If you are facing a blue screen on your Microsoft Windows 10 right now, you are not alone. Right now, Windows 10 is glitching across the world, leaving users staring at a blue screen. It is worth noting that these are not just a few cases. Social media is flooded with pictures of blue computer screens. In fact, important places like banks and airports are also facing a similar problem. According to the report, this glitch is most likely the result of an update released by CrowdStrike. But what is this problem?

What is the CrowdStrike issue?

CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity firm that integrates with Windows to provide advanced protection. The firm uses cloud-based AI and machine learning to detect and block threats in real-time. Recently, a CrowdStrike update caused BSOD issues on Windows systems, and it knows about it.

The firm has confirmed the issue in a support note, stating that they have received multiple reports of Windows systems experiencing blue screen crashes (BSOD) in various Sensation versions. However, they have not provided any further details or cause for the issue. It added, “Our engineering teams are actively working to resolve this issue and there is no need to open a support ticket.” CrowdStrike is working to resolve the issue, but users are advised to exercise caution until a permanent solution is implemented.

Addressing this widespread problem, Microsoft has also shared its statement. A Microsoft spokesperson said, “We are aware of an issue affecting Windows devices caused by updates from third-party software platforms. We expect a resolution soon.” India Today Tech,

Omer Grossman, CyberArk’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), also said, “The current incident – even in July – looks like it will be one of the most significant cyber issues of 2024. The damage to business processes on a global scale is dramatic. The glitch is due to a software update to CrowdStrike’s EDR product. This is a product that runs with high privileges that protects endpoints. A flaw in it, as we are seeing in the current incident, can crash the operating system.”

He said there are two main issues on the agenda. “The first is how to get customers back online and regain continuity of business processes. It turns out that since the endpoints have crashed – Blue Screen of Death – they cannot be updated remotely and this issue must be resolved manually, endpoint by endpoint. This is expected to be a process that will take several days.”

“The second is what caused the outage. Possibilities range from human error – for example a developer who downloaded an update without adequate quality control – to the complex and intriguing scenario of a deep cyber attack that was prepared ahead of time and in which the attacker activates a “doomsday command” or “kill switch”. CrowdStrike’s analysis and updates in the coming days will be extremely interesting,” Grossman said.

Meanwhile, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz told X, “CrowdStrike is actively working with customers who are affected by a flaw found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not affected. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide full and continuous updates on our website. We advise organizations to ensure they are communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully engaged to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers.”

How to Resolve CrowdStrike BSOD?

Given that this bug is caused by an update to the CrowdStrike Falcon software, chances are another update will fix it soon. But for now CrowdStrike is offering a manual solution in a note to its customers. It clearly says that to fix the CrowdStrike Windows 10 BSOD issue, the following 4 steps are required:

1. Boot Windows into Safe Mode or WRE.
2. Go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike
3. Locate and delete the file that matches “C-00000291*.sys”
Boot up normally.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has also listed the same steps to resolve this issue. Obviously, this seems to be a temporary solution. As it is likely that CrowdStrike and Microsoft will release a proper solution after some time.