On July 19, 2024, many computers around the world started shutting down unexpectedly because of a Microsoft Windows outage. This problem was caused by a recent update from CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company. Microsoft said that the root cause was a “configuration change in a portion of our Azure backend workloads,” which disrupted the connection between storage and compute resources, affecting Microsoft 365 services.
Steps to Fix the Shutdown Issue
- Boot into Safe Mode or Windows Recovery Environment:
- Restart your computer.
- While it is starting up, press and hold the Shift key and select Restart.
- Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- Press F4 to start in Safe Mode.
2. Navigate to the CrowdStrike Directory:
- Open File Explorer.
- Go to
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike.
3. Delete the Problematic File:
- Find the file named
C-00000291*.sys. - Delete this file.
3. Restart Normally:
- Restart your computer normally.
What Microsoft Said
Microsoft posted on X (formerly Twitter) that they are “investigating an issue impacting users’ ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services.” They are working on rerouting traffic to alternate systems to fix the problem more quickly. Microsoft said, “We’re seeing a positive trend in service availability while we continue to redirect impacted traffic. We expect users will see gradual relief as we mitigate the issue.”
Impact and Improvements
The outage affected not only individual users but also major businesses and services. For example, airline check-in systems at major airports in Mumbai and Delhi were impacted, causing delays.
Microsoft emphasized that services are improving while they continue to take actions to fix the problem. Users are advised to follow the provided steps to resolve the shutdown issue and stay updated with any further instructions from Microsoft and CrowdStrike.
By following these steps, you can fix the shutdown issue and continue working without much disruption.