The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) has served as something of a Grim Reaper for Windows users since the 1980s.

On November 20, 1985, Microsoft shipped Windows 1.0, a then new operating system. Development took two years after the Windows announcement in 1983, leading skeptics to call it “ vaporware.” See EDN ...

In honor of Microsoft's 50th anniversary, we've ranked the best Windows consumer operating systems Microsoft has ever shipped, in order from worst to best.

After 40 years of delivering the tragic news of a PC crash to Windows users, Microsoft's infamous "blue screen of death" is going away.

The new screen will be clearer and look more like other Windows setup screens. Credit: Microsoft The first and most obvious change is the look.