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. I keep a complete list of STOP codes that you can reference for more information.
Important: By default, most Windows installations are programmed to automatically restart after a BSOD which makes reading the STOP error code nearly impossible.
Before you can do any troubleshooting you'll need to prevent this automatic reboot by disabling the automatic restart on system failure option in Windows.
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."
