amiga]] [[home computer]]s when they [[crash (computing)|crashed]]. It is analogous to the "screens of death" in other [[operating system]]s.

When a Guru Meditation is displayed, the options are to reboot by pressing the left mouse button, or to invoke [[ROMWack]] by pressing the right mouse button on the Amiga itself. The keyboard of any attached terminal is ignored at this point.

AmigaOS 1.x machines displayed all alerts, recoverable or otherwise, with red-on-black text, with a flashing red border (see illustration). AmigaOS 2.x and later offered recoverable alerts in yellow. While only the most critical failures resulted in the whole screen going black, nearly all alerts were displayed as a strip across the top of the screen, causing the remainder of the display to shift downward. Alerts are implemented as a separate screen, and relied on the Amiga's ability to display multiple screens and multiple resolutions concurrently to effect the display.

This error is sometimes referred to colloquially as a "trip to India", "Guru", or just "[[desktop alert|alert]]".

The alert occurred when there was a fatal problem with the system. If the system had no means of recovery, it could display the alert, even in systems with numerous critical flaws. In extreme cases, the alert could even be displayed if the system's memory was completely exhausted.

==Video game consoles==

''For more information, see other sections above.''

===Red ring of death (Xbox 360)===

{{main|Xbox 360 technical problems}}

[[Image:Xbox360-ringofdeath.jpg|thumb|A [[Xbox 360]] displaying the red ring of death]]

When a [[Xbox 360]] console experiences a "general hardware failure", on the front of the console three flashing red lights appear (known as the red ring of death, or RRoD). This is reported to be caused by overheating, as the chips on the circuit board warp and break a contact. This error is non-recoverable, and is covered by the warranty. Newer Xbox 360 motherboards have a much smaller chance of receiving this error, while the older versions had a chance as high as 33%{{Fact|date=April 2009}}.

===[[Xbox]]===

Although the [[Microsoft]] Xbox usually shows a [[Green Screen of Death]]<ref name="BSoD">{{cite web|url=http://bluescreenproblems.com/blue-screen-problems-types.htm|title=Types Of Blue Screen Errors,Blue Screen Of Death Fix,Common Blue Screen Errors|publisher=Blue Screen Problems|accessdate = 2009-05-06}}</ref> when a critical error occurs, this model was seen showing a BSoD during the presentation of [[Forza Motorsport]] at the [[CeBIT]] computer fair in [[Hannover]] in March [[2005]]. Additionally the recalled Game Kakuto Chojin displays a BSoD as an error message when the disc is dirty.{{Fact|date=February 2008}}

[[Image:Xbox bsod 03 2005.jpg|thumb|An early development version of the [[Microsoft]] [[Xbox]] showing a Blue Screen of Death during a presentation of a racing game at the [[CeBIT]] in March 2005.]]

===[[PlayStation Portable]]===

The [[PlayStation Portable]] shows a Blue Screen of Death<ref name="BSoD"/> when the internal settings in flash1:\ become corrupted or are missing. The BSoD instructs that the [[Playstation Portable]] will attempt to recreate the registry setting files.<ref name="PSP">{{cite web|url=ezinearticles.com/?PSP-Blue-Screen-of-Death---Simple-Way-to-Banish-it-For-Good&id=2152154|title=PSP Blue Screen of Death - Simple Way to Banish it For Good|publisher=Ezine @rticles|accessdate = 2009-05-06}}</ref> The BSoD is encountered often when downgrading a [[Playstation Portable]] because of non-backward-compatible registry files. Under very rare conditions (usually as a result of firmware modifications), the system may be thrown into a loop in which the PSP will continue to restart and display the BSoD screen.

The PlayStation Portable also has a red screen of death which can appear when portions of the internal flash0:\ are corrupted or missing. This is usually more fatal than the blue screen of death as there is no option to repair the problem since the missing operating system, unlike the user settings, cannot be restored without booting the PSP in recovery mode and flashing the flash0:\.

