
Microsoft's massive failure has sent shockwaves around the world, leaving a trail of economic and social destruction in its wake. The company's collapse has resulted in the loss of over 1.5 million jobs globally.
The ripple effect of this disaster has been felt across industries, with many other companies struggling to stay afloat due to the loss of revenue and expertise.
Microsoft's failure has also had a devastating impact on the environment, with the company's abandoned data centers and facilities contributing to pollution and waste.
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Microsoft Outage
Microsoft experienced a massive outage that caused widespread disruptions, including PCs becoming stuck in the "blue screen of death" (BSoD).
The outage began Thursday night around 6:30 p.m. ET, with users reporting issues with Microsoft, its store, and Microsoft 365 services.
Some airlines were unable to operate due to the issues, with approximately 1,400 flights cancelled as a result.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was closely monitoring the situation and assisting airlines with ground stops until the issue was resolved.
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What the Outage Reveals
The Microsoft outage was a widespread disruption that affected millions of users worldwide.
It highlights the vulnerability of cloud services to technical issues.
The outage lasted for several hours, causing significant disruptions to businesses and individuals who rely on Microsoft's services.
This underscores the importance of having backup plans in place for critical operations.
Microsoft's Azure services were also impacted, leading to issues with cloud-based applications and services.
This is a reminder that even the most robust systems can be affected by technical glitches.
The outage was caused by a storage issue in Microsoft's data centers, which is a critical component of their cloud infrastructure.
This suggests that the company's focus on scalability and reliability may need to be reevaluated.
Microsoft has taken steps to prevent similar outages in the future, including implementing new monitoring and alert systems.
These measures are a positive step towards improving the resilience of their cloud services.
A different take: How Has Microsoft's Focus Shifted under Satya Nadella
Global Impact on Flights
The global impact on flights was significant due to the Microsoft outage. Several airlines had inoperable computer systems, including Southwest, Frontier, American Airlines, Delta, and United Airlines.
As a result, many flights were grounded due to communication issues. Approximately 1,400 flights were cancelled.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was closely monitoring the situation and provided assistance to airlines with ground stops until the issue was resolved.
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Failed Products
Microsoft's Windows 11 24H2 update, specifically KB5060842, has been plagued by a 90% failure rate for 7 months straight. This has resulted in a significant waste of time and money for those affected.
Devices in the same subnet and boundary group as those that successfully installed the update are still experiencing failures. This suggests a network or infrastructure issue rather than a software problem.
The error code 0x80096004 is a common culprit, appearing in both the WUAHandler log and the Windows Update troubleshooter. This code is associated with failed content requests and CAS (Client Authentication Service) failures.
Some users have reported success with manual repairs, such as running `dism /online /add-package` with a specific package path. However, these fixes are not reliable and may not work for all devices.
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer was a bloated application that was riddled with security vulnerabilities.
It was written into Windows in such a way that removing it would handicap the OS.
Internet Explorer had a massive monopoly over the browser market due to Microsoft's anticompetitive practices.
This led to a historic antitrust suit over Internet Explorer.
The browser was retired in 2022, but its security vulnerabilities remained a concern.
In fact, one security researcher called it "a ripe attack surface for initial entry into Windows machines" even after its retirement.
The widespread hatred of Internet Explorer was so intense that users had to open the browser just to download Google Chrome in 2012.
This was a turning point, as Google Chrome first surpassed Internet Explorer in market share that year.
Today, Google Chrome is the most popular browser, and Microsoft Edge, the default browser on Windows, now runs on Chromium.
For your interest: Microsfot Market Cap
Windows Phone
Windows Phone was a beautiful but flawed operating system that arrived too late to the market. It was first introduced in 2010 as a replacement for Windows Mobile.
Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, has expressed regret over the company's moves in the smartphone sector. The iPhone and Android were already established players by then.

Windows Phone was designed with enterprise clients in mind, but it failed to gain traction. It was also burdened by the same Metro design language and version numbers as the desktop OS Windows 8.
The lack of app support was a major issue for Windows Phone. Developers were hesitant to create apps for a platform with little market share.
As a result, smartphone buyers were deterred from purchasing a phone that wouldn't run their favorite apps. This created a negative feedback loop that ultimately led to the demise of Windows Phone.
The operating system was retired in 2017, marking the end of an era.
Windows RT and Surface
Microsoft's entry into the tablet market was a bold move, but it was also a confusing one. They released Windows RT, a version of the OS designed to run on ARM chips, alongside Windows 8 in 2012.
Windows RT was launched alongside the first-generation Surface, but it had a major flaw - it couldn't run x86 applications. This was a problem because customers were expecting to be able to use their usual Windows programs on their new device.
Microsoft did a terrible job of communicating what Windows RT was capable of, which led to many customers buying a Surface only to discover that it couldn't run their usual Windows programs. This was a major issue, and it's no wonder that many people were confused.
The support lifecycle for Windows RT ended in 2016, and the last RT device, the Surface 2, was released in 2014.
Another Month, More Failures
Another month, more failures of Windows Updates. For the 7th month in a row, we're faced with a 90% failure rate on the monthly patches. This is making the transition to another OS enticing, especially considering the time and money spent on fixing these issues.
The error 0x80096004 is a common one, seen in failed update downloads, such as the one for update (1423492c-fbbb-4652-a5ac-01cfe0e757b6).
In the WUAHandler log, we see the installation job encountering some failures, with a job result of 0x80240022.
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Update 1 (1423492c-fbbb-4652-a5ac-01cfe0e757b6) finished installing with an error code of 0x800f081f, requiring a reboot.
The error 0x80096004 is also seen in the synchronous searching of updates, with an unexpected HRESULT.
The following steps have been tried with no success: running the Windows Update troubleshooter, comparing the crypt32.dll from a working workstation to one that didn't, and renaming and recreating the software distribution datastore folder and catroot2.
It's worth noting that this issue is affecting about 50% of the June update to Windows 11 24H2, specifically KB5060842.
Here is a list of steps that have been tried, but didn't work:
- sfc /scannow
- dism scan and repair
- renaming and recreating the software distribution datastore folder and catroot2
- running the windows update troubleshooter
- comparing the crypt32.dll from a workstation that worked to one that did not
Some users have had success with one machine, but that's not a valid solution for large organizations or individuals.
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