What is a 'BSOD'?

The term 'BSOD' stands for 'Blue Screen of Death,' which is a critical error screen displayed by the Microsoft Windows operating system when it encounters a fatal system error. This typically indicates that the operating system has stumbled upon a condition it cannot safely recover from, often due to hardware malfunctions, driver conflicts, or corrupted files. The blue screen displays a message including error codes that can help in diagnosing the issue, and it usually requires the system to be restarted. Understanding BSOD is essential for troubleshooting and resolving serious system issues, making it a key concept in technical support.