Microsoft global outage: What is 'Blue Screen of Death'? How to fix it?

Microsoft users across the world have reported massive outages in services on Friday, 

The  outage was disrupting flights, banks, media outlets, government offices and companies around the world. 

A new Crowdstrike (cybersecurity software firm) update is being cited as the cause of the outage, which has impacted Windows-based desktop and laptops.

The glitch is causing users to see the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error messages. Several users took to social media to post pictures showing their screens stuck on the recovery page displaying the message: "It looks like Windows didn't load correctly. If you'd like to restart and try again, choose Restart my PC below."

Microsoft, in a statement, said it was taking "mitigation actions" after service issues. "Our services are still seeing continuous improvements while we continue to take mitigation actions," the company said in a post on X.

“We remain committed in treating this event with the highest priority and urgency while we continue to address the lingering impact for the Microsoft 365 apps that are in a degraded state," the company added.

What is the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD)?

The BSoD, also known as black screen errors, appears when a critical issue forces Windows to shut down or restart unexpectedly.

Users might see a notification such as, "Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer."

These errors can stem from hardware or software problems. BSoD signals at a complete system failure at the Windows kernel level.

How to fix it?

Computers with CrowdStrike cybersecurity applications are struck with BSoD issue. CrowdStrike on Reddit has offered an workaround to fix the Windows PCs affected by the latest update.

Step 1: Boot Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment.

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

Step 3: Locate the file matching “C-00000291*.sys” and delete it.

Step 4: Boot the host device normally. This should fix the BSoD problem.

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