Engadget

Windows 8 BSoD ditches confusing error codes for uninformative frowny face

Terrence O'Brien — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:59:00 EST

As with any version of Windows, the Metro-slathered Win 8 has one of those oh so familiar Blue Screen of Death thingies. But, this time around, there's a change. Gone are the confusing and uninformative error codes, and in its place you get an equally uninformative sad emoticon. OK, there's also some text informing you that your PC is about to reboot, but it still doesn't get you any closer to tracking down the root of the problem. Well, at least it's little less cutesy than the Sad Mac (though, no less infuriating).

Windows 8 BSoD ditches confusing error codes for uninformative frowny face originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3DS owners reporting sporadic 'Black Screen of Death,' how is yours treating you?

Tim Stevens — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:03:00 EST

You've read our Nintendo 3DS review, where we found it to be a generally fun but still somewhat flawed handheld gaming experience. Now it's been released to the world, and to the willing hands of Triforce Johnson, and we're left wondering what all of you think. We're also hearing scattered word of a supposed "Black Screen of Death," where the system indicates "An error has occurred" while playing a variety of games and has to be rebooted. We saw no such glitches in our testing, but what about you?

View Poll

3DS owners reporting sporadic 'Black Screen of Death,' how is yours treating you? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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StarCraft II easter eggs include iPistol, BSOD, and misplaced characters (video)

Vlad Savov — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:24:00 EST

You'd think with all the pressure of making a StarCraft sequel worthy of the name, Blizzard wouldn't have time for humorous insider references, but StarCraft II begs to differ. The game's designers have expended some of their creative juices on concocting a jolly little iPod-esque advert for a fictional iPistol, which is supposed to let you "take your shot at life." And just in case anyone thought them biased, the Blizzard devs have also had a little swipe at Microsoft, with a Blue Screen of Death adorning the control console of a drill inside the game. Other than those techie witticisms, the eagle-eyed gamer will be able to spot a dancing Night Elf and a Tauren Space Marine from World of Warcraft, as well as Diablo from, well, Diablo -- but we'll let you play the game and figure out where they are for yourself! Skip past the break to see the iAd homage and BSOD screenshot.

[Thanks, Michael]

Continue reading StarCraft II easter eggs include iPistol, BSOD, and misplaced characters (video)

StarCraft II easter eggs include iPistol, BSOD, and misplaced characters (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blue Screen of Death amongst issues that plagued Deepwater Horizon

Darren Murph — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:52:00 EST

A recent report in the New York Times details a myriad issues that led up to the eventual explosion that started the mess known as the "BP oil spill," but aside from obvious mishandling of warnings and red flags, one particular issue was troubling those working on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig long before April 20th. Mike Williams, the rig's chief electronics technician, has come forward with a multitude of icky details surrounding the negligence that was involved in the catastrophe, with the one most germane to our discussion being the following: "For months, the computer system had been locking up, producing what the crew called the Blue Screen of Death." Williams continued, noting that "it would just turn blue," with "no data coming through." Of course, it's not as if BSODs are totally uncommon out in the working world -- Microsoft's Windows powers the vast majority of systems that corporations rely on daily -- but this one rubs just a wee bit differently. Hit the source link for the full spill.

[Image courtesy of Ultrasaurus]

Blue Screen of Death amongst issues that plagued Deepwater Horizon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft confirms rootkit caused Windows XP blue screens

Tim Stevens — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:46:00 EST

When malware writers fail to generate clean, reliable code, just who can you trust? On the heels of many Windows XP 32-bit users facing blue screen of death errors and unwanted reboots, Microsoft is now confirming that there's a little bit of malicious code sitting at the root of it all. A rootkit, to be specific, one called Alureon that compromises the atapi.sys file and others. This rootkit makes a system call via an address that, after the update, no longer corresponds to the particular call Alureon is trying to make. This is apparently the cause of the BSODs, not the update itself, and so those suffering from similar issues can resolve them by simply replacing corrupted system files via the recovery console. It won't be as much fun as using Microsoft's more popular console, but should at least cure what ails you.

