Screen of death (original) (raw)

In computing, a screen of death is an informal term for a type of computer operating system error message displayed onscreen when the system has experienced a fatal system error. Computer users have dubbed these messages "screens of death" because they typically result in unsaved work being lost and often indicate serious problems with the system's hardware or software. These error screens are usually the result of a kernel panic, although the terms are frequently used interchangeably. Most screens of death are displayed on an even background color with a message advising the user to restart the computer.