from: http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/08/bsod4.jpg
Well sh*t happens. I've seen Mac OS X crash, Linux crash and Windows crash. Those things happen, especially with 3rd party drivers, even more so if you can't review someone's code which can have a lower standard than normal, and even if you can see the code, someone might have not had the time to fix some known bug.
Note: some people are saying it's a fake. As most don't present a single reason for shouting fake, I'm dismissing it. Also, if you want to check, see your "Opening Ceremonies. Angle and color are correct. It's a blue-white smudge on the ceiling at about 4 hours and 24 minutes into the NBC broadcast version. Right after the torch lighting, they have a shot with some women in red dresses, holding flags. It's right above the white flag", as said here by cirby. Please confirm in comments.
I'd just like to answer to "In fairness to Microsoft, blue screens are normally due to bad hardware drivers. Whatever that thing actually was, it certainly wasn't a normal monitor and I'll bet the drivers are rather specific. And the less people use them, the fewer bugs are found." by mccalli.
True. However, not in this case. In this case it the OS fault, not a 3rd party driver's fault. Thanks to several photos, available at the bottom of this page, one can get the error message. First, note the absence of a filename, as it is usual to appear (though not always) when it's a drivers fault (yes, one can assume a driver might have messed the whole system causing a BSOD accusing a different error than the initiator of the instability, but heck, according to probability I can, if I have an indefinite amount of time to exist, walk through a wall... It's just not very probable...). Then see the error code: 0x000000F4. Check here [support.microsoft.com], here [support.microsoft.com] and here [support.microsoft.com] .
None of them is a good explanation of what the error really is, but one thing is for certain: it doesn't seem to be a driver's fault.
Fabião writes here:
O código da BSOD olímpica:
0x000000F4 0x00000000,0x8A014260,0x8A0143D4,0x80609528
0x000000F4: CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION
One of the many processes or threads crucial to system operation has unexpectedly exited or been terminated. As a result, the system can no longer function. Specific causes are many, and often best resolved by a careful history of the problem and the circumstances of the error message. One user, who experienced this on return from Standby mode on Win XP SP2, found the cause was that Windows was installed on a slave drive.
0x000000F4 0x00000000,0x8A014260,0x8A0143D4,0x80609528
0x000000F4: CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION
One of the many processes or threads crucial to system operation has unexpectedly exited or been terminated. As a result, the system can no longer function. Specific causes are many, and often best resolved by a careful history of the problem and the circumstances of the error message. One user, who experienced this on return from Standby mode on Win XP SP2, found the cause was that Windows was installed on a slave drive.
So: apparently not a driver's fault. Having said that, here are the photos:
from: http://qwyqwq.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pu6_XqyJ8fzrKdGjkd780Wce2wBU6XUV-FiaOIAOEVoQKkJyMrz-PCR91xQXbjDjV4-HXcN-iYXs
from: http://qwyqwq.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pcHnnVwQ5l0Pj8Aror6oXsShsY5Gf4M_RNc_WoxFfamgV01ucCbAV4ZFbMF9nH7EwsX41tLOVyvU
References:
http://rivercoolcool.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!D6F05428A2B8CB48!1570.entry
http://gizmodo.com/5035456/blue-screen-of-death-strikes-birds-nest-during-opening-ceremonies-torch-lighting
http://forum.powerapple.com/modules.php?name=forum&file=viewtopic&forum=62&topic=23034&start=0
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10015872-1.html?hhTest=1
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Windows-Olympics-BSOD,6105.html
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/08/12/olympic-blue-screen-death