Millions of Windows PCs worldwide restarting, showing blue screen: What is the global system outage? [Explained]

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Microsoft Windows Outage: If you are reading this, it's likely that you have yourself faced the Windows outage or heard a fellow colleague complain about the problem affecting millions of Windows computers across the world. So, what is this outage, and why is it affecting millions of computers across the world? Simply put, users are reporting that their Windows PCs are randomly restarting, displaying the infamous ‘Blue Screen of Death' (BSOD) error. This has impacted the work of millions, including sectors like aviation, with airlines such as Indigo, SpiceJet, and Akasa acknowledging that their on-ground operations have been affected, delaying flights.

We at HT Media Group are also facing the issue, with multiple staff members across various departments reporting this problem. Our laptops have been randomly restarting, causing delays in work.

Also Read: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold India launch confirmed, set to debut on this date: Expected features, design and more

Based on the official statement by Microsoft, the issue stems from Microsoft 365 apps and services, which are not functioning correctly. Microsoft notes, “A configuration change in a portion of our Azure backend workloads caused an interruption between storage and compute resources, which resulted in connectivity failures that affected downstream Microsoft 365 services dependent on these connections.”

Further, the company acknowledged that it is working to mitigate the issues for affected Microsoft 365 apps and services.

That said, a major consequence of this issue is its impact on CrowdStrike Falcon agents. Experts, including John Hammond, have pointed out that these agents are “imploding,” and this is exactly what has caused the ‘Blue Screen of Death' boot issues for millions of PCs. 

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 to feature MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ SoC, ending Qualcomm's exclusive role: Report

Working professionals, companies, and others are struggling with this issue, with many expressing frustration