There is no mystery over who wrote the Blue Screen of Death

The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) has been the subject of a supposed 30-year mystery regarding its authorship, attributed to three individuals: Steve Ballmer, John Vert, and Raymond Chen. However, Chen clarifies that there are actually three distinct blue screens, each with a different author. The first is the Windows 3.1 Ctrl+Alt+Del screen, which was written by Ballmer and is described as a "blue screen of unhappiness" rather than a true BSOD. Windows 3.1 did not feature a BSOD; instead, it displayed a black screen upon crashing.

The second screen is the Windows 95 kernel error, which Chen claims to have finalized, although he did not create its initial version. This screen allows users to attempt to continue using the system, distinguishing it from a true BSOD. The third and genuine BSOD is associated with Windows NT, authored by John Vert, indicating a critical system failure.

In summary, the confusion arises from the different types of blue screens across various Windows versions, each with its own context and authorship. The contributions of Ballmer, Chen, and Vert are specific to their respective screens, debunking the myth of a singular, mysterious author behind the BSOD.