Updated CrowdStrike recovery tool can save you from Blue Screen of Death, even without BitLocker recovery keys
You can now recover a PC affected by the CrowdStrike outage without BitLocker recovery keys, at least in certain situations.
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What you need to know
IT admins and PC users are still recovering from one of the largest network outages in history. Known by some as thedigital pandemic, a CrowdStrike bug caused theBlue Screen of Death (BSoD)on millions of systems worldwide. The outage affected airlines, banks, emergency services, and even some television stations. Despite how some have referred to the situation, Microsoft is not at fault for the outage. Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike pushed out an update that included a bug in a driver, which crashed PCs around the world. Despite CrowdStrike being at fault, Microsoft has been hard at work on a fix, and it has expanded the tools available to fix affected systems.
Microsoft released a USB Recovery Tool late last week to address the CrowdStrike bug. The tool was designed to expedite the repair process and allow IT admins to restore PCs to a point that’s unaffected by CrowdStrike’s faulty update. That tool now has two repair options: recover from WinPE and recover from safe mode. Microsoft recommends the recover from WinPE option, but there are situations that will require the other method. Most notably, recovering from safe mode may be able to work if BitLocker is enabled on a device and a recovery key is unavailable (admin rights required).
An updatedTech Community postoutlines the options, as well as the pros and cons of each method:
Microsoft notes that while the USB option is preferred, some devices do not support USB connections. In that case, a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) option or reimaging a device may be required.
We’ll update our guide onhow to fix the CrowdStrike Blue Screen error on Windows 11with details about the new method soon. You can also readMicrosoft’s breakdown of the process.
What is the CrowdStrike outage?
•The latest downtime & outages•Not everyone is upset: BSOD trends•Musk seems to blame diversity for CrowdStrike outage•Microsoft suggests turning it off and on again•Planes grounded and 911 services down due to CrowdStrike
There’s a good chance that you were affected by the CrowdStrike outage in some way. A vast range of companies and organizations had PCs crash and repairs are still underway. Even if you weren’t affected directly, conversations about the outage have spilled into non-tech circles. Over the weekend I overheard people at American football practices talking about the “Microsoft outage.” My friends and colleagues heard similar conversations working in hospitals, restaurants, and in casual conversations.
CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company that largely focuses on Internet security. CrowdStrike Falcon gives real-time indicators of attacks and helps security experts protect systems. Unfortunately, CrowdStrike sent out an update that included a bug, which affected organizations that use the Falcon Sensor app.
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That bug caused systems to crash and show the “Blue Screen of Death,” the infamous error screen that Windows shows when a critical system failure occurs.
Shocking map showing the damage CrowdStrike $CRWD made when they went down, causing global IT problems. This was the time lapse of airline activity shutting down across the country. pic.twitter.com/jWRkz5p7j9July 20, 2024
The situation caused planes to be grounded and some airports had to resort to hand-written boarding passes. Banks, emergency services, and millions of PCs were affected.
While some took the opportunity to view crashed systems that prevented work from being done as anadult snow day, the Crowdstrike outage caused chaos across several industries. Ironically, Crowdstrike stock plummeted but some were unable to buy the stock at its lowest point due to the Crowdstrike bug affecting services.
While a fix is available for affected systems, the aftermath of the Crowdstrike outage will be felt for quite some time as IT admins work to recover or fix affected PCs.
Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