Microsoft confirms rootkit caused Windows XP blue screens originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows XP patch fiasco gets even crazier, Microsoft now scrambling for solutions

Darren Murph — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:33:00 EST

If you ever needed a reason to go Linux, here you go. The noise surrounding this patently obscure Windows XP bug / patch fiasco has just reached a fever pitch, and now we've got engineers within Redmond scratching their heads, too. As the story goes, Microsoft recently patched a security hole that took care of an antediluvian DOS vulnerability, and in doing so, some users began to see BSODs and endless reboots. Today, we've learned that the patch has been yanked, and Microsoft is suggesting that malware is to blame. But here's the skinny -- the patch simply disturbed the malware, which called a specific kernel code that directs your PC to keel over; in other words, any application that calls that same code could theoretically leave your machine in dire straits. And that, friends, probably explains the software giant's following quote:

"In our continuing investigation in to the restart issues related to MS10-015 that a limited number of customers are experiencing, we have determined that malware on the system can cause the behavior. We are not yet ruling out other potential causes at this time and are still investigating."

Rock, meet hard place.

Windows XP patch fiasco gets even crazier, Microsoft now scrambling for solutions originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patch for ancient DOS bug in latest Windows XP update causing blue screen errors

Nilay Patel — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:58:00 EST

Looks like Patch Tuesday turned into BSOD Tuesday for some Windows XP users -- Microsoft's latest security updates for the venerable OS are causing blue screens and endless reboots for people. That's the word according to a growing support thread on Microsoft's site -- and making matters just slightly worse / funnier, it's apparently the patch for that 17-year-old DOS vulnerability that's causing all the trouble. You win some, you lose some, right? Microsoft's identified a fix for those with access to an XP install disc and an optical drive, but that leaves most netbook users out in the cold -- and considering netbooks are where most of the recent XP action's been going down lately, we're hoping a better solution comes down the pike soon.

P.S.- That's the BSOD tattoo guy in the photo -- remember him?

[Thanks, HyperSl4ck3r]

Patch for ancient DOS bug in latest Windows XP update causing blue screen errors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 Black Screen of Death? (It's not as bad as it sounds)

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:31:00 EST

Well, maybe it's not as bad as it sounds, but it's still not so good. As you're probably aware, over the last week or so Windows users of all stripes (not just Windows 7 users, as it turns out) have been complaining of a plain black screen that appears upon login -- at which point the systems lock up, and... that's it. Aside from some users getting an additional My Computer window (lucky devils) the system grinds to a halt. According to a Microsoft email that's making the rounds, the company is "investigating reports that its latest release of security updates is resulting in system issues for some customers." Until that time, what's a poor PC user to do? Prevx, a UK developer of anti-malware software, has surmised that a recent Windows security patch changed Access Control List (ACL) entries in the registry, preventing some software from running properly and prompting Engadget to whip up a Bergman-inspired graphic. If your machine should find itself afflicted, Prevx has put together a fix that it claims will do the trick. Keep in mind that we don't know these guys, so don't blame us if it blows up your computer -- or gives you the Bubonic plague. We'll let you know when we hear back from Microsoft on this one. Good luck!

Update: Microsoft says this isn't its fault, and that it's likely some nasty malware to blame.

Windows 7 Black Screen of Death? (It's not as bad as it sounds) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spinning beachball of death, for real

Barb Dybwad — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:02:00 EST

Circuit-bending dynamo Gieskes created some real-life ammunition for Windows fanboys to use against their Mac-loving enemies with this meatspace version of the infamous beachball of death. If you're in the former camp, you'll want to bookmark this for quick reference the next time an Apple lover starts ribbing you over a BSoD leaving you SoL, OK? Video after the break.

[Via gadget lab & MAKE]

Continue reading Spinning beachball of death, for real

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Spinning beachball of death, for real originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mini How-To: Remove the Windows BSOD icon in Leopard, make OS X a little less smug

Ryan Block — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:54:00 EST

It's pretty clear that Apple left no stone unturned in Leopard, making changes and fixes throughout the new operating system. Unfortunately, that also included an upgrade to its crucial smugness subsystem: the image you see above of an old school CRT monitor with a blue screen of death is actually the not-so-subtle gag icon Leopard uses to represent Windows machines on your local network. (Is it any wonder why PC and Mac fanboys tend to get in so many fights?) Granted, many Leopard beta users have seen this icon since the early releases, but we didn't actually think the shipping version would include something so pompous and galling to the other 90%.

We'll save the missive on the subject (although if that's what you're looking for, Anil Dash wrote a pretty good one), and skip straight to the problem solving: hidden away deep within the recesses of Leopard, far, far away from the reaches of Spotlight, is an unassuming icon file that's doing a great job at perpetuating the myth of Mac users' disdainful sense of self-superiority. Luckily it's an easy fix, and we'll show you the three easy steps necessary to get rid of the BSOD and make your Mac a little less condescending.

