Microsoft users hit with ‘blue screen of death’ after massive outage

Key Points:

• Global Outage: Microsoft users worldwide are encountering the dreaded “blue screen of death” amid widespread technical outages.
• Root Cause: The issue stems from a recent update to the CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor software affecting Windows 365 Cloud PCs.
• Official Response: Microsoft is advising affected users to restore their systems to a previous state and seek assistance from CrowdStrike for ongoing issues.

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Global Impact of the Blue Screen of Death

Microsoft users across the globe are currently grappling with the infamous “blue screen of death” (BSOD) due to extensive technical outages. This disruption has significantly impacted businesses and individual users alike, causing frustration and workflow interruptions.

The Root Cause: CrowdStrike Update

The U.S. tech giant traced the issue back to a recent update from the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. This update, affecting the CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor software, has led to a major IT outage for many users.

“We’re aware of an issue with Windows 365 Cloud PCs caused by a recent update to CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor software,” Microsoft confirmed on its 365 Status account on X (formerly Twitter).

Microsoft’s Advice and Steps for Users

Microsoft has provided guidance for affected users to mitigate the problem:

• Restore Systems: Users are advised to restore their Windows 365 Cloud PCs to a known good state before the release of the problematic update (dated July 19, 2024).
• Recovery Attempts: Some users have reported successful recoveries by performing multiple virtual machine restart operations.

The company reassured users that the faulty update has been retracted by CrowdStrike, and those still experiencing issues should directly contact CrowdStrike for further assistance.

CrowdStrike’s Statement

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz addressed the situation on X, clarifying that the defect was found in a single content update for Windows hosts. He emphasized that Mac and Linux systems remain unaffected.

“This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed,” Kurtz stated.

Previous Azure Outage: A Separate Incident

Earlier, Microsoft experienced a separate outage that affected its Azure services and Microsoft 365 suite of apps in the central U.S. region. The company confirmed that this was unrelated to the CrowdStrike issue, ensuring users that the two incidents were distinct and unconnected.

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Moving Forward

As both Microsoft and CrowdStrike work diligently to resolve these issues, users are encouraged to follow the provided instructions and reach out for support if needed. While the “blue screen of death” remains a dreaded sight for many, coordinated efforts from these tech giants aim to restore stability and prevent future disruptions.