Windows users around the world are currently experiencing the frustrating Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) due to an outage caused by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. This issue has had a widespread impact, affecting various industries such as banking and airlines. As a result, flights have been grounded, grocery carts abandoned, and overall productivity has taken a hit.
Fortunately, CrowdStrike has taken swift action to address the problem. At 2:30 a.m. ET, they announced that they have identified the problematic update and rolled it back. Additionally, they have provided a workaround for individuals who are still experiencing issues.
To resolve the problem, users are advised to boot their Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment. From there, they need to navigate to the C:WindowsSystem32driversCrowdStrike directory and locate the file that matches ‘C-0000029*.sys’. This file should be deleted. Afterward, users can boot their host normally.
While this solution is available, it is important to note that implementing it on a large scale will take time. CrowdStrike is actively working with affected customers, but the process of resolving the issue for every computer in multiple companies globally is expected to be time-consuming.
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz emphasized that this issue is not a security incident or cyberattack. It is a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Fortunately, Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted by this issue.
Despite the workaround provided by CrowdStrike, the ripple effects of this outage are likely to persist for some time. Various industries, including airlines, banks, and healthcare providers, are still grappling with getting their systems back up and running smoothly. Kurtz himself mentioned in an interview that some systems may not automatically recover for an extended period.
In conclusion, while CrowdStrike has made progress in resolving the issue causing the BSOD, it will still take time before all services are fully restored. Users and businesses affected by this outage will need to exercise patience as the process continues.
