Free fake blue screen
A fake blue screen of death, completely harmless.
The sad face, “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart”, the percent counting up, the stop code and the QR code. It's a picture in your browser: nothing crashes, nothing restarts, and Esc brings you back.
Press F11 too on Windows for the browser's own full screen. Not affiliated with Microsoft; nothing on your computer changes.
Like the real thing, it races to start, sits on the same number for a long while, then creeps.
The most believable prank on a PC.
Everyone who's used Windows has felt their stomach drop at this screen, which is why it works so well as a prank and as a prop. Open it on a friend's computer, press Start, and walk away. When it hits 100% it just sits there, so you have time to come back before they reboot it.
The QR code is made up and doesn't point anywhere, and the stop code is a real-looking one, CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED.
A real blue screen never asks you for anything.
Fake blue screens are also a scam: a web page goes full screen and tells you to call “Microsoft support” at a phone number. A real blue screen restarts the computer on its own and never shows a phone number. If you see one with a number, it's a web page: press Esc, or close the browser from Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).
Made by Forgot.
Forgot is a team calendar that shows everyone's vacations, public holidays and on-call on one board, and warns you when someone's away on a release date. Nothing fake about it.
Try it free for 14 daysMore screens for your screen: a fake video call in Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, a fake busy calendar, a spreadsheet that works by itself, and the guide to keeping your Teams status green.
Questions
How do I make a fake blue screen of death?
Press Start full screen on this page. It fills the display with the Windows blue screen and counts up to 100%, then stays there until you press Esc or click.
Is a fake blue screen safe?
This one is: it's only a picture in your browser. Nothing crashes, no files change, and it never asks you to call anyone or install anything.
Does it change anything on my computer?
No. It's a web page that draws a picture full screen. Nothing installs, nothing updates, nothing restarts. Press Esc or click and you're back in your browser.
How do I get out of it?
Press Esc or click anywhere. If the browser's own full screen is on too (F11 on Windows), press F11 or Esc again.
Is it free?
Yes, with no sign-up and no ads on the screen. It's made by Forgot, a team calendar for vacations and release dates, as a free tool.