FakeBlueScreen

A WinUI 3 prank application that displays convincing fake Windows crash (BSOD/BKOD) and Windows Update screens in fullscreen. Perfect for harmless desktop pranks.

Version: 1.1.0 Publisher: CleanAppSolution Store package name: CleanAppSolution.FakeBlueScreen

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Features

• Windows 10 BSOD — Classic blue screen with sad face, progress counter, QR code, rotating stop codes
• Windows 11 BSOD (Blue) — Updated typography (Segoe UI Variable), Windows 11 style spacing
• Windows 11 BKOD (Black) — Black background variant (pre-24H2 style)
• Windows Update Screen — Fake update installation with animated progress, spinning dots, Windows logo
• Custom background color — Color picker + preset buttons for BSOD variants
• Speed modes — Slow (realistic), Fast, Surprise (random)
• Prank behaviors: random freeze pauses, stop code rotation, "Just kidding!" flash after 5 cycles, absurd stop codes after 10 minutes
• Exit: Press Escape or Ctrl+Shift+Q during the prank

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Requirements

• Windows 10 (build 19041+) or Windows 11
• Visual Studio 2022 17.x with:
  • .NET 8 Desktop workload
  • Windows App SDK 1.6
  • C# development workload
• Windows App SDK 1.6.250205002 (restored via NuGet automatically)

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Building & Running

From Visual Studio 2022

1. Open FakeBluescreen.sln
2. Select your target platform (x64 recommended for development)
3. Press F5 to build and run (Debug), or Ctrl+Shift+B to build only

From the command line

# Restore NuGet packages
dotnet restore FakeBluescreen\FakeBluescreen.csproj

# Build for x64 Debug
dotnet build FakeBluescreen\FakeBluescreen.csproj -c Debug -p:Platform=x64

# Run
dotnet run --project FakeBluescreen\FakeBluescreen.csproj -p:Platform=x64

Note: Because this is an MSIX-packaged WinUI 3 app, dotnet run may not work correctly without deploying the package first. Using Visual Studio (F5) is the recommended development workflow.

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Changing the Publisher CN

Before signing and submitting to Partner Center you must update the Publisher identity to match your actual code-signing certificate.

1. Open FakeBluescreen\Package.appxmanifest in a text editor.
2. Find the <Identity> element:

   <Identity
     Name="CleanAppSolution.FakeBlueScreen"
     Publisher="CN=CleanAppSolution"
     Version="1.1.0.0" />

3. Replace CN=CleanAppSolution with the exact CN from your Partner Center certificate, for example: CN=CleanAppSolution, O=CleanAppSolution, L=Seattle, S=Washington, C=US
4. The CN must match the Subject of the certificate you use to sign the MSIX exactly.

You can find the required Publisher string in Partner Center under: Apps & Games → Your app → Product identity → Publisher ID (CN=...)

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Store Assets

Before submission, replace the placeholder images in FakeBluescreen\Assets\ with real artwork.

File	Size
StoreLogo.png	50 × 50 px
Square44x44Logo.png	44 × 44 px
Square71x71Logo.png	71 × 71 px
Square150x150Logo.png	150 × 150 px
Wide310x150Logo.png	310 × 150 px
LargeTile.png	310 × 310 px
SplashScreen.png	620 × 300 px

The easiest way to generate all scale variants is via the Visual Studio Manifest Designer:

1. Double-click Package.appxmanifest in Solution Explorer
2. Go to the Visual Assets tab
3. Point it at a single 1240×1240 source PNG and click Generate

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Creating the MSIX for Store Submission

Option A: Visual Studio Publish Wizard

1. Right-click the FakeBluescreen project → Publish → Create App Packages...
2. Select Microsoft Store → sign in with your Partner Center account
3. Choose your app, select the platforms (x86, x64, arm64)
4. Choose Release configuration
5. Visual Studio creates a .msixupload file ready for upload to Partner Center

Option B: Command Line (CI/CD)

# Build Release MSIX bundle for all platforms
msbuild FakeBluescreen\FakeBluescreen.csproj `
  /p:Configuration=Release `
  /p:Platform=x64 `
  /p:AppxPackageDir=".\Packages\" `
  /p:AppxBundle=Always `
  /p:UapAppxPackageBuildMode=StoreUpload `
  /p:AppxBundlePlatforms="x86|x64|arm64"

The output .msixupload file in Packages\ can be uploaded directly to Partner Center.

Signing for Sideload (testing only, not Store submission)

# Create a test certificate
New-SelfSignedCertificate -Type Custom -Subject "CN=CleanAppSolution" `
  -KeyUsage DigitalSignature -FriendlyName "FakeBlueScreen Test" `
  -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\CurrentUser\My" `
  -TextExtension @("2.5.29.37={text}1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.3", "2.5.29.19={text}")

# Sign the package (replace thumbprint with output from above)
SignTool sign /fd SHA256 /sha1 <THUMBPRINT> /tr http://timestamp.digicert.com `
  .\Packages\FakeBluescreen_1.1.0.0_x64.msix

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Project Structure

fakebluescreen_winui/
├── FakeBluescreen.sln
├── README.md
└── FakeBluescreen/
    ├── FakeBluescreen.csproj
    ├── app.manifest
    ├── Package.appxmanifest
    ├── App.xaml / App.xaml.cs          # Application entry point
    ├── MainWindow.xaml / .cs           # Configuration UI
    ├── BsodWindow.xaml / .cs           # Fullscreen prank window
    ├── Models/
    │   └── AppConfig.cs                # Screen type, speed, color config
    ├── Controllers/
    │   ├── BsodProgressController.cs   # BSOD animation loop logic
    │   └── UpdateProgressController.cs # Windows Update animation loop
    ├── Pages/
    │   ├── BsodPage.xaml / .cs         # Win10/Win11 BSOD/BKOD screen
    │   └── WindowsUpdatePage.xaml / .cs # Fake update screen
    ├── Strings/
    │   └── en-US/Resources.resw        # Localized strings
    └── Assets/                         # Store logos and splash screen

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License

This software is provided for entertainment and educational purposes only. Use responsibly — only prank people who will find it funny!