By D. W .G. Kalani Tharanga, JadeTimes News
Rebooting, An Age Old Solution
In a surprising turn of events, Microsoft has suggested a familiar troubleshooting method for users experiencing issues with virtual machines, rebooting. The tech giant's advice to "switch it off and on again" has resonated with office workers worldwide. According to Microsoft's website, multiple reboots up to 15 in some cases have proven effective for some users. Additionally, Microsoft has recommended deleting a specific file, a solution echoed by Crowdstrike employees on social media.
The reboot recommendation comes amidst a broader IT crisis triggered by an update from Crowdstrike's virus scanner, Falcon. This update caused widespread disruptions for Windows users, resulting in the notorious Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). While Microsoft was quick to point out that the issue was a "third party" problem, the incident highlighted the vulnerabilities in our reliance on remote device management by large corporations. Interestingly, Apple and Linux users remained unaffected, offering a stark contrast and a moment of schadenfreude for non Windows users.
Real World Impact, From Taxis to Airports
The IT outage has had far reaching consequences, affecting various sectors, including transportation and financial services. In London, taxi drivers have struggled to process card payments via Visa. Tony Vieira, a cab driver, reported that his customers were forced to pay in cash, leading to additional trips to ATMs and potential financial losses. Another driver, Tommy Johnson, expressed frustration over being unable to log into his IT system, affecting his ability to accept card payments, which constitute 95% of his transactions. Despite managing to accommodate some customers who had cash, he had to turn away others, exacerbating the impact of the outage on his daily earnings.
The chaos extended to air travel, with significant delays reported at airports. At Gatwick Airport, passengers, including those bound for Sicily, faced extended wait times despite airlines claiming their systems were unaffected. The cascading effect of the IT outage was evident as travelers shared photos of long queues and played games to pass the time. This situation underscored the broader disruption caused by the IT failure, affecting not only direct users but also those indirectly linked to the affected services.
A Global Wake Up Call
The outage and its repercussions have sparked a broader conversation about the fragility of our digital infrastructure. The website Downdetector, which tracks tech issues, showed a significant spike in problem reports, particularly in the UK. Although the number of reports started to decline, indicating that services were slowly recovering, the incident served as a stark reminder of how dependent we are on technology and the potential chaos that can ensue when it fails.
Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk succinctly captured the sentiment on social media, labeling the event the "Biggest IT fail ever." As services gradually resume normal operations, the real world fallout of this outage will likely be felt for days or even weeks, prompting companies and users alike to reflect on the resilience and reliability of their digital systems.
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