Interesting Tool for Developing Microsoft – USB ‘Death Tail’ Revealed in Dave’s Garage Video
In a recent video on the Dave’s Garage channel, a fascinating tool called the Microsoft – USB ‘Death Tail’ was showcased. The video featured two renowned Windows developers discussing the design and purpose of this device.
The video unveiled a postal trolley overflowing with more than 60 consistently connected USB devices of different types and functions. Computers connected to this trolley often experienced the notorious blue screen of death, particularly during the early stages.
The host of the show, Dave Plammer, is well-known for his contributions to creating Windows, Windows Pinball, calculator, and zip packages. He was joined by Raymond Chen, who has been working on Windows for over 30 years and is the author of The Old New Thing.
Chen explained the significance of ensuring maximum reliability with the introduction of USB and its integration in Windows. The ‘Death Tail’ trolley was developed specifically to test the stability of Windows when faced with numerous USB devices. It consisted of three mice, four keyboards, printers, disks, and various USB peripherals. The trolley was controlled using a game USB-ruler.
This trolley was used to challenge Windows developers. Chen revealed that it was brought into the developer’s office and connected to the targeted computer. The result of this connection was an almost instant occurrence of the blue screen of death, which earned the trolley its nickname.
Furthermore, Chen mentioned that the trolley was utilized to prepare computers for debugging after failures. In the USB testing laboratory, he could randomly connect and disconnect the trolley, causing the computers to encounter issues. The following morning, developers would come in and work on debugging the affected computers, leading to the stabilization of USB support in Windows.
Chen humorously noted that after fixing one USB error, the system would “fall for another reason” the next time.
Older readers may recall a notable incident involving a USB scanner during Bill Gates’ presentation at Comdex, which Chen believes could have served as inspiration for the creation of the ‘Death Tail’