Global Microsoft outage disrupts airlines, banks, businesses

Millions of Windows 10 users worldwide are experiencing severe disruptions due to a critical 'blue screen of death' (BSOD) error caused by a recent CrowdStrike update.

The global outage is affecting various sectors, including airlines, banking and essential services, leading to significant operational issues for businesses and other organisations worldwide.

The BSOD errors — also known as STOP code or black screen — are forcing Windows systems to shut down or restart unexpectedly. Users are encountering error messages such as 'Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart' and 'Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer'.

These errors have led to widespread frustration as users lose unsaved data and critical time.

According to the Times of India, Microsoft confirmed that the error is linked to a recent CrowdStrike update, which has caused systems to get stuck on the recovery screen.

Falcon Sensor, an agent developed by CrowdStrike, is designed to protect systems by blocking attacks and recording real-time activity to quickly identify threats. Ironically, it now seems to be the source of a huge problem itself.

CrowdStrike acknowledged the problem, stating they are “aware of reports of crashes on Windows hosts related to the Falcon Sensor” and that their engineering teams are working to resolve the issue.

The impact has been particularly severe for enterprise customers. Thousands of devices, including critical production servers and SQL nodes, have been affected, as reported by Times of India.

CrowdStrike advised affected users to monitor their official communication channels for recovery procedures and temporary workarounds.

In India, major airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa Air, have reported technical issues affecting booking, check-in and flight updates due to the outage. IndiGo stated that their systems were impacted by the Microsoft outage, affecting booking and check-in processes.

SpiceJet and Akasa Air also issued statements on X, informing passengers of manual check-in and boarding processes at airports.

Microsoft 365 services have also been disrupted for some users, adding to the chaos. Microsoft is investigating an issue with Azure, its cloud computing platform, which provides services for building, deploying and managing applications and services. Microsoft later said the issue had been resolved.

Social media users have posted images of their screens stuck on the recovery page, displaying messages such as "It looks like Windows didn't load correctly. If you'd like to restart and try again, choose Restart my PC below."

Users have also experienced repeated BSODs with the error message 'DRIVER_OVERRAN_STACK_BUFFER', preventing normal system boot and operation.

Globally, the issue began on 19 July 2024, and affects Windows 10 and 11 systems running CrowdStrike’s endpoint security software.

According to Reuters, major US airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines, issued ground stops on the morning of Friday, 19 July, citing communication issues. This followed the cloud services outage by Microsoft, which had been resolved but caused lingering effects.

The bug has affected several companies, banks and government offices worldwide, leading to significant operational challenges. Many organisations have advised their users not to open individual support tickets at this time, focusing on a collective resolution.

CrowdStrike is expected to provide further updates and a permanent fix for the issue. Meanwhile, users are advised to monitor official CrowdStrike and Microsoft communication channels for updates.

As the global community grapples with these disruptions, the need for robust and resilient IT infrastructure has never been more apparent. The ongoing incident serves as a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of modern digital systems and the far-reaching impact of technical issues on daily operations across various sectors.