So they removed the very specific search engine friendly, but human unreadable code (such as 0x00000f4) and are now requiring me to carry a cell phone with a working QR Code scanner and forcing me to use microsoft (not bing) search support that is specific to their website as a jump point. I am sure that a search for HARD_DRIVE_CRASH will always come up with troubleshooting tips, but I'll have to wade through 5 pages before I get to the advanced topics that I need.
I know there is an argument for making this more readable, but if you are at the level of fixing blue screens chances are you can use a search engine.
Windows 8 started this. They decided to copy Apple's useless OS X kernel panic screen, and so only give you one word of useful information, no error code, no exception information, etc.
Unfortunately the QR code might be an improvement over Windows 8 and 8.1 if the QR code contains more detailed information. There are scenarios where you cannot get to the event viewer (or WinDbg) and need to diagnose a pre-boot BSOD. Windows 8 made this almost impossible without attaching a kernel debugger.
Windows 2000 had the best BSODs because they not only told you the details of the crash but also told you which module caused it. This often allowed you to immediately know what the issue was (e.g. if it was in Creative or Nvidia's drives you'd know just from the filename). You can still get the module via WinDbg but it would be useful to have it on the BSOD itself or even in the event log listing.
PS - I strongly suspect the reason Microsoft removed the module name in the Windows XP BSOD was because they were hurting third party hardware vendor's reputation.
> Unfortunately the QR code might be an improvement over Windows 8 and 8.1 if the QR code contains more detailed information.
The QR code shown in the example screenshot is just a link to http://windows.com/stopcode - hopefully they'll improve it to at least include the bug check code.
The text code they list in the "if you have to call a support person" map one-to-one to the old hex codes, and a search on Microsoft's site will get you the hex codes quickly if you need them.
The MANUALLY_INITIATED_CRASH from the screenshot is an 0xE2, for example.
A BSOD isn't interactive, the only thing you can do is search for the error code. Even if users copy down and type the hex code correctly (not at all a given), the search results might be a random ten year old blog post or information about a different version of Windows. The QR Code takes you to an official help page that gives updated, version specific instructions a normal computer user could follow: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/troubleshoot-b...
I've troubleshot BSOD errors over the phone with relatives. Plain-text error message are a welcome improvement over hex codes.
By forcing you to use a QR code that links to their site they can track how frequently BSODs happen and what the most common error codes are simply by reporting on web server logs. Its a way of forcing people to report crashes when they otherwise wouldn't.
I know there is an argument for making this more readable, but if you are at the level of fixing blue screens chances are you can use a search engine.