![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Windows_9X_BSOD.png/640px-Windows_9X_BSOD.png&w=640&q=50)
Blue screen of death
Fatal system error screen on a computer running Microsoft Windows or ReactOS / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"BSoD" redirects here. For the Person of Interest episode, see B.S.O.D.
Not to be confused with Black screen of death.
The blue screen of death (also known as BSoD, blue screen error, blue screen, fatal error or bugcheck, and officially known as a stop error[1][2][3]) is a critical error screen displayed by the Microsoft Windows and ReactOS operating systems. It indicates a system crash, in which the operating system reaches a critical condition where it can no longer operate safely.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Windows_9X_BSOD.png/320px-Windows_9X_BSOD.png)
Possible issues that can cause a BSoD include hardware failures, an issue with or without a device driver, or unexpected termination of a crucial process or thread.