Windows 3.x

Figure 1.2: An EMM386 Error Message in Windows 3.0.

In Windows 3.x, Black Screen of Death occurred while one of DOS applications could not execute accurately. The behavior cropped up while performing certain operation with networking drivers residing in the memory. Most often it was known to occur when Novell NetWare or NETX was loaded. Switching the display to text mode, the PC would lock up and the screen would go black except for a blinking underline cursor in the upper left-hand corner. The user is left with the option of performing a cold reboot and try to get the system back up and running.