Microsoft's 'blue screen of death' is getting more descriptive with QR codes

A Reddit user posted a picture last week that shows a new version of the dreaded blue screen, one with a QR code and a link where users can get more information about the error that caused their computer to crash. 

Right now, the code and the link take users to a webpage that discusses generic fixes for errors that might cause a crash. In the future, though, Microsoft could provide a QR code that leads to more specific information about what caused the computer freeze up.

That could be more helpful than the information provided on the blue screen today, which typically includes obscure codes that you have to go search for online to understand.

Right now, it's hard to tell what causes the QR code to appear during a crash, though it appears tied to the latest Insider preview build of Windows 10. In my testing, the QR code didn't appear when I forced a blue screen of death on my Surface Pro 3, though a link to the help page did.

What's not clear is how the feature will end up getting implemented for general consumers. Microsoft hasn't yet responded to a request for comment.