Explore Microsoft’s recovery tools tackling the global CrowdStrike bug crisis affecting millions of PCs across various industries.
IT admins and PC users are still reeling from one of the biggest network outages in history.
Dubbed the “digital pandemic” by some, a CrowdStrike bug triggered the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) on millions of systems worldwide. The impact was widespread, hitting airlines, banks, emergency services, and TV stations.
Despite the situation, it’s important to clarify that Microsoft is not to blame. The culprit here is a faulty driver update pushed out by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, which caused PCs everywhere to crash. While CrowdStrike is at fault, Microsoft has been proactive, rolling out tools to help fix the affected systems.
Last week, Microsoft released a USB Recovery Tool to tackle the CrowdStrike bug.
This tool aims to speed up the repair process, allowing IT admins to restore PCs to a pre-bug state. It offers two recovery options: WinPE and safe mode. Microsoft recommends using WinPE, though there are scenarios where the safe mode option is more appropriate, particularly if BitLocker is enabled.
The recovery key isn’t available (admin rights are needed).
A new Tech Community post from Microsoft details these options and their respective pros and cons:
Recover from WinPE (Recommended)
- Quickly and directly recovers systems.
- Does not require local admin privileges.
- Manually entering the BitLocker recovery key may be required if BitLocker is enabled.
- For third-party disk encryption, refer to vendor guidelines for recovering the drive so that the remediation script can run from WinPE.
Recover from Safe Mode
- It may allow recovery on BitLocker-enabled devices without entering recovery keys.
- Requires access to an account with local administrator rights.
- Suitable for devices using TPM-only protectors, unencrypted devices, or where the BitLocker recovery key is unknown.
- If using TPM+PIN BitLocker protectors, the user must enter the PIN or use the recovery key.
- If BitLocker is not enabled, just sign in with an admin account.
- For third-party disk encryption, consult vendors to recover the drive for the remediation script to run.
Microsoft also notes that while the USB tool is preferred, some devices can’t use USB connections. In such cases, a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) option or reimaging the device might be necessary.
We’ll update our guide on fixing the CrowdStrike Blue Screen error on Windows 11 soon, incorporating these new methods. You can also check out Microsoft’s detailed breakdown of the process.
What is the CrowdStrike Outage?
Chances are, you’ve been impacted by the CrowdStrike outage somehow.
A vast number of companies and organizations have experienced PC crashes, and repairs are still ongoing. Even if you weren’t directly affected, the incident has been a hot topic outside tech circles.
Over the weekend, I overheard people at American football practices discussing the “Microsoft outage.” Friends and colleagues have reported similar conversations in hospitals, restaurants, and casual settings.
CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company specializing in Internet security. Their Falcon platform provides real-time attack indicators and helps security experts protect systems. Unfortunately, a buggy update to the Falcon Sensor app wreaked havoc, affecting many organizations.
The fallout grounded planes, forcing some airports to issue handwritten boarding passes. Banks, emergency services, and millions of PCs were hit hard.
While some viewed the downtime as a welcome break, the CrowdStrike outage caused significant disruption across multiple industries. Ironically, CrowdStrike’s stock plummeted, but many could not capitalize on the dip due to the bug affecting trading services.
Although a fix is now available, the repercussions of the CrowdStrike outage will be felt for a while as IT admins work tirelessly to recover and repair affected systems.
