CrowdStrike announces Microsoft outage workaround. How to deal with the Blue Screen of Death. (2024)

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Did you get a Blue Screen of Death in the global outage? Try this.

ByAmanda Yeo on

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CrowdStrike announces Microsoft outage workaround. How to deal with the Blue Screen of Death. (1)

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Editor's note: Check out our oft-updated live blog for all new developments about the Microsoft/CrowdStrike outage

Windows computers around the world are being hit by the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) thanks to an outage caused by services provided by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. The issue has impacted everyone from banks to airlines, with flights grounded, grocery carts abandoned, and productivity even lower than usual for a Friday.

Fortunately, CrowdStrike has since announced at 2:30 a.m. ET that it has identified the update causing the issue and rolled it back. The company also offered a workaround for anyone having problems:

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  1. "Boot Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment

  2. "Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike directory

  3. "Locate the file matching 'C-0000029*.sys', and delete it.

  4. "Boot the host normally."

Of course, having to do this for every single computer in multiple companies across the globe is still likely to take some time.

"CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts," CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said on X. "Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed."

Related Stories

  • Microsoft outage updates: Crowdstrike issue still wreaking havoc despite fix

While there may be a workaround for individuals with a BSOD, it might take a while before the ripple effects subside globally. Countless services, such as airlines, banks, healthcare providers, and more are still struggling to get up-and-running. All indications are the outages won't completely stop for some time. Kurtz himself admitted as much in an interview with TODAY.

"It could be some time for some systems that just automatically won’t recover," he said.

Featured Video For You

What is CrowdStrike and why users are getting Windows blue screens

CrowdStrike announces Microsoft outage workaround. How to deal with the Blue Screen of Death. (2)

Amanda Yeo

Assistant Editor

Amanda Yeo is an Assistant Editor at Mashable, covering entertainment, culture, tech, science, and social good. Based in Australia, she writes about everything from video games and K-pop to movies and gadgets.

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CrowdStrike announces Microsoft outage workaround. How to deal with the Blue Screen of Death. (23)

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CrowdStrike announces Microsoft outage workaround. How to deal with the Blue Screen of Death. (2024)

FAQs

CrowdStrike announces Microsoft outage workaround. How to deal with the Blue Screen of Death.? ›

These errors can be caused by both hardware and software issues. If you added new hardware to your PC before the Blue Screen error, shut down your PC, remove the hardware, and try restarting. If you're having trouble restarting, you can start your PC in safe mode.

Read More ›
How to fix CrowdStrike issue blue screen? ›

Resolving Blue Screen Errors in Windows: For Windows 11 and Windows 10 users:
  1. From Settings: Open Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. ...
  2. From the Sign-in Screen: Restart your PC, hold the Shift key, and select Power > Restart. ...
  3. From a Black or Blank Screen: Turn off your device and turn it back on three times.
2 days ago

Discover More Details ›
How to repair CrowdStrike? ›

New Recovery Tool to help with CrowdStrike issue impacting Windows endpoints
  1. Recover from WinPE – this option produces boot media that will help facilitate the device repair.
  2. Recover from safe mode – this option produces boot media so impacted devices can boot into safe mode.
Jul 20, 2024

View More ›
How do I fix blue screen glitch? ›

These errors can be caused by both hardware and software issues. If you added new hardware to your PC before the Blue Screen error, shut down your PC, remove the hardware, and try restarting. If you're having trouble restarting, you can start your PC in safe mode.

Continue Reading ›
How do I fix blue screen fatal system error? ›

Here's how to fix a blue screen of death:
  1. Shut down the PC that showed the BSOD. ...
  2. Disconnect all USB devices except for the mouse and keyboard. ...
  3. Reboot the system in Safe Mode with Networking. ...
  4. Uninstall recently installed software. ...
  5. Roll back or disable drivers. ...
  6. Scan for malware. ...
  7. Run an SFC Scan. ...
  8. Scan your hard drive.
Jun 13, 2023

Learn More Now ›
Can blue screen of death go away on its own? ›

Windows has a few methods for automatically fixing the BSoD. In some cases, the crash may only occur once. However, it's never wise to ignore the problem. If Windows can't solve the problem itself, Fortect is an excellent tool for repairing your system.

Know More ›
Is blue screen of death unfixable? ›

The Blue Screen of Death is a critical error, but the good news is it's not unfixable. Microsoft offers valuable tips of its website, including a tip to remove any recently added hardware and restarting the device.

View Details ›
Is there a way to force a blue screen of death? ›

You can do this by holding down the furthest most right "Control" key then pressing the "Scroll Lock" key twice. Once this is completed, a blue screen should pop up.

Get More Info ›
Did CrowdStrike fix the issue? ›

Statement from Our CEO

All of CrowdStrike understands the gravity and impact of the situation. We quickly identified the issue and deployed a fix, allowing us to focus diligently on restoring customer systems as our highest priority. The outage was caused by a defect found in a Falcon content update for Windows hosts.

See Details ›
How did CrowdStrike cause outage? ›

There was a logic flaw in Falcon sensor version 7.11 and above, causing it to crash. Due to CrowdStrike Falcon's tight integration into the Microsoft Windows kernel, it resulted in a Windows system crash and BSOD. The flaw in CrowdStrike Falcon was inside of a sensor configuration update.

Show Me More ›

How to fix CrowdStrike issue in Windows 11? ›

On the Windows Setup screen, click Next and then click the Repair your computer option. On the Choose an option screen, click Troubleshoot and then click Command prompt. If your System drive is different than C:\, type C: and then press Enter. This will switch you to the C:\ drive.

View Details ›
How to fix CrowdStrike issue from command prompt? ›

- Type `C:` and press Enter to switch to the C: drive. - Next, type `cd \Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike` and press Enter to navigate to the CrowdStrike folder. - In the command prompt, type `del C-00000291*.sys` and press Enter. This command will delete the file that starts with “C-00000291” and ends with “.sys”.

Discover More Details ›
How to fix PC after CrowdStrike? ›

How to fix your Windows PC affected by the CrowdStrike bug
  1. Boot your Windows computer into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment.
  2. Navigate to the %WINDIR%\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike directory.
  3. Locate the file matching "C-00000291*. sys" and delete it.
  4. Boot the host normally.
Jul 19, 2024

Get More Info ›
How do I get rid of CrowdStrike? ›

Uninstall from Control Panel
  1. Open the Windows Control Panel.
  2. Click Uninstall a Program.
  3. Choose CrowdStrike Windows Sensor and uninstall it.

View More ›
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