Definition: Abbreviated as BSOD or BSoD, the blue screen of death is the popularized name for what is technically called a STOP message or STOP error. It's the blue, full screen error that often displays after a serious system crash.
The text on the blue screen of death lists the files involved in the crash including any drivers that may have been at fault and a short, usually cryptic, description of what to do about the problem.
Most importantly, the BSOD includes a STOP code that can be used to troubleshoot this specific STOP error.
Important: By default, most Windows installations are programmed to automatically restart after a BSOD which makes reading the STOP error code impossible. Before you can do any troubleshooting you'll need to to prevent this automatic restart:
Also Known As: BSOD, BSoD, STOP message, STOP error, system crash, kernel error, blue screen error
Examples: "I was typing a letter in a word processing program and suddenly got the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)! All I could do is restart my PC. Luckily I had just saved my document so it wasn't too serious."
