Microsoft Windows users worldwide are encountering Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors, causing Windows to shut down or restart unexpectedly with messages like “Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.”
The issue, reported this morning, was triggered by a recent update from CrowdStrike, a US-based cybersecurity firm. CrowdStrike acknowledged the problem, rolled back the update, and provided a four-step process for users to regain access to their Windows PCs.
A few hours after the initial reports, CrowdStrike’s engineering team posted an update on their subreddit, r/crowdstrike, identifying a content deployment as the cause and confirming they have reverted the changes.
CrowdStrike acknowledged the issue and is working on a resolution, advising users not to open individual support tickets due to the scale of the problem.
The update has significantly impacted enterprise customers, with reports of thousands of affected devices, including critical servers and SQL nodes. IT departments are mitigating the damage by removing CrowdStrike-related files.
This incident highlights the risks of automatic updates for security software, with calls for more rigorous testing and staged rollout policies. CrowdStrike will provide further updates and a permanent fix.
Affected users should monitor official CrowdStrike channels for recovery procedures. The error code displayed is “Tech-Alert-Windows-crashes-related-to-Falcon-Sensor-2024-07-19.”
For users experiencing BSOD errors, CrowdStrike provided these steps to regain access to Windows PCs:
- Boot Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment.
- Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike directory.
- Locate and delete the file matching “C-00000291*.sys”.
- Boot the host normally.
Microsoft stated that the recent CrowdStrike update caused the BSOD errors affecting companies, banks, and government offices globally. In India, airlines like Akasa Air and IndiGo informed customers about the issue on X (formerly Twitter).
NDTV World reported that Microsoft is taking “mitigation actions” to resolve the service issues and improve Microsoft 365 apps. Affected users are advised to contact IT administrators if needed.
The issue has disrupted services worldwide, including airline and railway operations, supermarkets, hospitals, and major news networks. A fix release update is anticipated soon.