Archive
Blue Screen of Death Gallery
From 2000 to 2007, I collected photographs of Windows crashes found in public places around the world. ATMs, airport flight boards, billboards, slot machines, train stations, cricket scoreboards — anywhere a Blue Screen of Death appeared where it shouldn't.
The gallery was originally hosted at daimyo.org/bsod and was named to PCMag.com's Top 100 Websites in 2005 under "Fun, Games & Oddities."
The earliest images were recovered from the Wayback Machine's August 2000 snapshot. The site went through several incarnations — static HTML, Drupal, Hugo — before these images found their permanent home here.
Stats
- 37 photographs
- 2000–2007 timeframe
- daimyo.org original home
Recognition
PCMag Top 100 Websites, 2005
The Originals (2000–2001)
Recovered from the Wayback Machine. These are the images that started the collection.
2600 Magazine Cover
BSOD on the cover of 2600: The Hacker Quarterly (Winter 1998-1999). "Free Kevin" issue featuring a crashed display at what appears to be a Las Vegas casino.
Windows Error Dialog
A Windows error dialog box in the wild.
BSOD on Display
Blue Screen of Death on a public-facing monitor.
Crashed Kiosk
A public kiosk showing a system crash.
Swedish ATM Crash
An ATM at FS-Bank Sjuharad AB in Kinna, Sweden showing a Windows error dialog over "PLEASE INSERT YOUR CARD."
BSOD at the Airport
A flight information display at an international airport showing a Blue Screen of Death alongside the arrivals board.
Mall Display Crash
A crashed display at a shopping mall.
BSOD Billboard
A large outdoor billboard displaying a Blue Screen of Death for all passers-by.
Crashed Windows Display
A Windows system crash on a public screen.
Point of Sale Crash
A point-of-sale terminal showing a Windows error.
Kiosk BSOD
Another public kiosk showing the dreaded blue screen.
Small Display Error
A small embedded display showing a Windows crash.
Las Vegas Slot Machine
"Wealth of Rameses" slot machine at the Luxor casino showing a Windows desktop instead of the game. The house doesn't always win.
Terminal Crash
A public terminal showing an error screen.
Information Display Error
An information kiosk caught in a crash loop.
Airport Flight Board
A flight information display board at an international airport with a BSOD among the arrivals and departures.
Window Error in the Wild
Yet another Windows error dialog on a public-facing system.
Retail Display Crash
A retail display showing a system error.
Public Screen BSOD
A public screen caught showing a Blue Screen of Death.
BSOD in Commerce
A commercial display system showing a Windows crash.
Display Board Crash
A display board showing the classic blue screen error.
Around the World (2005–2007)
User-submitted and personally captured BSODs from airports, train stations, shopping malls, and more.
Bassano del Grappa, Italy
A Campagnolo Commercio SPA display in Italy showing a Windows error dialog in Italian.
Roma Termini Station
A security camera display at Roma Termini train station in Italy with a full BSOD next to the CCTV feeds.
BSOD on iMac
The ultimate irony: a Blue Screen of Death on an Apple iMac running Windows. SESSION3_INITIALIZATION_FAILED.
Fast & Furious Arcade
A Fast & Furious arcade cabinet showing a crash screen instead of the racing game.
Paris La Défense
A large Viacom billboard in the La Défense business district of Paris showing a BSOD in French. August 2006.
America West Airport Display
An airport baggage claim display at America West showing a Windows error dialog.
Kodak Picture Maker
A Kodak Picture Maker photo printing kiosk in New Zealand showing an error dialog. Even your vacation photos aren't safe.
Krakow Kiosk
A public kiosk in Krakow, Poland showing the Windows 2000 Professional boot screen.
Cricket World Cup Scoreboard
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 scoreboard in the West Indies showing a Windows error over the match stats. New Zealand vs. West Indies.
Warsaw Billboard
A large electronic billboard near the Sezam shopping center in Warsaw, Poland showing Windows error dialogs.
Warsaw Billboard (Wide)
A wide shot of the same Warsaw billboard, showing the scale of the Windows crash visible across the intersection.
PATH Train Station
A Pathvision display at a PATH train station (Track 1) showing a BSOD. New York/New Jersey commuters get the full Microsoft experience.
Windows Error on TV
A public access or broadcast TV showing a Windows XP crash dialog over the program.
BSOD on a City Bus
A passenger information display on a city bus showing a full Blue Screen of Death during the evening commute.
Dual Monitor BSOD
Dual HP monitors at a desk both showing "Hardware Malfunction - Call your hardware vendor for support. NMI: Parity Check / Memory Parity Error. The system has halted."
QueensPlaza Shopping Centre
A large digital display kiosk at QueensPlaza shopping centre in Brisbane, Australia showing a full BSOD.