Microsoft launches repair tool after CrowdStrike update impacts 8.5m devices
What's the story
Microsoft has unveiled a repair tool specifically designed to assist IT administrators in repairing Windows devices, impacted by a faulty update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. The problematic update, released on Friday, resulted in approximately 8.5 million Windows devices crashing. The new repair tool from Microsoft enables the creation of a bootable USB drive that can be used to quickly restore the affected machines.
Software fix
CrowdStrike issues fix to rectify software glitch
CrowdStrike has also issued an update to correct its software that caused millions of Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors. However, not all machines are capable of automatically receiving this fix. Some IT administrators discovered that repeatedly rebooting PCs can trigger the necessary update, while others had to manually boot into Safe Mode and delete the problematic CrowdStrike update file.
Streamlined recovery
Microsoft's tool simplifies repair process
Microsoft's repair tool simplifies the repair process by booting into its Windows PE environment via USB. It then accesses the disk of the affected machine and automatically deletes the problematic CrowdStrike file, enabling the machine to boot correctly. This method eliminates the need to boot into Safe Mode or have administrator rights on the machine, as it accesses the disk without booting into the local copy of Windows.
Enhanced support
It handles BitLocker encryption, provides additional support
If a disk is safeguarded by BitLocker encryption, Microsoft's tool will prompt for the BitLocker recovery key before proceeding to fix the CrowdStrike update issue. In addition to this repair tool, Microsoft has provided separate recovery steps for Windows Virtual Machines running on Azure. Furthermore, Microsoft has published recovery steps for all Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices on its support site.