CrowdStrike, an endpoint security software, caused a widespread outage of Microsoft services, including Windows and Office 365, following an update on Friday. The issue caused Windows devices around the world to experience a “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD ) occurred and users were prevented from accessing their devices. The issue has also reportedly caused service disruptions in information technology (IT) companies, airports, banks and other sectors. Particle for direct object
CrowdStrike error: what happened?
The issue appears to have occurred after a CrowdStrike update that caused a “blue screen of death” on Windows devices. The error message says: “Your device has encountered a problem and needs to restart.” However, restarting does not seem to fix the problem and the device remains stuck in a boot loop.
Microsoft lists the error as STOP code “PAGE_FAULT-IN-NONPAGED_AREA”. According to the bug report, the problem is caused by an error in CrowdStrike’s operating system files. Particle for direct object
CrowdStrike Errors: Their Impact
Software health monitoring website Downdetector shows that the outage affected several Microsoft services, including the Microsoft Store and Microsoft 365. The platform also reported that 911 emergency services in several US states were also affected. According to social media claims, CrowdStrike’s update errors appear to have disrupted the services of various institutions, including banks, airports and IT companies.
A spokesman for the Berlin airline told the AFP news agency that all flights had been suspended due to “technical problems”. All check-in and departure services have been canceled until 10:00 a.m. local time (1:30 p.m. IST). In addition, several US airlines, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines, were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to communication problems.
India’s IndiGo Airlines issued a statement announcing the impact on its services, including long check-in queues and errors in booking tickets. The company blamed Microsoft Azure for the problem and said its digital experts were working on a solution. Acasa Airlines and Air India also made similar statements.
Media companies are also reportedly struggling due to Microsoft’s global outage, including the UK’s Sky News, Australia’s CBBC and ABC News. In addition, the London Stock Exchange (LSE), operated by LSE Group, said it was also experiencing problems with its RNS news service being unable to publish on the LSE website.
Up to three Gadgets 360 employees were affected.
CrowdStrike error: response
Update: CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz issued a statement saying the root cause has been identified and resolved. The company said it is “actively working with customers affected by the outage.” According to the CEO, the failure was not caused by a “security incident or cyber attack” but by a single content update error in the Windows operating system. This does not affect Linux or Mac devices.
Both CrowdStrike and Microsoft issued statements following the shutdown. According to Microsoft, a number of “mitigative measures” were taken to redirect the affected traffic to “more capable systems”. Reuters reported that Microsoft confirmed the issue at 6:00 p.m. ET (3:30 a.m. EST) as customers in the Central America region are experiencing problems accessing Azure services.
A Microsoft spokesperson told Gadgets 360: “We are aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to a third-party software platform update. We hope that a solution will be available soon.”
In a statement hidden behind a block wall, CrowdStrike acknowledged the issue and said it was “aware of the outage reports.” On the CrowdStrike subreddit, a moderator posted a challenge for multiple victims. To resolve this issue, users were advised to:
Boot your Windows device into safe mode or open the Windows recovery environment.
Then go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike.
Find the corresponding file “C-00000291*.sys” in the system directory and delete it.
Boot the host as normal
In a later response, the Texas-based cybersecurity company said it fixed an issue with Windows’ “Falcon Sensor” after the content was delivered and reversed changes made by its engineering team.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