===[[Nintendo DS]]===

[[Image:DS BSoD.JPG|thumb|left|[[Nintendo DS]] Blue Screen]]

[[Image:DSL BSoD.JPG|thumb|[[Nintendo DS Lite]] "Blue" Screen]]

The [[Nintendo DS]] will give a textless single-color on both screens<ref name="BSoD"/> when the user removes a DS card or GBA card while on the Pictochat room selection menu. The color of the screens is based on the DS firmware version -- version 6 firmware, found on most DS machines is [[blue]], while the version 5 firmware, found on DS Lite consoles, is [[magenta]]. Some DS machines have green screens of death when the user removes a DS card or GBA cards while on the Pictochat room selection menu, and some have yellow screens of death. The Mario Kart edition of the DS shows an Yellow Screen of Death under those circumstances. While playing [[Animal Crossing: Wild World]] during wireless communication, should the wireless connection be disrupted, a light blue screen will appear featuring the character Mr. Resetti looking grim, along with a text stating that the game has been discontinued and that all unsaved progress of the game will be lost. Corrupted data on [[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl]] and [[Pokémon Platinum]] will result in a blue error screen. It is also possible to reach a blue debug screen in Mario 64 DS. If the game freezes and a certain button combination is entered, the screen appears.

==MS-DOS EMM386 Errors==

Under MS-DOS, the EMM386 expanded memory manager would install a critical error handler that would halt the system if certain error conditions occurred. MS-DOS has very primitive memory management by modern standards (as of 2004) and no general support for memory protection, as it is a single-tasking operating system (for the most part; it could run multiple programs simultaneously in some cases, including TSR utilities running from interrupts or programs running in a task swapper under MS-DOS 5.0 and later, such as the IBM DOS Shell included with IBM DOS 5.0.) EMM386 would trap a number of errors, mainly memory access protection exceptions, and handle them by halting the system and displaying a short message on a black text-mode screen. A typical message would be similar to:

<blockquote>

EMM386 has detected error #12<br>

To prevent data loss, the system has been halted.

</blockquote>

EMM386 is the Expanded Memory Manager for simulating LIM EMS-compliant Expanded Memory using Extended (XMS) Memory, and it requires HIMEM.SYS to be loaded. Therefore, these EMM386 halting errors can only occur on DOS systems which have both HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE loaded (at boot via CONFIG.SYS); a large majority of systems did load both of these. Nonetheless, the EMM386 errors were not very commonly seen, and many users who ran mainstream DOS productivity software five days a week for a year or more may never have seen them, unlike the Windows screen-of-death errors which most users in an office environment have seen at least once or twice.

==Other Error Screens==

{{Unreferenced|date=January 2009}}

[[Image:Windows XP Emergency Shutdown.png|thumb|right|An instance of the background [[Remote Procedure Call|RPC (Remote Procedure Call)]] process was terminated, causing a countdown to a [[Windows]] restart.]]

*On [[Windows 2000]], [[Windows XP]], [[Windows Server 2003]] and later versions of Windows, when a critical system process fails unexpectedly, either terminated by the user or due to a system infection (worm), or a remote procedure failure, a System Shutdown dialog box appears, giving the user 30 to 90 seconds to save their work and prepare for a system shutdown or restart. On Windows Vista and later, there is no countdown (the dialog states "less than a minute") and can be hidden without canceling the shutdown. It is not possible for users to cancel the shutdown via the dialog, although it may be canceled by other administration tools, such as issuing the command <code>shutdown -a</code> (abort) to the system via the Run dialog box. It is also possible to quickly change the date and time settings to push the scheduled shutdown far into the future. If a [[Microsoft Office]] program has an unsaved document open, selecting "Cancel" from the dialog box will stop the automatic shutdown. Below the System Shutdown dialog's time remaining section, it explains the reason for the shutdown. An interesting side note to this is that if the user changes the date or time backwards, it will reflect the backwards shift in the shutdown countdown (I.e. if the user sets the year from 2009 to 2008, it will count down exactly one year more).

*Many classic arcade video games have levels affected by bugs that cause the game to end; these are called [[kill screen]]s.

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

==References==

<references />

{{screens of death}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Screens Of Death}}

[[Category:Screens of death| ]]

[[Category:Computer errors]]

[[es:Pantallas de la muerte]]

[[fr:Écran jaune de la mort]]

[[it:Yellow Screen of Death]]

[[pl:Yellow Screen of Death]]