Continue reading Mini How-To: Remove the Windows BSOD icon in Leopard, make OS X a little less smug

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Networking

Mini How-To: Remove the Windows BSOD icon in Leopard, make OS X a little less smug originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting Leopard's BSOD? Try uninstalling APE.

Conrad Quilty-Harper — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:32:00 EST

While there's no easy way to account for everybody Leopard user's crashing, Unsanity's Application Enhancer is apparently the cause of many a BSOD turning up on a range of user's systems during a system update to Mac OS X 10.5. If, after selecting "update," you're getting a perpetual blue screen, follow Apple's instructions for booting into single-user mode to remove the offending software. If you haven't updated yet, make sure you get rid of the software before you do: alternatively, do a fresh install and it'll overwrite any of the conflicts you would encounter otherwise. And remember to backup, backup, and backup.

[Thanks, Dilan J.]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Getting Leopard's BSOD? Try uninstalling APE. originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft contracts Siemens VDO for in-car entertainment

Thomas Ricker — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:23:00 EST

Siemens VDO and Microsoft just announced a deal to co-develop in-car entertainment systems and navigation products. The companies will initially develop a multi-media platform to more easily integrate mobile phones and music players into automotive systems. The first products based on the Microsoft Auto Platform are expected in 2009. Now go ahead dear readers, leave us your obligatory BSOD, car crashing jokes in the comments below, mercy not required.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Transportation

Microsoft contracts Siemens VDO for in-car entertainment originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man gets BSOD message tattooed on his arm

Darren Murph — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 04:45:00 EST

If anyone gave that Zune tattoo guy props for his bravery / stupidity, you owe a handful of kudos to this fellow, too. In an admittedly bizarre move to show one's disdain (right?) for the always infuriating Blue Screen of Death, this man has went so far as to tattoo the BSOD error message on his arm, presumably as a battle scar for all those Windows driver installations gone terribly awry. Next up? We're betting on a Kernel Panic tat for arm number two.

[Via Tumbl, thanks Laura]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wearables

Man gets BSOD message tattooed on his arm originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jul 2007 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Homegrown Windows Vista "Error" stickers deface the Wow

Darren Murph — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 03:30:00 EST

Let's face it, there's not an operating system out there without its fair share of annoyances, but it's no secret that Microsoft goes out of its way to aggravate even the most diehard Windows users by cramming our palmrests with stickers, and apparently littering Prague with those oh-so-common "Wow" posters. Not one to take viral marketing lightly, a crafty individual has done the hard for us all and created a ready-to-go sheet of error stickers that snarkily state "The operation completed successfully." So if you're ready to get to defacin', and don't mind the possibility of getting approached by the boys in blue, click on to the read link and get your A4-sized sticker paper ready to roll -- after all, it's not like Microsoft itself is immune to such run-ins.

[Via BoingBoing]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Homegrown Windows Vista "Error" stickers deface the Wow originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Mar 2007 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Australian LG plasma / LCD TV owners forced to "reboot" frozen sets

Darren Murph — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 13:05:00 EST

It's not exactly unheard of for DVR, PC, and PPC-6700 owners to have legitimate complaints about "freezing" issues with their gizmos, but we can't say the average television was on our list of devices we look forward to "rebooting" every ~~day~~ hour or so. Apparently, a horde of Aussies are facing such a quandary, as the digital TV tuner in a myriad of LG LCD HDTVs and plasmas (hit the read link for the full list) is going on the fritz whilst tuned in to broadcasts on the Nine Network. Currently, the only answers irate owners are getting revolve around "reception issues with digital transmissions in Sydney and Melbourne," but LG has also stated that it expects to rollout a "way forward" for customers quite soon. Currently, the only way to solve the seizures is to unplug the set from the wall, give it "two to three minutes to reboot," and flip the power back on, which can quickly erode any meaning found in your average half-hour drama. Regardless of how irritating we're sure this is, at least a (promised) fix is supposedly on the way, and trust us, things could be much, much worse.

Update: Oh man, what a disaster this is turning out to be. LG has now admitted that the problem affects 17 different models sold nationwide and stems from certain "digital TV processors and decoders had difficulty dealing with the way that the data signal is packaged." Even worse, the company is going to have to deploy hundreds of technicians to make tens of thousands of house calls, as an in-home repair is the only way to upgrade the components. Sorry, Aussies, until you can make an appointment, it seems like you're gonna be stuck with this annoyance for awhile -- and not only on Nine, as LG claims the bug could affect other OTA channels as well.

[Via Core77]

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Australian LG plasma / LCD TV owners forced to "reboot" frozen sets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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