Microsoft Thinks You Need A QR Code To Go With That Windows 10 BSOD
Windows has never been particularly helpful when encountering an error so severe that it warrants a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) and system restart. Rather than provide a plain English explanation of what went wrong, you're left scratching your head wondering what the flip UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP means and what relevance code 0x0000007F has on your situation. Wouldn't it be handy if BSODs contained QR codes? Microsoft seems to think so.
Reddit user "javelinnl" posted a message saying the first thing he did on his new build in his VM setup was initiate a system crash. Sure enough, the familiar BSOD appeared complete with a sad face emoticon, though it also contained a QR code and a link to http://windows.com/stopcode for further investigation.
The QR code and link direct users to a support page for troubleshooting BSOD errors. We suppose the idea behind the QR code is that everyone has a smartphone these days, so in the event that a BSOD occurs, a user could easily investigate the matter, especially when it's a recurring BSOD.
Fair enough, but if that's what Microsoft is thinking, it needs to go a step further and have the QR code link to a page discussing the exact error a user encountered, not a generic support page with limited information. The average Windows user is not a Microsoft engineer and isn't likely to know what BAD_POOL_CALLER means.
It seems the QR code is a new addition to the latest preview build of Windows 10 for Insiders, so we'll reserve final judgement on its implementation until we see it action on regular installs. In the meantime, Microsoft will continue to test the feature and presumably make changes for the better.
Reddit user "javelinnl" posted a message saying the first thing he did on his new build in his VM setup was initiate a system crash. Sure enough, the familiar BSOD appeared complete with a sad face emoticon, though it also contained a QR code and a link to http://windows.com/stopcode for further investigation.
The QR code and link direct users to a support page for troubleshooting BSOD errors. We suppose the idea behind the QR code is that everyone has a smartphone these days, so in the event that a BSOD occurs, a user could easily investigate the matter, especially when it's a recurring BSOD.
Fair enough, but if that's what Microsoft is thinking, it needs to go a step further and have the QR code link to a page discussing the exact error a user encountered, not a generic support page with limited information. The average Windows user is not a Microsoft engineer and isn't likely to know what BAD_POOL_CALLER means.
It seems the QR code is a new addition to the latest preview build of Windows 10 for Insiders, so we'll reserve final judgement on its implementation until we see it action on regular installs. In the meantime, Microsoft will continue to test the feature and presumably make changes for the better.
