As Cornell continues to recover from the July 19, 2024 worldwide Windows outage, a small number of Windows computers may still be affected by a software update that produces a blue screen and error message. The number is decreasing as IT staff across the campus continue helping customers resolve the issue.

Computers Began Failing Early Friday Morning

It began like a scene from a technology thriller: thousands of Cornell University Windows servers and personal computers shut down early Friday morning, July 19, 2024. If the faculty, staff, researcher, or student was awake around 2:00am, every prompt and reboot they attempted on their affected Windows machine resulted in a blue screen and error message beginning, "Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart."

This same error rippled around the world, halting services for healthcare, hotels, airlines, and other organizations. Traced to a software update from CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity service provider, the error affected Windows servers and individual computers alike. Analysis continues into why only some Windows devices using CrowdStrike were impacted.

Servers Online Again Friday Morning

At Cornell, IT engineers quickly focused on bringing the university’s managed servers back online, then shared steps to remove the faulty CrowdStrike update from individual Windows  computers. Anyone with local administrative access to their Windows computer can use these steps to regain control of their device, including computers they personally own.

By Monday morning, July 22, 2024, the estimated 5000 individual Windows desktop and laptop computers affected by the software issue had been reduced to 1367. As IT staff across the campus continued working to repair their devices, the number of impacted Cornell Windows machines dropped steadily, with a peak of 100 devices repaired per hour by midday.

Varying Effects for Summer Instructors and Students

The widespread Windows outage began on a Friday, the least popular day for summer instruction, which lowered the initial impact of the classroom technology issue. Working with the university Registrar, IT staff identified just over 200 faculty instructors with Monday and Tuesday courses and reached out to them with a personalized message of support.

Of the 6500 students enrolled in Cornell summer courses, the majority are pursuing independent research or study; less than 20% were enrolled in scheduled classroom sessions. IT staff across the campus had already prioritized support for the Library, Cornell University Police Department, and Cornell University Emergency Medical Service on Friday morning.

Phishing Scams Attempt to Leverage Uncertainty Following Outage

While IT engineers and support staff worked to mitigate the number of devices impacted by the outage, bad actors quickly began impersonating CrowdStrike and other technology support professionals. Their phishing emails attempted to trick readers into give up account credentials and personal information in exchange for help getting their computers back online. Remember to report suspicious messages using PhishAlarm. When in doubt, check the authenticity of a Cornell message against the list of Verified Communications.

Contact the IT Service Desk for Windows Assistance

For assistance with the blue screen error or other issues on your Windows computer, contact the IT Service Desk using the large blue box or button at the top of the web page: https://it.cornell.edu/support.