Microsoft releases solution for CrowdStrike Windows issue, simple tool to restore PC functionality – Step-by-step guide to begin
Microsoft has promptly issued a solution to resolve the CrowdStrike outage impacting numerous Windows devices. The remedy is accessible as a tool that can be installed on a USB drive for restoring the affected computers.
For those unfamiliar, the CrowdStrike outage on Friday affected office workers, airlines, healthcare, IT and more. This affected millions of Windows users who had CrowdStrike Falcon installed on their computers. The reason was a faulty update that led to the breakdown of global IT equipment and services. CrowdStrike released an update that promised to fix the issue, but it hasn’t reached all affected users. Many have suggested various solutions such as booting into safe mode to remove the CrowdStrike update, and this Microsoft tool makes solving the problem simple.
What is the Microsoft recovery tool to fix CrowdStrike for Windows?
During the outage, many computers repeatedly rebooted, went into a boot loop, and displayed the Blue Screen of Death. Despite CrowdStrike’s official instructions to resolve the issue, many users were unable to boot into Windows Safe Mode. This tool works by creating a bootable USB drive to help repair your device or help boot into safe mode, then log in with an account with administrator privileges to remove the problematic CrowdStrike update.
Microsoft CrowdStrike recovery tool: How to download and use it?
Microsoft’s recovery tool for CrowdStrike issues can be downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center via this link. Users can fix the problem in two ways:
- Restore from Windows PE: This option does not require administrative privileges and restores systems directly without manual steps. However, you may need to manually enter the BitLocker recovery key (if BitLocker is used on the device) and then repair the affected systems according to Microsoft’s instructions. If you use a third-party solution for disk encryption, you must follow the instructions provided by your vendor.
- Restoring from Safe Mode: This option avoids entering BitLocker recovery keys, but requires administrative privileges and the CrowdStrike update file must be manually found and removed.
Microsoft recommends the first option for everyone, but there are conditions:
- A 64-bit Windows computer with at least 8 GB of free space from which the tool can be used to create a bootable USB drive.
- Administrator rights on a Windows computer.
- A USB drive with a minimum of 1 GB and a maximum of 32 GB. All data on the USB will be automatically erased and formatted to FAT32.
For more information, follow Microsoft’s official guide that it has posted to the tech community here.
