The Journal. The Glitch That Crashed Millions of Computers
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Jul 23, 2024 
In this discussion, WSJ reporter Robert McMillan sheds light on the shocking meltdown caused by a CrowdStrike software update, which left 8.5 million computers inoperable globally. He explores how major industries, including airlines and banks, were severely impacted. McMillan also dives into Microsoft's vulnerabilities that contributed to the chaos. Listen in as he unravels the implications of this tech fiasco and discusses the need for better software management in an increasingly digital world.
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Global Outage Impact
- Last Friday, a massive computer outage affected 8.5 million computers globally, impacting various industries.
- Examples include disruptions to airlines, banks, hospitals, passport verification, and even news corporations.
CrowdStrike's Faulty Update
- The crash originated from a faulty update by CrowdStrike's Falcon software.
- The update contained data that caused Windows computers to crash and become difficult to fix.
Blue Screen of Death
- The blue screen of death, a Microsoft error screen, appeared on affected computers, requiring more than a simple reboot.
- Fixing the issue required physically accessing each machine and manually removing a file.