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Steve Ballmer Authored the Windows 3.1 Ctrl-Alt-Del Screen

Posted by timothy on from the and-he-approved-this-message dept.

Nerval's Lobster writes According to Microsoft developer Raymond Chen, Steve Ballmer didn't like the original text that accompanied the Ctrl-Alt-Del screen in Windows 3.1, so he wrote up a new version. If you used Windows at any point in the past two decades, you can thank him for that infuriatingly passive 'This Windows application has stopped responding to the system' message, accompanied by the offer to hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete again to restart the PC (and lose all your unsaved data). Update: 09/09 15:30 GMT by S : Changed headline and summary to reflect that Ballmer authored the Ctrl-Alt-Del screen, not the BSoD, as originally stated.

4 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. Re:"Stuff that matters" by Killer+Instinct · · Score: 4, Informative

    Its a "advert" to drive hits to DICE.COM :/

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  2. Re:Windows 8 by just_another_sean · · Score: 5, Informative

    How the frog do you trigger a BSOD in Windows 8?

    Apparently by installing updates.

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  3. Re:Never liked the 'D' part of BSoD by benjymouse · · Score: 4, Informative

    BSOD happens when the kernel detects memory corruption. With a hybrid monolithic kernel like Windows that means all bets are off and continuing could very well case damage more damage.

    Even if the memory corruption happens in an USB driver, it can overwrite critical kernel memory.

    Incidentally, you *do* get more information. The kernel will initiate a kernel dump which can be investigated later.

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  4. Re:I miss the BSOD by DarkProphet · · Score: 2, Informative

    That only works if you're able get to the machine to boot again :-(

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